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

We found it all memorable this was the first time we had booked an eco-lodge so that was a really positive experience set in beautiful woodlands. We were met by Ian and some 'yummy' homemade scones made by his lovely wife Maggie, which went down very well after our long journey. It was really relaxing (especially as we both have very pressured jobs) we were able to unwind and our children really enjoyed it (great to get them away from the Nintendo WII). Lots of fresh air, beautiful walks, child attractions if you like our children really enjoyed the combat lazer adventure at the Big Sheep which was approx 20 mins drive.

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

Ring ahead of main attractions as we went in half term time (out of season) some places were closed. It can be miles between places with the children in tow so a quick phone call is advisable! Take wellies if you visit nature reserve at accommodation etc although Ian has a supply if you forget. There are bikes on hand for the children to ride around the farm they had great fun at no extra charge. No need to over pack as the lodges are exceptionally warm. A laundry on site at really good rates. TV/DVD player in lodge so take a couple of DVD's in case it rains!

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

Oh yes absolutely eco-lodge brilliant we recycled everything. Lodges are equipped with solar panels, provided with eco friendly washing up liquid/cleaning liquids, all low energy light bulbs etc We bought some lovely dairy produce form the farm shop across the road and she makes lovely scones too.

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

Thoroughly enjoyable for all age ranges, gave us time to spend as a family enjoying each others company. Amusements/attractions/beaches a driveable distance for the children. Beautiful scenic views/walks. Log cabin very comfortable, clean and relaxing. Ian and Maggie very relaxed and friendly.

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

A lovely peaceful retreat from the crazy world.

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

Take your wellies for the nature reserve!

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

Having a selection of bikes at the farm is brilliant for getting around. We used the local village shop. It was great to be able to recycle, compost and know the energy we were using was coming from renewable sources.

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

This holiday was just perfect for us. The owners were friendly and helpful but we felt like we had our own space. There's a lovely dog that lives there too. I would happily return and recommend this place to family and friends.

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

The cold! But the lovely wood-burning stove of Otter Cottage made it fun. Actually, all of it was great. Visiting the SSSI with Ian and Maggie - plus their great hospitality. Visiting the local area - Dartmoor, Bideford, Great Torrington on the bus. Local pubs. Long walks and cycle rides - great to have the use of the reconditioned bikes.

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

Our family (one member pregnant, one member only 3 years old!) managed fine without a car in temperatures of up to minus 9 C. The bus service from Winkleigh is great to get to the bigger towns and amazingly, always on time! If it had rained, it would have been more difficult but we would have managed. Perhaps ensure you have some indoor 'games', books, DVDs etc to entertain kids just in case - although I am sure Ian and Maggie would lend some of these - especially for younger children.

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

Yes. We walked, cycled and used public transport. We shopped and ate locally and bought local produce. Can thoroughly recommend the quiches and cakes at the farm shop!

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

It was exactly what we needed coming from overseas at this time. I think to rent out the lodges in the summer with a larger group of family / friends would be the perfect holiday and we hope to manage this in the future. Finally, just a word about Maggie, Ian and the kids - they couldn't be nicer, more helpful hosts and make you feel so welcome. We wish them well in their future endeavours with the farm.

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

The log cabin was very cosy with plenty of hot water and spotlessly clean when we arrived. The children loved being in such a rural environment with the opportunity to roam freely and explore the surroundings. It was lovely to feel so 'away from it all'! The best day out was cycling 'The Granite Way' which was an easy ride for the children and with wonderful scenery. You can hire bikes at the YHA which is right at the start.

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

You are a long way from any 'big' towns so be prepared to spend time in the car - it was a good 20 minute drive to the nearest supermarket. There isn't an awful lot to do when it's pouring with rain (although Ian was happy to make suggestions, he recommended a nearby indoor play centre which saved us one rainy day) and it gets very muddy - you definitely need your wellies!

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

Well we were regulars at the local farm shop which was excellent (highly recommend the pasties) but we did end up driving around in the car a fair bit.

