I went to Greece to stay at an all inclusive and swallowed half the Aegean Sea

But is it still the number one spot for Brits? Well, with the likes of Spain, Portugal, Italy and even Turkey now fighting for that crown, Greece has to offer that something special. I've never been to mainland Greece before; I've instead been to the islands of Ayia Napa and Malia in my witless youth. The types of places where it's less 'Let's go sightseeing!' and more 'I can't see past my kebab'. So I wanted to give 'proper Greece' a try for myself. @uktoday_ I visited #AjulHotel in Halkidiki, Greece to see if it really is the number one holiday spot for Brits - take a look #greecetiktok #greecetravel ♬ original sound - UKToday 🇬🇧 Newsquest Last year, I visited Rhodes. An amazing experience, but one in which I spent alone playing the world's smallest violin. Poor me. Pour me another drink. This year, I was joined by a beautiful lady (it's a man actually Derek) heading for Halkidiki, where we would be staying at the incredible Ajul Luxury Hotel & Spa Resort. We were flying with Jet2 at Manchester's revamped Terminal 2 with a 22kg bag allowance between us, which, naturally, meant I had a 2kg allowance.  It was pretty plain sailing getting through, and, because thank god we weren't flying Ryanair, we had a chance to wander a bit. If you fly Ryanair, you're very limited at that terminal. I'll make one observation about Manchester Airport. It has an abundance of Georgio Armani T-shirts and Cold War-like smoking shelters. Hats off. But no amount of Soviet cigarettes or Italian drapes could distract me from my absolute worst fear: flying. It was just a couple of days after the tragic Air India disaster, and we also had a thunderstorm warning in place; I was terrified. Thankfully, time doesn't exist in airports, so I managed to get a few pints down me before take off. What a culture, rule Britannia. We were in for a treat. (Image: Newsquest) Boarding was again plain sailing, and before long, we found ourselves 30,000ft through the clouds. I was finally at ease, for a brief moment. A child behind us felt the compulsion to practice his free kicks with our seats, and a follicly challenged man in front of me put his seat back. The ultimate cardinal sin. Fighting the urge to blow gently on his head to make him think his air con was faulty, I instead picked up the book Georgia had bought - with no intention of reading - from WHSmiths earlier.  Turns out it was some romantic tat that I would certainly never give the time of day. (It turns out Alistair was cheating on Erin with Rowan, but Erin had already cheated on Alistair, and Henry wasn’t his kid.) It was only a three-hour flight, thank the lord, so if you're a nervous flyer like me, this journey is more than doable. The all-inclusive Ajul Luxury Hotel & Spa Resort provides transfers to guests to and from the airport, a phenomenally fast and efficient service, I have to say. Thessaloniki Airport is just over an hour from the hotel, but it certainly doesn't feel it. During the journey, I went embarrassingly full tourist. Marvelling at all the 'old buildings' and thinking, "Wow, what history, what culture", before realising they were just a sad reminder of Greece’s sovereign debt crisis and probably less than 20 years old. Over the following few days, I was told by staff members and locals alike that Greece still heavily depends on tourism. Perhaps too much, sadly. After our rather miserable education, we finally arrived. I know we were nowhere near Tuscany, but as we approached Ajul Luxury Hotel & Spa Resort, manoeuvring through the twisting, winding country lanes, I honestly felt like I was in the ending scene of Gladiator. It was heavenly. The hotel itself screams grandeur. From the outside, it certainly earns its five-star reputation in bundles, but what about the inside? What about the staff? What about our room? As we exited the cab, our bags were taken swiftly and we were introduced to Anastasia and Younes, the hotel's managers. Over the course of the next few days, both showed me a new level of customer service with how far they'd go to cater to a hotel guests needs. Not a Basil Faulty between them. After introductions, we hopped on a golf cart - which is needed at times to get around the resort, it's easy to book or request one - and were taken to our 'room'. Our 'room' in fact turned out to be a private villa, the Royal Villa. With two bedrooms, a lounge and a private pool, we felt somewhat out of place at first. This was a place for celebs, not us, surely? It was by far the best place that we have ever stayed at.  To keep ourselves grounded, we made quick work of the complimentary white wine, tried drowning each other and blasted Goldie Lookin Chain on the speaker. Never forget your roots. Chillin' (Image: Newsquest) There are three restaurants at Ajul Luxury Hotel & Spa Resort, the Infinity Main Restaurant, Thimari Greek Restaurant and Ambrosia Italian Restaurant. For our first night, we opted for the traditional Greek restaurant, which has possibly the most accommodating and friendly waiters in the country. Made only better by the view, the squid and the classical Greek band playing nearby. Tired and full to the brim with Greek wine and squid, we soon went to bed. Every morning, the Infinity Main Restaurant serves a breakfast buffet that offers a taste of everything. Fish, fruit, and fresh omelettes, to bacon, sausages and hash browns. There's something for everyone at this all-inclusive. I'll be perfectly honest, I've never been a fan of a buffet; I'm a slight snob like that. But keeping with the theme of honesty, the buffet really does set you up for the day. Some brekky that. (Image: Newsquest) I had a hotel tour with Anastasia, learning more about the hotel and what it offers. Although Ajul Luxury Hotel & Spa Resort is still in its relative infancy, it is certainly making its mark on