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I went here to these gites with my children at Easter for a week's holiday, it was fantastic. The children loved the place. It had a heated pool, a great play area and loads of space for them to run around.
The gite itself was spotlessly clean, very well equipped, light and airy, and still homely and comfortable. There was loads in the area for the children and for us to explore, we didn't have a dull moment.
The owners were really welcoming and we had an Easter egg hunt and BBQ to finish off our week. A special place and a special holiday. We will definitely be returning in the summer.
Le Petit Husson
Charme
Charente
16140
France
www.frenchconnections.co.uk Property ID 149697
email : lepetithusson@yahoo.co.uk
Tel : 0033 5 45 30 21 74 leave a message
Airports - Poitiers
- Angouleme
- La Rochelle
- Limoges
Ferry Terminals - Caen
- La Havre
- St Malo
Railway station - Ruffec
- Angouleme
Asha Cottages is a small hotel right on the glorious sandy beach an hour south of Mombasa. Run on eco-friendly lines and set among a veritable arboretum of native trees and shrubs, it offers a relaxing tropical seaside holiday with plenty of activities for those who prefer snorkelling, SCUBA-diving, sailing or fishing to sunbathing. There is also bird and animal life aplenty. We were well looked after and entertained and the facilities are excellent and family friendly. Strongly recommended!
Asha Cottages, Dinai Beach, Ukunda, Kenya
www.ashacottages.com
+254 727624626
I saw short reviews of this hotel around up in the charts for best value for money, as I like to scour for hidden gems. I was not disappointed. It is situated under the castle exactly in the centre but with great prices. The staff were excellent and very informal and relaxed but still willing to pander to your needs. we got an apartment for four people and it had all the trimmings. Wooden floors and antiques in an old building - and free breakfast to boot.
Nerudova Street near Prague castle.
www.castlesteps.com
Flores is a small island on Lake Peten set near the beautiful Mayan temple ruins of Tikal. Rooms are easy to find here and Amigos Hostel is by far the most colourful. Remember to get up early and take the 4.40 am tour to tikal. This means you get to see the jungle wake up.
Bus to Flores then minibus to Tikal. Hostel Amigos can be found at www.amigoshostel.com
Travellers Oasis was by far my favourite hostel in Australia. It's just five minutes from Cairns's main drag but is a haven of peace. The rooms are colourful, the kitchens and bathrooms clean, and the owners and staff incredibly helpful and friendly. My A$42/night single room was wonderful after a day's snorkelling on the reef!
8 Scott Street, Cairns; opposite the main train station; free pickup from the airport until 8pm; www.travoasis.com.au/
Google map: tinyurl.com/ndtbjo
Costa Rica is a favourite holiday destination for its active volcanoes, wildlife abundant rainforest and picture postcard coastline. Its capital, San Jose, is less celebrated but is unavoidable if you are flying in and out of the country. Hotel Aranjuez is the perfect way to begin and end your trip in stress free, simple style in San Jose. Costing the same as the hectic hostels in town this hotel is a beautiful rambling colonial house that offers lots of communal space, pleasant courtyards, beautiful clean rooms and an included buffet breakfast to die for. I would highly recommend it.
Leh in the summer is THE Indian destination for the many, many travellers who flood this small town.
It's hard to believe that a shortage of accommodation does not exist in Leh, but from what I saw, there is no shortage.
The guide books mention only a small number of places, which led travellers I met to panic and book into the only places left with rooms - usually the most expensive ones.
I entirely understand that you may want to book in advance, but bear in mind that even in peak season in 2008, there appared to be far more rooms than tourists, and new guest houses are being built constantly.
As long as you've got a decent torch to walk home with, there are beautiful places to stay a short walk away from the centre of Leh, so if you are struggling to book accomodation, I would recommend trying to get a night or two booked somewhere, but then hunt around if you're staying a while - I paid a tiny fraction of the central hotel prices by staying in a family run beautiful but basic guest house 10 minutes walk from the centre.
Of course, you can turn up with no accommodation booked, but it is worth noting that when flying into at altitude, you will give your body the best chance of acclimatisation if you do very little on arrival and rest, rather than hump your bag around searching for the cheapest hotel (which is my tactic in other locations!).
I phoned a guesthouse listed in a trekking book (rather than the more popular mainstream guide books) the day before I flew into Leh, they seemed surprised that I was phoning to book, but I was glad as my flight arrived so early in the morning, I knew there was a room waiting for me, where I could dump my stuff, grab some filtered water, and then cafe-hop for 48 hours of acclimatisation chilling. I was just hugely shocked at how much some other travellers were paying in their upmarket hotels, which they weren't wanting to stay in, but they were all that were available in the popular guide book recommendations.