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

We had a wonderful time and I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys the countryside and fresh air. Ian and Maggie were very helpful (as was their 5 year old son!) and the log cabin was perfect for us. Only one very small negative and that was the amount of stinging nettles around the play area - the kids got stung quite a lot!

Read the operator's response here:

Glad you enjoyed it - it was lovely having you here. We've been out with the scythe to tackle the nettles - and will keep a closer eye on them over the coming months.

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

Living in the countryside, far from hectic lifestyle that has become the norm. No human-related sounds interfering with those of nature/farm at Otter cottage - bliss. Owners Maggie and Ian were an inspiration to be with. Discovered their nearest Devon Wildlife Trust reserve: Halsden, which was beautiful - on the river Torridge, otter country. So green and lush with spectacular views and rich biodiversity. Spectacular.

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

Enjoy the immediate surroundings - don't plan to do car journeys to Dartmoor/Exmoor etc. - best to recharge and walk/cycle/visit farm shop for meals/fantastic desserts/cakes/coffee/tea and friendly chats with others staying at the farm and the locals/farm shop owners. Their rhubarb crumble and clotted cream was delicious. If you do drive, best stick to the B roads - the minor roads, especially when you are not used to them (high banks/hedgerows limits visibility and there are loads of blind bends, making driving especially dangerous - I nearly had an accident with a transit van).

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

Yes - I could have done more by not attempting to see as much as possible but rather to focus primarily on the local area and the wealth of experiences it has to offer, even though off the beaten trail.

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

It was a great get-away/retreat. I definitely want to re-visit and soon.

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

Our 20-month old son loved all the farm animals and being able to run around freely. We loved the traffic-free open spaces, the beautiful view from our living room, and the enclosed verandah which meant we could sit inside drinking tea while our son played outside safely.

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

Go and do the Granite Way cycle path which starts at Okehampton railway station. It is fantastic! Bikes can be hired from the station and they even have a snazzy child-trailer which can be attached onto a bike, which fits two toddlers in it. Obviously it's up to you how you stop them from fighting while in there, though. Having a car makes it much easier to access the local attractions - we would have felt stuck without ours.

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

The accommodation is well set up for recycling, and the cottages make use of environmentally friendly lighting and heating. We did all our food shopping in the local area.

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

We had a great time. Ian and Maggie were really friendly and helpful, even providing warm home made scones for our arrival! The family were happy to chat with us about the farm and the local area, and were really generous with the use of wellies and various other resources (bikes, toys etc). Thanks, we loved it!

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

We have just enjoyed a memorable, happy week staying in Honeysuckle Lodge at a farm in Devon. We live in the caribbean but our roots are in the UK, so each year we select a UK country cottage holiday to "brush up" on UK culture and to teach our young boys aged 2 and 3 about the pleasures of the UK countryside. Since we wished to stay somewhere with an ethical approach to tourism and the environs, we were delighted to find the farm listed on Responsible Travel and to read about how it makes a difference.

Initial enquiries were dealt with smoothly and efficiently by owners Ian and Maggie. The comprehensive post-booking email welcome pack was an unexpected bonus, although we subsequently struggled a little with the directions.

Check in was delightful, since the farm grounds and timber lodge were prettier than the web pictures, situated well away from the nearest (quiet) village road and surrounded by other sleepy farms. Ian and Maggie were also parents of 2 young boys and could not offer us enough assistance and advice with our stay, to the extent that on occasion they left their front door open for me to pop in for anything we needed (it seems crime is most definitely not an issue in this part of rural Devon!). We enjoyed use of the guest washing machine in the laundry barn with complementary eco-powder for a small fee, which we used to the full since our boys literally immersed themselves in country life as much as possible. We were offered use of fun-kayaks on the attractive ponds, played with the delightful family-friendly dog Muttley and enjoyed tours of the grounds including the wonderful tree-house den with swings by Devon's youngest tour guide, Ian and Maggie's 4 year old son George.

