Landing on the Greek island of Rhodes, pulling into a vast, modern resort complete with sun loungers, glistening pools and a long stretch of unspoiled beach, you might expect a textbook week-long holiday of rest and relaxation in the Rhodian sun. However, at Neilson’s Levante Beach Club the eagle-eyed will soon note that one of those pools is a cold plunge, the platform next to the beach bar is packed with spin bikes, and half of the beach is lined with dinghies, kayaks, and windsurf rigs. At this resort, rest is not the order of the day. Instead we’re here to move, challenge and exhilarate – a dream for a Type 2 fun personality like me.
For those unfamiliar, ‘Type 2’ is a measure on the ‘Fun Scale’ used by outdoor enthusiasts to describe the enjoyment gained from their more physically challenging endeavours. Spanning from Type 1 fun, which refers to an activity you actually enjoy in the moment (like lying on a sun lounger), Type 3 are the kinds of pursuits normal people might just ask ‘why?’, due to the extreme discomfort they cause (like running an ultramarathon through a desert). Type 2 fun is the middle ground at which the activity might be difficult at the time but afterwards your brain forgets the pain or fear, you feel great that you’ve completed a challenge and, if you’re in this brigade, you’ll likely sign up to go again the very next day.
