Romanian Jewel

In October I experienced the inaugural short flight of two hours, 15 minutes from Stansted to Oradea, Romania. Our transfer took 15 minutes to Bali Felix staying in the new President Spa Hotel. This hotel is part of a group of hotels on the same resort built on a thermal plain. The temperature of the thermal water is 37-38C and this is used in all the 17 pools within the complex.

Adjacent to the hotels is a health centre, which includes medical consulting rooms and offers over seven types of medically managed treatments. I experienced a mud wrap and I would highly recommend the complex for rest and post op recovery.

Next to the President Spa Hotel is the Aqua Park, which includes indoor and outdoor pools with a gaming area and sports facilities.

The hotels also offer conference facilities (for 350 people) and a traditional log building where we experienced a themed Romanian evening with a rustic meal, and costume dancing with singing.

The weather was very warm at 24C in the daytime and rather cooler in the evenings.

A local horse riding centre was a five-minute walk from the hotel and a small group of us took a hack around the area.

We also visited Oradea, with fabulous architectural buildings around the main square of the city. There is lots of history and inside the medieval fortress of Oradea is a sister property of the President, Hotel Cetate. There are only 17 rooms but it’s totally boutique and authentic, with high arch ceilings and tiled floors. It’s an ideal base to explore the city and I would recommend a twin centre stay with the President Spa.

We visited the Meziad caves, a maze of 7km of huge caverns and then on to Rosia Village for a traditional rustic lunch passing through the Aspusen National Park, which reminded me of New England, beautiful autumnal colours at this time of year.

The people were very welcoming, and the prices are extremely reasonable for Europe.

Fantastic destination for a short break or extend to a week to explore this wonderful region.