The 20+ acre grounds are full of surprises, for example a babbling brook, ancient woodlands and the protected meadow full of wildflowers and animal life (although we missed seeing the local deer). But our boys especially enjoyed simple old-world treats such as feeding grass to the tame cows in the larger field. The 3 wooden lodges are well spaced from each other with trees growing in between for privacy. They are superbly equipped with every convenience - from egg-cup to DVD player - we did not want for a thing. The living/kitchen area of Honeysuckle is spacious, the lodges offer indoor and outdoor dining tables, the 2 bedrooms cosy and comfortable and the bathroom a pleasure with hot shower for us and bath for the kids. Of note is the insulation - these lodges originated in Norway, hence the double glazing and insulated walls. In my opinion the energy-efficient small heaters would be more than adequate to heat them for winter visitors.

The location in the heart of quiet rural Devon, 10 minutes from the Dartmoor National Park, was both convenient for all the local sights/walking and modest farming or nature family theme parks - which the boys adored - or shopping for supplies and local produce either at the neighbouring farm shop or in the nearby market town of Okehampton. To sum up I would say that both the farm and Devon far exceeded our expectations. We had a wonderful family holiday, enjoyed genuine hospitality from Ian, Maggie and family and would not hesitate to return or recommend the farm to other visitors.

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

A rental car is ideally required to make the most of the local countryside sights, nearest large supermarket is 20 minutes drive away in Okehampton (but the Waitrose does have a good range of organics and local produce) but the farm shop 10 mins walk away is nice and the food all locally grown

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

Yes, we bought locally farmed produce, spent our tourist pounds in locally staffed attractions and we did not build any nuclear power stations or hunt whales during our week's holiday!

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

Just relaxing, nice scenery & good weather for autumn!

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

Depends when you go - wellies for winter, walking boots for the moors. Expect to encounter some VERY tiny lanes if travelling about.

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

Yes, guess it helped the owners! Went to local pubs & bought local produce.

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

Very relaxing, & cosy cottage...just what we wanted.

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

The most memorable part for us was seeing an owl at dusk fly along the margin of the meadow whilst we stood on our veranda. We also enjoyed exploring the SSSI ankle-deep in mud. It is quite a magical place.

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

Check with the owners that you will have all the equipment and facilities that you expect when self catering. For myself, I found it a bit too basic in Nuthatch Lodge. The shower was very poor and the kitchen was missing several vital pieces of equipment. Parts of the fabric of the building were in need of maintenance. The furniture was extremely uncomfortable. However, the setting was lovely and the lodge warm and well insulated. My son loved it and wants to go back. The owners were friendly and helpful but I think need to look at the standard of their accommodation from the point of view of someone staying there and trying to cook or relax in the evening. It was not cheap! Most importantly, if you want people to be green and come by train then they must have a supply of basics (teabags, sugar, oil etc) to start them off in the accommodation.

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

We made use of the farm shop - friendly and very helpful- also the local shops and post office at Winkleigh. We saw a very good band at the village hall.

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

It was an enjoyable holiday as we had hired a car and were able to drive to the moor etc Devon is a wonderful place to walk and just absorb the natural world.
The accommodation was ideal for children with lots of possibilities for play.

Read the operator's response here:

We're very glad Philippa and her son enjoyed their stay with us enough for Ben to ask to come back - they would be most welcome. We do have a rolling programme of renewals and upgrades and the shower in nuthatch lodge will be replaced soon as we move to solar hot water. Philippa did say she was more used to a power shower at home, but we won't be putting those in as water conservation is part of our environmental policy.

The kitchen was re-equipped to the list provided by Visit Britain this spring, but we're happy to answer questions if anyone has specific needs, and to try to meet them where possible. We're sorry if Philippa didn't find the furniture comfortable. These things are often personal judgements, and we're had plenty of very positive comments. Our prices vary through the year, and we regularly check them against similar providers so as to remain competitive. The previous week we were told by one family that we were under charging!

We encourage people to order ahead from the neighbouring farm shop and buy local produce. Everyone gets salt, pepper, washing up liquid and 2 rolls loo paper in the accommodation; and we can do towels where people find it difficult to bring their own. But last year when we stocked tea, coffee and milk we ended up throwing a lot of stale stuff away, which is not very sustainable - and it is self catering accommodation that we provide.