Take a little <i>me</i> time

"Club Med? I've heard of that. What is it again?" Everyone, it seems, has heard of Club Med but few people actually know anything about it.

A quick look at the Club Med website reveals a lot: villages around the world, fully inclusive facilities with a wide range of activities, sports and instruction for all ability levels, clear blue seas, sandy beaches, friendly people, and, of course, sunshine.

It sounded great. I really needed a break from city life and I jetted off, looking forward to learning to wakeboard, brush up on my tennis and, more importantly, relax.

We stayed at the Club Med in Kemer, Turkey. Billed as the destination for sports lovers and night owls on the Med, we found an enthusiastic and energetic clientele. But it immediately became apparent that nobody else would be nearly as lazy as we were.

By the afternoon of day two, I felt the first pang of guilt. I hate that. It's not that I was being lazy, I was refreshing myself. I work hard, commute for hours each week and I deserved a rest. Still I felt guilty. With inclusive activities as varied as water-skiing, climbing, and archery on offer, we really should have been doing more than extreme sunbathing.

The trouble is, it's easy to get very comfortable at Club Med. From the moment we arrived, walked through the landscaped gardens and found our lodgings overlooking the crystal-blue sea, we knew it was going to be a relaxing week. Walking past the private beach to reach the activities proved difficult on more than one occasion. The fact the (all-inclusive) meals present an experience that is more banquet than buffet, further eroded any good intentions. The food really does redefine your expectations of an all-inclusive holiday and positively shames the catering at other resorts I have visited.

It was day three before we finally strayed from our beachside slumber and engaged in something more demanding. 'Just keep your knees together and let the boat lift you upright,' quipped the wakeboard tutor. It sounded simple and was still ringing in my ears as I slammed into the sea for the third time and swallowed enough water to satiate the most demanding of detox diets.

Stubbornness led to a fourth attempt and, finally, success. Wakeboarding - technically closer to snowboarding than water-skiing - turned out to be loads of fun and the basics (almost) as easy to master as our instructor had claimed. In keeping with Club Med's philosophy, there was tuition on hand to cater for all levels, and a fleet of speedboats operating out of two piers ensured waiting times were short.

The remainder of the holiday disappeared in a blur of activity. After regular visits to the tennis courts and the climbing wall, we were feeling altogether more virtuous.

In fact, we found little reason to explore much beyond the resort in our week-long visit.

It seems our British lack of understanding about Club Med has led to it becoming a secret other Europeans have kept largely to themselves - which is a bit of a shame. It's a great place to unwind.