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Rural accommodation in South of France

COUNTRY:
France
LOCATION:
Gard, South of France
PRICE:
From €300 per week (sleeps 4)
MORE INFO:
We only offer accommodation from June – August.
VOUCHERS:
Gift vouchers can not be used with this holiday
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Rural accommodation in South of France

Rural accommodation in South of France

How this holiday makes a difference

We buy organic fruit, vegetables, wine and cheese locally. We support traditional methods for the grape harvest – hand-picked, horse-power and manually pressed grapes. We also support local heritage days of dry–stone walling or transforming olives, pruning and grafting ancient varieties etc. We use local businesses for boat/bike hire or horse-riding and a local building contractor. We also encourage guests to eat at the local restaurant.

We participate in most local and traditional events and try to integrate tourism. We introduce guests to local traditions and we are knowledgeable of the culture and history of the region. We encourage young musicians by organising concerts onsite. We are members of an association which helps local people with disabilities. We try to provide organic food as far as possible, either home grown or bought directly from the local producers of wine, vegetables, goats cheese etc. We can introduce you directly to these farms and arrange tours and tastings.

We’re qualified in organic agriculture. We buy ecological paints from a local business and also grain and seed from local producers. We have solar electricity, and solar water-heating. We have several different composts, long-term and short term and recycle the maximum we can. We recycle rainwater used for the garden and to flush the toilet.

We are “off the grid” i.e. solar powered. We use energy efficient light bulbs, and encourage guests to switch them off when not required. The gîte has a home-made solar water heating system and we’re thinking of setting up a workshop to demonstrate how to make one. Contact us for dates if you’re interested in taking part. There is also a compost toilet. We use ecological products for cleaning and as far as possible for the paint work and insulation.

There is an organic vegetable patch and a young orchard treated with the goat, chicken and horse manure and our home-made plant “teas” to fertilize or to combat pests we plant plants to encourage predators of aphids etc. We also use green manures and have several composts to recycle kitchen waste, plant waste, ash or manure and straw, often finding there’s not enough kitchen waste to feed the chickens that’s also why it’s important the food is organic. They’re also fed on brought in organic grain and they’re free range. Guests will find several different “waste” bins at their disposal.

We’re pleased to explain to children on holiday the importance of conservation and recycling they can enjoy botanic walks whilst strolling with the goats.

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Rural accommodation in South of France

Reviewed 15 Aug 2010 by Joanna Blake4 star rating

Beautiful place and lovely people. A self-sufficient smallholding providing a perfect rural French 'get away from it all' experience, just what we needed! With charming accommodation, basic, but very comfortable, country style. The detached gite is situated next to the owner’ accommodation, and yet it is still possible to have complete privacy. Our hosts, Nicky and Eric were extremely warm and welcoming and made our visit very special.

We didn't hire a car and loved it! It did however, make us rather reliant on the kindness of Nicky and Eric who offered us endless lifts, local information and invitations to social and cultural events - we went to see the bull running in Uzes, and loved the music festival in Nimes. To stay longer than 4 days however, a car would be advisable so as not to abuse.

We enjoyed peace and tranquillity and really relaxed - leisurely strolls to nearby village to buy local products, riding Camargue horses on the neighbour's ranch, picking organic vegetables from the farm and collecting free range eggs. Swimming and canoeing in the gorgeous 'Gorges du gard' should not be missed.

Stunning, unspoilt countryside all around, and surprisingly few tourists for the time of year, (August). A truly eco-relaxed holiday, which we can thoroughly recommend. Cheers Nicky and Eric, we will be back!

Reviewed 23 Jul 2010 by John Stevenson4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


a. Seeing wildlife, especially flamingos, in the Camargue.
b. Exploring the aqueduct from Uzès to Nîmes.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


Enjoy it for what it is—good value, unsophisticated and a warm welcome.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


We catered for ourselves, spent very little on energy (petrol for the hired car being the only item, since solar power provided lighting and hot water), used local shops and so benefited the local economy.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


My wife and I really needed a holiday where we could relax absolutely. This holiday provided it because we were left alone, put under no pressure, but always made to feel welcome by our hosts. We slept a lot and it was easy to do so. Local people were very friendly and helpful, particularly in response to our attempts at speaking our halting French.

The simplicity of the facilities might not suit everyone, and we wouldn't want to repeat this experience every time (so my 4* rating doesn't imply that I'd recommend it unreservedly), but it was very enjoyable for us this year.
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Accommodation Reviews

We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!

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