Travel: Turkey

although the sign said 'Serenity Spa and Wellness', I must admit I felt a little apprehensive.

My hazy impression of a traditional Turkish bath had been of a murky, sweaty, steam room where you got pummelled by large, menacing men who wrestled bears for fun.

I needn't have worried. We were staying on the Turkish coast at the Aqua Fantasy Aquapark, Hotel and Spa which, as its name suggests, specialises in having fun with water - so how could we not sample the local hamam treatment?

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My wife and I realised we were in for the authentic hamam experience as we were shown into a tiled room with a large marble slab in the middle, where we sat in the steamy heat.

Our masseuses, Ali and Felice, appeared clad in the traditional red and white check towels.

We lay in swimming kit on towels on the slab and Ali, using a rough cloth mitt, a kese, rubbed briskly over my body, getting rid of dead cells. This, I was told, would clear my skin and give me an even better tan.

With skin red and tingling, I was ready for the next stage, altogether more luxurious, of being massaged with soft, foamy soap. My wife, meanwhile, had become a silky cocoon of soap.

By the time Ali was finishing, sluicing off the soap with hot and cold water ladled from large marble pitchers, I was feeling reinvigorated, almost supple, and super-clean.

Afterwards we took a break on loungers, savouring chilled water, chunks of fresh melon and peach.

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I enjoy having a laid-back time on holiday, but my 13-year-old son had other ideas. At his insistence, I found myself on a mission to try the scariest slides at the Aqua Fantasy waterpark just five minutes' walk from our hotel and free to guests.

There were 110 steps up to the ride they called the X-treme and on each one I felt a strong temptation to turn back. That only stopped when, lying on my back, I started off on a gentle slope at first before suddenly being plunged off what felt like a precipice.

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As I plummeted down at up to 50mph I could hear screams. They were my own.

More gentle but fun was the meandering crazy raft ride, at 220 metres said to be the world's longest family waterslide. It isn't all thrills and spills, however. There's a children's pool and a moving lazy river for a slower-paced time.

With the hotel's all-inclusive tariff, range of activities, clubs for children and six swimming pools, visitors tend to stay on site - or in the waterpark right next door. No wonder families voted it number one in the splash category in a First Choice survey.

Our air-conditioned family room could sleep four with a double bed and a partitioned-off area containing a single bed and convertible sofa leading to a small balcony. A thoughtful feature was the daily delivery of a two-litre bottle of drinking water.Although the hotel is large - nearly 900 rooms - the accommodation is in low-rise blocks and it's a pleasant stroll through grounds landscaped with palms, bougainvillea and green lawns to the Blue Flag beach with shallow clear sea where fish dart under your feet.

We headed there after an early breakfast, refusing to join the rush to claim a poolside lounger - there were plenty of places at the beach and large sun canopies for protection.

The beach bar was on hand with free drinks, including local wine and beer, and waiters brought round cooling watermelon and cucumber.

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You can take out a canoe or pedalo for free but other watersports come with a price - a catamaran is 40 euros per hour, windsurfing 20 euros an hour. Beach volleyball was a step too far in that heat.

We aimed to eat early to avoid the crush (the hotel has around 3000 guests in peak season), opting for the snack bar at lunch which offers the same salads, grilled meat and fish as the two main restaurants but also serves pizza, hot dogs and grilled chicken.

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For an a la carte experience, the hotel's themed restaurants levy an additional charge. We found the Chinese and Turkish menus limited, though my spicy mince skewer was tasty.

There are fixed price menus of 20 Turkish lira (9) at the Chinese and Italian restaurants and 30 lira (13) at the steakhouse where an imported beer is about 3.30 and a cocktail 6.

Afterwards we tried the beach bar for a late evening drink, sitting on one of the sofas put out on the sand, the perfect place to admire moonlight shining on the bay.

We preferred this option rather than the evening entertainment - shows such as High School Musical, and quiz and talent contests which, combined with a beach barbecue, were popular with families with younger children.

A wealth of history waited to be explored nearby. Ephesus, one of the largest cities of the ancient world and said to be founded by the legendary female warriors, the Amazons, was a half-hour drive away. We got there at opening time to dodge the crowds and midday heat.

Ruled by Greeks and then Romans, it's one of the best preserved ancient sites. Our guided tour lasted some two-and-a-half hours. Enough remains to give visitors a really good idea of how it looked more than 2000 years ago. For me, the highlights were the great theatre set in the hillside with its 22 flights of stone stairs where up to 25,000 people gathered, the facade of the library of Celsus, and streets still lined with columns.

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You can see the remains of the baths and even a brothel - with a footprint carved in marble directing clients to it.

There was another Turkish tradition we felt we couldn't miss - shopping in a bazaar.

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The minibus stop to the local town of Kusadasi was right outside the hotel and the port, on the tourist cruise liner route, is a magnet for shoppers. The covered bazaar offers everything from leather bags to aromatic spices, jewellery to designer clothes, carpets to coffee.

Amid the shopkeepers' cries of "Asda price" and "genuine fakes", bargaining is something of a ritual. Offer a third of the quoted price or less and do a deal somewhere over half, was the advice we took.

With an elderly rug seller who didn't speak a word of English, we managed to do a deal using fingers on the palm of his hand - a change from the usual slick salesmen who approach with calculator at the ready.

Haggling in a bazaar, like trying out the hamam, is what gives a flavour of Turkish delight to this holiday.

BEST FOR: A splash and slide holiday in the sun.

TIME TO GO: It's less busy outside the summer holidays and the weather is still good.

DON'T MISS: Ephesus and its well-preserved ruins.

NEED TO KNOW: Get to the waterpark early or late - to cut queue times.

DON'T FORGET: Plenty of sunscreen.

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n Nigel Williams was a guest of First Choice, which offers seven-night all-inclusive stays at the Sun Aqua Fantasy Aquapark Hotel & Spa from 725 per adult, with first child from 199, second from 235, based on two adults and two children sharing, from Gatwick. Price includes transfers and unlimited entry to on-site waterpark.

Regional departures include Manchester (1840 for family of four).

First Choice reservations: 0871-200 4455 and www.firstchoice.co.uk

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