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The jacuzzi hot tub with its open countryside views is just to die for at sunset. If you are travelling with children like us the private pool and enclosed garden are perfect. The villa has all the luxuries you would expect from a modern villa, such as washing machine, full cooking facilities, even a play station for the kids.
We have just returned to Le Marche and this wonderfully preserved old farmhouse. The owners have restored it to its former glory and its sits on a hill overlooking dramatic countryside and medieval villages. The apartment was stylishly furnished with lots of interesting old features. The wifi, DVDs and many books and maps were a plus.
If you go you must visit the incredible Hells gorge and the crumbly little hermit who has lived there for over 30 years single handedly building the church of San Leonardo
www.villasanraffaello.com
Via Case Rosse
278 Sarnano 62028 MC, Italia
0044 0208 653 5206
Google map: tinyurl.com/36grm2c
Villa Sunrise was amazing. For a very reasonable price we got more than in some 4-four hotels we visited during our stay in Croatia. It was a combination of breathtaking views, being able to relax and enjoy the holiday or walk down to the nearest beach.
It is the perfect place to spend a few weeks, taking trips to other parts of the country , relaxing on the beaches just 300m away and exploring the many islands and attractions in the surrounding area.
www.villa-sunrise.com/
+385 98 9666 820
Villa Riachuelo is a handsome, modern villa for rent in the Axarquia region of Malaga Province. It has four well turned out bedrooms, two kitchens (one outdoor), a sitting room, dining room and plenty of shady, outdoor seating space.
As well as the villa itself there's a pool (and loads of room for sunbathing), gardens and a series of dusty olive terraces descending to a little brook. While the surrounding countryside is dramatic and mountainous, on the whole, the villa itself is not particularly remote - only five minutes' drive from Canillas de Aceituno (a typical Andalucian white village) and about an hour from Malaga/the airport.
A top choice for a week or so's flop 'n' drop by the pool or as a base camp for exploring other parts of Andalucia.
This is a truly amazing experience in a private villa with swimming pool with the typical Neapolitan touch.
The view is outstanding and the food excellent and we've been treated like part of the family.
Really nice,
www.positano.org/oliviero.html
Google map: tinyurl.com/yk5x2b4
CiaoRental is an Italian website for holiday rentals. It has many vacation homes listed by owners in many places in Sicily. If you plan to rent homes to visit Sicily and other Italian regions you can find a home along your travel route.
Amaliapolis or Mitzela is a picturesque village in the Pagasitikos Gulf, a traditional Greek family place. The villa consists of 1st class luxury apartments only 50 meters from the seafront at very reasonable prices.
A lovely villa, right in the city centre of Granada. It actually shares its garden wall with the Alhambra. It is a big place, with gardens and a swimming pool (quite rare in any city centre).
Bars, restaurants, shops and the magnificent Alhambra palace all in easy walking distance. Most of the terraces have fantastic views over the Albaicin (old Arabic quarter). It may seem a bit on the expensive side, but really isn't when you take a reasonable sized group and see the price per person.
We used the villa for a joint family holiday, it was perfect as it catered to all of us - adults, teenagers and the smaller kids. Definitely one of our top three family holidays.
I am recommending a way to find Budget Accommodation in Spain.
The economy in Spain has been hit very hard and now one in six Spanish are unemployed. The result of this is that many Spanish have had to move back in with their parents in order to save costs.
This means that this summer there are a lot more properties available on the rental market.
How does this benefit you? Property owners need to rent their properties out in order to pay their mortgage. Consequently now is a great time to book a self-catering apartment or villa in Alicante or on the Costa Blanca.
Villa and apartment owners advertise their weekly rate, but they would rather take a reduced rate than not fill their apartment or villa at all.
So if you know where you would like to stay in Alicante or on the Costa Blanca then I recommend contacting the property owners directly and negotiating with them.
There are several ways to contact the owners directly. A number of owners now advertise on www.ebay.co.uk. Another website is www.ownersdirect.co.uk which lists a huge number of properties for rent in Spain and allows you to contact the apartment or villa owner directly so that you can negotiate with them.
A hidden gem in the hills on the outskirts of the picturesque ancient town of Sarnarno. We had a very relaxing week there last June with our 16 month old daughter. The views from the spectacular swimming pool are simply stunning and the owners were extremely helpful and accommodating. Comfortable, modern decor too. Highly recommended if you are planning a holiday in this part of Italy. We were sad to leave so soon and would stay longer next time.
www.villasanraffaello.com
Via Case Rosse 278, Sarnano 62028 MC, ITALIA
Ancona & Pescara airports 1.5 hrs away
The villa is placed on a very quiet and beautiful beach on Alonissos island, and offers high standards of accommodation facilities and support.
