The No-Plan Holiday: Going All-Inclusive at Nirvana Dolce Vita, TürkiyeBy Josh Pedro
Sometimes an all-inclusive is exactly what you need. Where better than Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast?
I’ve backpacked across South America, done road trips in Morocco and hiked across Kyrgyzstan, yet sometimes, a holiday rooted in simplicity and relaxation is what I crave. No thinking, no planning. Enter the all-inclusive.
As I landed at Antalya airport, it became clear that I wasn’t the only one with this idea. A seemingly endless sea of name placards greeted me as I began the hunt for my transfer. An hour and a half drive later, I arrived at the gates of Nirvana Dolce Vita, my hotel for the week, and was greeted with a bouquet of flowers (who says men don’t get flowers?), which I proceeded to keep alive in the champagne bucket in my room as a makeshift vase. Very chic.
Nirvana Dolce Vita is a five-star, beachfront, ultra all-inclusive resort located on an enormous, private stretch of the Turkish Mediterranean coastline, set against a beautiful backdrop of the Taurus Mountains and pine forests. The resort is large (there’s a mile-long running track and golf buggies to shepherd you between restaurants), yet not overwhelmingly so, and it did not feel overcrowded. Despite being located on a popular stretch of coast, it is not at all overlooked by its neighbours and feels neatly nestled between mountain and sea.
My room is spacious, with a sea-facing balcony, perfect for a morning tea (or decaf Nespresso) while watching the sun rise over the Mediterranean. It’s worth requesting a sea view. You get a walk-in wardrobe, allowing you to fully unpack, hide your suitcase away and keep the main room feeling neat. Room service requests, such as an iron, were dealt with efficiently, yet when I requested the twin beds be converted into a double, the two beds were just pushed closer rather than joined into one. The eco-conscious toiletries were also a nice touch, especially from a hotel this size.
The décor is quite outdated and could do with an uplift. Flower-patterned curtains, wallpaper and carpet in autumnal colours don’t scream luxury so much as evoke your grandma’s house, and the step-in corner shower feels at odds with most modern hotel showers and is more akin to a London flat share. The older, dial-adjusted air conditioning was unable to cool the room, despite me having it on the coldest setting. This was just about tolerable in May, as I could leave the balcony door open, but would likely be a more significant issue when visiting during the summer and could do with an upgrade. For those wanting a fuller five-star experience, there are more modern suites and villas with private pools that are likely worth the upgrade and would better match luxury expectations.
One of the simplicities of coming to a well-equipped resort is that you can maintain some semblance of your healthy home routines (should you choose to, of course) while also being able to switch off and relax. For me, the large gym was perfect, with all the equipment you would expect from a commercial gym. There are numerous sports facilities, from tennis to basketball, but as soon as I spotted the padel court, I knew where I would be. We rented some racquets in the sweltering heat, and I even had a short individual hitting session with Berkan, the in-house racquet sports instructor. There’s an included daily entertainment schedule of outdoor activities such as beach volleyball, archery, rifle shooting and stand-up paddleboarding, as well as fitness and wellness activities, all under the guidance of Dolce Vita instructors. For children, there’s also a daily kids club and children’s entertainment shows. After all this exercise, I was treated to a very relaxing massage in the spa. I appreciated that after the massage, there was no hurry to leave the tranquillity of the spa. Instead, I was given a herbal tea and spa bed, and allowed to slowly return to wakefulness before retiring to my room for a shower.
I spent most of my days lounging on the pristinely maintained beach. I did not explore the surrounding neighbourhood, which was very against my instinct, but I was leaning fully into the resort holiday experience. The sea is refreshing and calm for a swim, while the gorgeous vista of vast ocean ahead with rocky, forested headland behind offers a connection to nature and detachment from the main resort. I benefited from the additional privacy of my own beach cabana complete with an indoor seating area, reserved loungers and a stocked mini-fridge, and had my lunch delivered directly to my cabana. It’s moments like this, when your most taxing decision is what cocktail to order at the beach, that the no-thinking, no-planning of the all-inclusive really shines. The multiple pools, some large enough for lengths, offer a less salty alternative to the sea, and bartenders on roller skates glide between sunbeds delivering drinks. There is also a fairly substantial pirate-themed waterpark, even if there perhaps wasn’t sufficient water flow for an adult-sized body to gain any notable speed, meaning I did have to occasionally shunt myself along to reach the bottom of the slide.
I certainly didn’t go hungry (how could you at an all-inclusive?!), and there are some strong dining options available. There is a buffet and several à la carte restaurants, which must be booked, sometimes at additional cost. Vegan food was well catered for throughout the resort, with highlights being the mushroom schnitzel from the Mexican restaurant and the vegan cheese boards, a starter at multiple restaurants. The staff were unanimously excellent, impressive for a resort of this size. They remembered dietary requirements between days and were always very conversational. At each restaurant, a separate vegan menu was created for me, and I was always full, frequently finding myself swarmed with seemingly unending mezze. Definitely spend one night at Pescatore, and make sure to go for sunset. This Mediterranean restaurant is tucked into the hillside, offering a panorama of the mountains, hotel and sea (climb the lighthouse for the best views). It was also the most authentically Turkish of the restaurants I tried and, with musicians performing throughout dinner, it really did feel like I’d stepped away from the resort into something more local. One caveat: the walk there passes by the hotel’s zoo, a strange choice for a hotel and disappointing to see animals kept in enclosed spaces. The main buffet is vast, with international and local food, and I enjoyed the opportunity to experience a range of Turkish delicacies, a cuisine that lends itself naturally to buffet service without a reduction in quality. Scattered throughout the hotel, there are a number of different snack bars and patisseries, some of which are open 24 hours. The handmade chocolates from Glamour Patisserie were a real highlight, and although far less sophisticated, many people were delighted by the on-site Starbucks.
In the evenings, there is plenty of entertainment. We caught the tail end of the circus act, before popping along to the open-air nightclub, all contained within the resort and, importantly, drinks are still on the all-inclusive. For that special occasion, glamorous brunches, dinners and parties are held regularly on an enormous, three-storey boat, Cosmos Moonlight.
On my final night, I watched the sun set behind the mountains, the red and purple hue reflecting off the swimming pools, multiple golden-hour photoshoots in session. The all-inclusive was proof that switching off doesn’t mean going without, and certainly doesn’t mean being bored, especially if you come as a group. My four nights at Nirvana Dolce Vita were a welcome disconnect for my usually very busy brain, even if the ungodly 4 am departure the next day did its best to start to unravel that calm.
Flights were provided by Corendon Airlines, an Antalya-based airline with direct return flights between London and Antalya from approximately £190 per person.
Find more information about Nirvana Dolce Vita, click here