the Greek hotel scene. The hotel has a kids' area, a small shop, conference rooms, a terrific spa, a beach which inspired Aristotle himself, an outdoor cinema, and above all else, its main attraction, a water park. Yes, a water park. I'll say it a third time: a water park. After another few rounds of margaritas, we went to take a look. It's not the biggest, but then again, I'm 30 years old; if I were 20 years younger, it would've been heaven, I'm sure. Their poolside bar only serves beer, no cocktails or wine, so that too is a little limited for adults. But where were the adults? During our stay, we didn't see that many people, truth be told. Despite its size, it was a lot of fun. (Image: Newsquest) If you come here, you have to concede you ain’t going anywhere else, bar a 30-minute taxi ride. It’s this resort and nothing else, but the elephant in the room is, does it make up for that? Well, it depends on what you want.  If you want peace and quiet, if you want privacy, if you want to listen to the birds sing interrupted for hours, then this is certainly the place for you. You won't be trying to catch a barman's eye for 15 minutes, you won't be queuing at one of their three water slides, and you won't be scrapping ze Germans over sun loungers. At Ajul Luxury Hotel & Spa Resort, it's an easy life. But what is there to do? There are several excursions the hotel can arrange for you, trips out to postcard-perfect villages, spa days, paddle tennis, and even ocean activities. In the words of Harry Potter, we'll take the lot. I left feeling like I had indulged on 15 tins of anchovies. (Image: Newsquest) Snorkerlling I've always had a slight fear of the sea, so I'm quite glad we were put down for snorkelling rather than scuba diving. I've seen Jaws. It's not far from the hotel, just a quick ride in a car down to the beach where we met our instructor, a lovely fella called Emilios. After a quick safety demonstration, we squeezed into our suits and set about snorkelling around the shores. It was incredible. We saw so many brightly coloured fish of varying size, octopus, and even entered a bat cave. Sadly, I couldn't get the hang of breathing underwater, so I inadvertently swallowed half the Aegean Sea and caused a drought for an afternoon. Still, the experience was unforgettable. The spa After one night of particularly heavy drinking, we were booked in for the spa. Thank the lord, the ultimate cure. We arrived together and were told we'd go one after the other. Still seeing double, I happily waited for a bit. I think one of the staff suggested I try the sauna, in Greece, in the middle of the day. Does that qualify as attempted murder? Anyway, the spa itself is as tranquil as you'll ever find, with a rich list of all manner of treatments. One hour in there sorted my sore little head out completely. Welcome to the show. (Image: Newsquest) Paddle tennis Since I played a lot of tennis when I was younger, I was really looking forward to giving a certain someone a thrashing. You get the balls and racquets from reception and head towards the football pitches where the courts are situated next to. She walked over to her side of the court, I ran over to mine like Nadal on Centre Court. It was time. Her time. Boom, ace. Boom, ace. "Can we please play nicely?" Boom, ace. "I'll go home if you carry on." Did I listen? Did I hell. A subsequent 200mph serve right down the tee sent her packing. No mercy. Andy Roddick would've been proud. There endeth four minutes of paddle tennis. Postcard-perfect towns There is an abundance of beautiful towns situated near the hotel, some quite close and others just under an hour away. But they are worth visiting, and the hotel will happily sort out transfers for you. We visited Afitos, a town renowned for its traditional tavernas and handicrafts. You have stunning views, beautiful bars and restaurants and dozens of authentic Greek sellers. We picked up some homemade Ouzo, several bottles of olive oil, and even a painted picture of the town. It really is worth a visit, day or night. Take a walk through Greece. (Image: Newsquest) Bars and restaurants As mentioned earlier, the hotel has three restaurants altogether, the Infinity Main Restaurant, Thimari Greek Restaurant and Ambrosia Italian Restaurant. Ambrosia is arguably the fanciest of the three, which sits atop the hotel, providing breathtaking views of both the coast and the hotel itself. It sometimes even has live music, providing you with the perfect soundtrack as you eat. Although it's Italian, it has an eclectic menu; don't be fooled. Our favourite spot of the whole holiday though, was the pool bar. It was a short walk up from our villa and was just perfect in every way.  The bartender, Chris, was charm personified, as was the other woman who worked there. From margaritas to his own signature spins, we sampled it all. We even got a private crash course on cocktails at one point, don't mind if we do. Night after night, we found ourselves gravitating towards the bar, where we could relax, drink and chat in perfect company. (Image: Newsquest) Recommended reading: I went to Rhodes looking for love but ended up with a goose Fear, beer, love and loathing in the Lake District I tried Gordon Ramsay's beef wellington at the Savoy - oh my I went skiing and had an amazing yet terrible experience Overall We spent an incredible four nights at Ajul Luxury Hotel & Spa Resort, truly, but is Greece still the place to go? In my mind, yes. Without question. Ok, it might be a bit further away than other popular destinations, but I can hand on heart say the Greeks exude a friendliness like no one else. If we had any qualms or complaints, they were seen to and rectified immediately. You are made to feel so at home, in their country. And that is why, for myself, it is still the best summer holiday spot for Brits. Yiamas!

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