Halkidiki is where the Greeks like to escape to. Rebecca Gilbert visits this secret corner of Greece and finds much to enjoy... especially the puddings

Never in my life have I eaten so much as on a four-day trip to Halkidiki in northern Greece. Before this my experience of traditional Greek food had been limited to kebabs and the odd pot of Greek yoghurt but what I ate here gave me a whole new insight.

Halkidiki, often described as Greece's secret paradise, is the place the Greeks choose for their own holidays.

Its three peninsulas, Kassandra, Sithonia and Mount Athos, are connected to the mainland and covered in lush green vegetation hemmed by unspoilt sandy beaches and deserted coves - a refreshing change from the crowded party towns on the islands.

We stayed at the four star Sithonia Beach Hotel on Halkidiki's middle peninsula Sithonia.

It is built on the 4,500 acre Porto Carras estate and separated from the outside world by a checkpoint manned 24-hours a day by guards to keep out undesirables visiting the resort's casino.

The estate offers two large swimming pools, watersports facilities, yacht moorings and high quality restaurants.

Although superb for couples seeking solitude, a short river taxi ride takes more sociable guests to the lively village of Neos Marmaras, where there are plenty of additional bars and restaurants.

Full day cruises can be taken from the port of Ormos Panagrias around the furthest peninsula, Mount Athos, named after the Athos peak at its southern most tip. It is home to 1,700 monks who live in 20 crumbling monasteries and no woman has set foot on the peninsula since they were banned in 1060.

Only 120 Greeks and ten foreigners a day are allowed to go there after applying for a special visa. But you get enough of a view from the boat to make the boat trip worthwhile and on ours a school of dolphins swam alongside.

After stopping off for lunch at the fishing village of Ouranopolis we moved on to Kassandra, the closest peninsula to the mainland.

Here we broke off our tour of hotel rooms and historical monuments for a gourmet meal at the Sani Beach Resort's exclusive Porto Sani Village, a favourite haunt of the rich and famous.

The resort also has an hotel and apartments to cater for families and couples and there are plenty of activities for those who get bored lying on the beach.

Finally we had a proper look around Thessaloniki, where we stayed at the luxurious Regency Hyatt five-star hotel.

On a daytime tour of the city, we explored the shops and drank coffee in the pavement cafs and in the evening sampled the city's lively bar culture. The highlight was a meal at the city's oldest restaurant, Krikelas, where I ate some of the most delicious puddings I've ever tasted. We ate moist white blocks of semolina which turned out to be Halva, Kidoni Psito, which was baked fruit, and Kazan Oipi, a dish made of caramel and buffalo milk.

But the most delicious of all was a pudding called Kaoaifi, which was crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and made of fine sweet strands of pasta with nuts.

The finale to our visit came the very next evening when we were taken on a VIP visit to the Regency Casino for a mad night of wild abandon at the slot machines.

This was followed by another delicious meal and a chance to be entertained by the likes of Elvis and Madonna in a front row booth at the casino's theatre for a performance of The Superstars show fresh from Las Vegas.

After resisting the obvious temptation of having my picture taken with Michael Jackson, I consoled myself that a fantastic holiday was over with a well-earned glass of champagne.

Accommodation:excellent

Food: tremendous

Value for money: good

Things to do: lots to do

More information: More information: A week half board at Sani beach starts at £408 and three nights bed and breakfast at the Hyatt Regency starts at £401