Alonissos, Sporades, Greece,
Alonissos main port of Patitiri,
Skiathos airport
www.ikion.biz
info@ikion.biz
Casina di Rosa is a great holiday rental in this tiny village south of Siena. A fantastic base for daytrips to most popular sites. We loved it. Civitella Marittima still retains the true essence of Italy and has not been spoilt by tourism. The people are friendly, from the owners to the shopkeepers and the lady who waved each morning from a nearby window.
Civitella Marittima is also well located for visiting other places in Tuscany. The villa has lovely town and countryside views (particularly from the bedroom window) and the glow of the rising morning sun on the surrounding buildings, with the swallows circling overhead, is not to be missed. The village is very friendly - after a week we almost felt like locals.
In March, we rented a fab house in Santa Teresa for my cousin's wedding. There were nine of us and it was awesome as there are verandas, gardens, hammocks, pool and lots of spaces to chill out in, so you're not cramped up in a hotel room like in Copacabana. We even hung out there a couple of nights, trying to make 'capirinhas' from starfruit that fell from the trees in the garden and having a midnight swim in the pool. Another highlight was a restaurant nearby called Aprazivel where we ate up in a treehouse! Santa Teresa is an awesome place to stay regardless - you´re close to the beach but don't feel like just another tourist.
Thailand boasts vast numbers of visitors annually, yet the vast majority of these stick to the tourist enclaves such as Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui. Yet, with the help of the internet, it is now easy to find much more unusual places to visit and to stay, giving the traveller the opportunity to experience the real side of the country as lived by the Thais themselves.
We visited the rarely-traveled north-east of the country. This is Thailand’s rice bowl, which stretches up in a patchwork of rice fields to the mighty Mekong river bordering Laos and Cambodia. It is known as Isaan, and the local dialect is much more akin to Lao than to Thai.
One of the delights of getting away from the tourist centres is the noticeable change in the reaction of locals to the rare visitor. The people here are the most open and fun-loving in the country, perhaps because their lives are based on village traditions where overt consumerism has been much slower to advance than in the other booming parts of the nation. Travel to the north-east certainly rewards those looking for a unique experience, to get away from the tourist crowds, and to immerse themselves in something new.
Whilst there are numerous hotels in the area, these are all situated in the major towns and cities, and do not allow a full immersion into local lifestyles. Thus, we opted to stay in our own private house in the heart of the countryside, near some typical rural villages, in a standalone property called Green Gecko.
This is a Thai style pool villa finished in wood and terracotta tiles, with a large wooden deck and private infinity pool. The house sits on its own extensive rural grounds, with rice paddies, sugar cane plantations and woodlands.
There are two air-conditioned bedrooms and large fully equipped living and dining rooms, and kitchens - both Thai and Western. However, as all our meals were cooked for us (and the washing up done) we only really touched the refrigerator!
When we said we loved Thai food, we were delighted to be taken off around the grounds to pick our own herbs and spices – including strange plants that we had never considered using in the pot – before being shown how to make genuine Thai and north-eastern dishes. The owners seemed genuinely pleased to be able to impart their knowledge and love of food – and we were equally happy to have this cooking lesson provided at no cost!
The property was fully serviced and the rate we paid covered all our meals and even generous quantities of cool beer and fresh fruit juices. And as we were there in the mango season, we were encouraged to simply help ourselves to the fresh fruit straight from the trees…
This has set a precedent for us... no more hotels!
Green Gecko
Udon Thani province
NE Thailand
Nearest train and airport: Udon Thani
www.thaivillarent.com
We stayed at the Villa San Raffaello for our first family holiday in Italy. The Villa has recently undergone extensive renovation and refurbishment and now has four spacious self-catering apartments. There is still plenty of exposed original stonework and wooden beams and ceilings to remind you of the heritage of the place.
We stayed in apartment Elisa - a first floor apartment comprising double bedroom, twin bedroom, bathroom, lounge and modern kitchen and dining room. Access is via the courtyard with jasmine plants growing up the walls. The great feature of this apartment is the balcony and breakfast area which is accessed from the lounge. We spent most mornings having our breakfast here together (and evenings when the children were asleep!). You look down upon the beautiful courtyard below, but best of all are the stunning views across to the medieval hill-top town of Sarnano a couple of miles away, with the backdrop of the spectacular Sibillini Mountains and National park. The view changed every hour!
