Neilson Beachclub Fun in Croatia
Things have changed lots since out last Neilson holiday. They now charter their own aircraft so on arrival at Manchester we had a dedicated checked in with our fellow holidaymakers, all of us heading for the same place. The airline Titan were great, I had not heard much about them, but I would say they are as good as any other charter, and a couple of hours later we landed at Zadar airport having flown over land to the Adriatic Sea with crystal clear turquoise waters dotted with hundreds of islands.
The friendly Neilson staff were at hand to point us to our transfer coaches and in under an hour we arrived at the Alana Beachclub at Starigrad. It was a late arrival so after a quick drink we headed to our room to unpack and have an early night.
Day 1 is always welcome morning, the children all meet the childcare team and head off in various directions with a multitude of activities, games and fun on the shore, in the sea and in the pool. Once they are settled its time for the adults to meet the team and book in for any activities. My son and I decided tennis would be our priority in the first week. By chance we had booked on a week where Mark Petchey, ex-GB tennis player and Andy Murray’s former coach, was in attendance. Whilst he did offer private sessions on the whole he joined in with as many general coaching sessions as he could offering additional expert advice on top of the Neilson coaching team. I highly recommend joining in the tennis even if you are a novice, at the end of the week there was an exhibition game (including Mark Petchey) and he let us amateurs try and take a point off him. The fun finished off with an hour of booze and balls… ever played tennis with a drink in your hand!?
The meal plan is breakfast and lunch each day and four evening meals. This allows some free evenings to explore town and eat out. Neilson restaurants are usually a buffet service with drinks by waiter, it can be busy at times and very social with people sharing tables, so don’t expect an intimate dining experience! We have always found the food to be excellent, with a salad buffet, hot selection, gluten free area, kid’s options, grilled meats and fish, deserts and a whole section dedicated to fruit. My difficulty is always what to pick with so much choice!
The area around the hotel is very beautiful, being on the edge of the Paklenica National Park, the backdrop to the hotel is stunning and a great place for rock climbing and walking on top of all the other activities laid on. The rooftop bar on the 10th floor is the best place to enjoy a cocktail whilst watching the sun set - breath-taking! We took the local bus to Zadar. The old town is very beautiful with its cobbled streets. As the Adriatic increased in popularity many cruise ships now make this a port of call, well worth a visit.
Through the holiday between us we did just about everything, my son in particular! Water skiing, paddle boarding, sailing, cat joyride, kayaking, mountain biking, climbing wall, tennis, fitness classes, plus all of the games for the kids big and small. The weekly pool Olympics was an absolute blast with big smiles all round, these activities are all included in the cost of your holiday. The staff were wonderful, just what we had always experienced in the past, each of them offered training, coaching, help and advice always sprinkled with a bit of fun!
Well done Neilson 10 out of 10 again from the Clark family!