From the centre of Leh, there are hotels and guesthouses everywhere. The posher hotels tend to be southwest of central Leh, the densest backpacker area is in Changspar (north east). But I think the most interesting accommodation is in the Old Town area (to the east of centre), and off to the west are a few roads that wind through beautifully quiet scenery with homely looking guest houses.
If you've just arrived in Leh, even if you've come by road, for the purposes of allowing your body to acclimatise to the high altitude, beware of walking far with heavy bags.
Danut Marin leads tour groups around the stunning region located by the Piatra Craiului National Park (near Brasov). He is an incredibly knowledgable guide (and won Wanderlust mag's guide of the year 2007) and points out bear tracks, wolf prints and birds soaring high above the mountain forests. Dan's wife prepares delicious home cooked meals with jams and herbal teas and it's possible to stay in elegant, renovated guest rooms.
A real gem.
Danut & Luminita's guesthouse is in Zarnesti, Brasov County, Romania.
www.transylvanianwolf.ro
A bright modern hostel situated in the centre of Lagos on the Algarve. It has sixty odd, four-bunk rooms, a kitchen, free breakfast, a central courtyard for meeting fellow travellers. An excellent place to meet people and rest up on the grand european tour.
Rua Lancarote de Freitas in the old town of Lagos.
www.theworldtraveller.net/lagos.html
I am surprised that there are only three tips on the Peak District. The Peak District has a huge amount to offer ranging from walking, shopping, general sight seeing to caving, climbing and abseiling. The scenery is superb and very varied. There is lots of information about the area on the internet. It is well worth a visit.
Tiny resort on the western coast of the Sinai peninsula, about halfway between Sharm and Cairo (you can fly to either, and then it's a fairly long drive though they will send someone to pick you up).
It is mainly a windsurfing place but they also run yoga courses which are really good, and also cheap - about £400 for a week half-board, including the yoga but excluding flights and drinks. It's a three star place but clean and with nice airy chalets dotted around the grounds, and a beach-front bar. Food is good and plentiful.
The yoga sessions (when I went a few years ago) are held for 1.5 hours every morning and evening in a shady room just off the beach. Mats and other cushions are provided and you can hear the sea as you practise.
The teachers change every couple of weeks so aim to go at a time when a teacher who interests you is going. The one just before I arrived was very meditation/breathing focused apparently (which wouldn't have suited me) but my teacher was fantastic - very position-focused and good at explaining what you were trying to achieve, so you're actively in the pose and not just standing there with your arms out. So make sure you check out which teacher will be there when you want to attend.
I was travelling alone and really enjoyed the social aspect. The yoga class was very small when I stayed (off-peak) and we always went into breakfast or dinner together after class, and met in the bar later. When I was there they let you bring your own booze for the week and store it in the windsurfing bar so you could drink more cheaply too!
I also did their trip up Mount Sinai to watch dawn at the top, and that was a very spiritual experience which fitted in brilliantly with the yoga ethos. It was about £35. They also had a lady doing massages a couple of days.
The windsurfing/yoga resort is part of a larger place which Egyptians use at weekends, so it got much busier and less 'Western' then, which was an interesting thing to be a part of - we got chatting to some young people from Cairo and played cards with them, which was a great night.
Bring lots of books as there isn't a huge amount to do between yoga sessions. You can snorkel (they lend you equipment) or try windsurfing, but it is often quite windy (there's a reason why it's wind-surfing centre) so I mostly read on sun-lounger behind a wind-break.
www.moonbeachretreat.com
Fly to Cairo or Sharm-el-sheikh
Dar Darma is a small and very exclusive palace situated in the Old Medina with few rooms preciously decorated. Our Suite Patio was really comfortable and spacious. The palace also has beautiful terraces, with a swimming pool, where you can relax drinking the traditional mint tea. Also the cuisine is very good. We asked for typical dishes, and the cook prepared us cous cous, brochette and tajine: all was very very good! Dar Darma is also near to the most important places of interest. From the hotel we walked to visit the Medersa, the Museum of Marrakech and vibrant Square Jemaa El-Fna. We have really appreciate our stay at Dar Darma: a wonderful experience indeed!