The huge swimming pool was a massive hit with the children and came in very handy during the heat of the day to cool down.
We hired a car from Ancona Airport which was an absolute must, but make sure you check the cost of hiring child car seats in advance. We visited the stunning Lake Fiastra, 25 mins away up and over the top of the mountains (remember the roads in the Italian Job?).
Also visited the Roman town and ruins at Urbisaglia, the market at Macerata and fully explored the town of Sarnano. We found we could have a two-course meal with wine for around €15 a head.
We can recommend the 'Osteria scherzi a parte' a great little restaurant 15 mins up the mountain road from Sarnano to Sassotetto, the local ski resort (yes, you can do some skiing here too!).
We will definitely be returning to the Villa San Raffaello some time soon. Damien and Sharon, the owners, were extremely welcoming and invaluable for their local information, suggestions for walks and sightseeing, markets and help with the language, both being fluent in the local lingo!
One and a half hour drive from Ancona Airport (Ryanair fly there from Stansted).
www.villasanraffaello.com
I've not done the whole villa thing before but with 6 of us on holiday this worked out at about £100/person for the week. Italian Breaks is run by Cristina, a Sicilian ex-pat, so just about every nook and cranny on the island is covered and we had the best value for money holiday for a long time. Recommended!
www.italianbreaks.com/main_pages/sicily.htm
Tel: 020 8666 0407
My boyfriend and I wanted to spend a week relaxing in Tuscany, somewhere where we could get away from it all but still have the option to get out and do things if we felt the need. We found a real hidden gem – a gorgeous 18th century family run villa, Hotel Villa Lecchi, which was right in the heart of the Chianti wine tasting region…what more could we ask for?!
The villa is surrounded by medieval walls and offers a pretty pool, garden and terrace. Not to be missed is the food served in Hotel Villa Lecchi’s restaurant. It uses traditional recipes and these have earned it a great reputation with both locals and tourists alike and it really does have a great atmosphere.
For those wanting to venture out, there are plenty of opportunities nearby to sample the local wines and bikes can be hired at the hotel to get out and see the stunning local scenery. For those who fancy exploring a bit further afield, Genoa is only a short drive away and offers an abundance of churches, palaces and interesting museums.
We booked through Keyplaces and stayed in a lovely double room, which had air-con, mini fridge etc and was really reasonably priced.
Travel wasn’t included in the price, but we got cheap flights with Meridiana from London to Florence, which is about an hour’s drive away.
Keyplaces - 0845 688 0833 or www.keyplaces.co.uk
Meridiana - www.meridiana.it
Hotel Villa Lecchi is less than 10 miles from San Gimignano.
Drive up through twisting streets and lanes to The Old Fort and prepare to have your breath taken away. This 18th Century, stone-built, hill-top plantation house must be the most romantic villa in the Caribbean. Once you breathe again, you'll be in love. This isn't just a villa, it's a very comfortable, welcoming home - and it's yours from the moment you walk in. If that's not enough the views out to other islands - including Mustique will just sweep you away.
Visit www.theoldfort.com then visit Bequia:
you'll never want to leave!
Cave Creek is a small town about 25 miles north of downtown Phoenix and 40 miles north of the airport- but I'd strongly recommend Villas of Cave Creek if you're visiting.
The villas are large two-storey houses with big living rooms, kitchens and king size bedroom/bathrooms downstairs. Another bedroom, bathroom, living room is upstairs. Hot tub outside plus washing machine/dryer.
Incredibly comfortable with great restaurants nearby (try Cartwright's) but the big plus is the value. We used them for two days rest after flying from London before heading north to the Grand Canyon - and through Expedia it cost about £65. That was for two of us - but would be incredible value for a family.
Villas of Cave Creek
38001 N. School House Road
Cave Creek
Arizona 85331-8633
Phone +1-480-595-1200
Fax +1-480-595-1034
www.starwoodvacationownership.com/resorts/villas_of_cave_creek/welcome.jsp
A lovely private villa set in an idyllic setting near Mandrem beach (north Goa). The villa was the perfect place to relax and unwind, with its own large swimming pool and even a maid. If you want to visit Goa but want to enjoy a touch of luxury while you are there I would reccommend this place.
www.goaretreat.com, 01626 772880
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