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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.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20778 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19247 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19247 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18656
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!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18656 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13053
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!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13053 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11713 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11713 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11628 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11628 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10714
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.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10714 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10380 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10380 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9351
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.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9351 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9093 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9093 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/2057 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/2057 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/1903 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/1903 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8496 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8496