Dar Darma
11/12, Trik (rue) Sidi Bohuarba
40000 Marrakech – Marocco
www.dardarma.com
Warm & friendly B&B, incredibly helpful staff and reasonable at £30pppn - breakfasts are delicious and varied. Walk through a forest at the end of the road to get to the powdery sandy beach or hop on a train to the new forest for a walk or bike ride (rentals at Brockenhurst station starting from £9 for an afternoon bike ride)
www.thanethouse.co.uk
Poole
01202 761135
A great stay. Location is terrific (Colosseum) and the owner is very friendly - I forgot to buy an electrical plug adaptor for my laptop and she provided me one for free.
The area is also safe at night, I really recommend it if you want to see the very best of Rome!
www.myromeapartment.com/
Via Baccina, 44
00184 Roma
A small B&B in the centre of Forio whose atmosphere is a sort of Marrakesh meets India (with a hidden garden thrown in). The host is very friendly and knowledgeable about the island, breakfast is generous and there's a small kitchen if you wish to test your culinary skills in situ. Rates are excellent too.
Yattus is a self-catering cottage in the Lake District. For me, the best things about it were:
* two king-sized bedrooms (very unusual in my experience) so perfect for two couples going away together
* Amazing old building, 17th century with wood fires and even some original furniture. Felt like a real treat to stay there.
* Location - Eskdale seems to be a bit off the beaten path but you're really near all the big peaks (Scafell, Bowfell, etc) and L'al Ratty (toy steam train) goes through the village too
Eskdale Green
www.yattus-eskdale.co.uk/
Got to Casablanca by train - first class from Marrakesh cost a couple of quid more than second and is well worth it. Stayed at Hotel Galia, great spacious rooms, clean, cheap and the hotel manager is lovely and really tries to help you. Computer with internet free to use downstairs too. Went to Rick's, food fantastic though not the cheapest! Hassan II Mosque very very impressive!
This B&B is the winner for the best bed and breakfast in the Canada.
After not having a personal vacation for over six years, I decided it was time to hit the road. I had been to Montreal once. It was to simply make a connecting flight. But, my friends had told me that it was an amazing city to check out. So, I got my ticket, booked at room and was on my way.
It was my first trip as a solo traveller. Never having stayed in anything outside a hotel, I was terribly unfamiliar with how a B&B worked. When I arrived, Patryck was ready and waiting. He warmly welcomed me to the city and laid out some easy sight seeing plans.
Patryck made the stay absolutely amazing and his culinary skills are out of this world. Yes, I must admit that I had to take pictures of the breakfasts he had served. From the smiling bowl of fruit (which put a smile on my face), to the warm dishes that followed, everything was incredibly mouth watering. The breakfasts are going to fill you up fast, so be warned! You won't find yourself hungry again for many hours. In fact, I could usually go without lunch and still feel pretty full by dinner time.
You'll find the rooms are tastefully decorated and tidy. I stayed in the Inspiration room. The room is small, but perfect for one person. Lots of space to store your clothes and shopping goods. A TV with cable sits on the dresser and a door leads out to your own, private balcony. Several clean towels are provided as well. Free Wi-Fi is provided, too!
The location of Atmosphere is a short 5-10 minute walk from the Beaudry Metro station (which easily and quickly gets you downtown), just down the street from the spacious Parc Lafontaine, and a short stroll to some great restaurants, shopping, and bars in the gay district.
Patryck goes above and beyond to ensure your visit is the best. I can't wait to return to Montreal and Atmosphere again. Thanks Patryck for making my stay as wonderful as it could be!
Atmosphere B&B
1933 Panet street
Montreal, Quebec
H2L3A1
www.atmospherebb.com
If you want to stay somewhere which will be quiet at night (because you prefer sleeping to partying all night), pick a residential/working area like Moabit, instead of the more obvious tourist & clubbing areas.
This small and friendly hostel is right on the beach, with great views of the Olympic Mountains.
Close to Golden Gardens beach, the hostel is 30 minutes from downtown, but is a great spot to soak up Washington's outstanding natural beauty before heading into the city, and a restful retreat after a hard day's sightseeing.
Housed in a modern beach house, there's a rooftop deck for watching the sunset, and the rooms smack of urban cool, with steel bunkbeds, a huge lounge and kitchen with funky sofas and fairy lights, and a glowing fireplace with floor cushions.
The rooms are clean, comfortable and there's a whole host of free extras, from wi-fi and breakfast to bikes for cycling around the local area.
If you're on foot, the surrounding area is artistic and quirky, full of boutiquey shops, cool taverns showing live music, independent cafes and a local Farmer's Market.
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