DESTINATIONS TURKEY | HOTELS, RESORTS & SPAS
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Work out with Olympic athletes and learn to dance with Strictly stars during a sporty resort stay in Turkey, writes Kirsten Henton
ush with your legs!” Paula Radcliffe shouts encouragingly as she powers past, while I wrestle with my oars. Despite having had personal tuition from Olympic rower Victoria Thornley, I’m still stationary on my
RowSUP, an adapted paddleboard for newbie rowers. Thankfully, however, I am not alone – I can see Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill entangled in the rope demarcating our play area in the Aegean Sea. “Excellent,” I think. “She has no idea what she’s doing either.” This moment, studded with Olympians who are both
experts and novices in this particular field, encapsulates the magic of what’s happening here. I’m attending the second Wellness Week with Olympic Medallists and World Champions, a five-day sport and fitness fest at the sleek Anda Barut Collection resort, close to Didim on Turkey’s west coast. The annual event, organised by Wellness Worldwide
(which offers resort-based events featuring some of the world’s best-known sporting stars), offers an eclectic schedule built on fun. Sessions are designed to give guests the chance to try something new or practise a skill they’re keen to improve, under the expert instruction of Olympians and other big names in sport, dance and more, all at no extra cost compared with a regular stay. The action-packed timetable includes activities such as swimming with Rebecca Adlington, doing circuits with Daley Thompson and Colin Jackson, and learning to
dance with Strictly stars Ola and James Jordan (with their adorable daughter in tow). Clients can pick and choose the activities that appeal, while enjoying near-unfettered access to the very best in their business who are, entertainingly, all sampling each other’s sessions too.
A GROWING TREND The week speaks to a growing trend of wellness tourism. According to the Global Wellness Institute’s Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2024, wellness-related trips accounted for 7.8% of all tourism and 17.9% of all tourism expenditure in 2023, reaching a record value of $830.2 billion worldwide.
This isn’t a dedicated wellness
resort, but its lush grounds, variety of swimming pools and workout spaces provide the ideal surroundings
Although Anda Barut Collection is not a dedicated
wellness resort, its lush grounds, variety of swimming pools and workout spaces provide the ideal surroundings. Opened in 2024, the ‘ultra all-inclusive’ resort is a delectable escape from reality with its warm Turkish hospitality, whitewashed walls, muted tones and natural stone and wood trimmings.
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