Holiday 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 trip can have different views!
Read our review policy
Stone house retreat in Croatia, independent reviews
 Reviewed 11 Sep 2009 by June Weston |  |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
All of it! Never before have I been on a holiday where I was made so welcome and my every need was catered for. Shirley and Nigel are wonderful hosts - the exact amount of care and attention but without intruding on my peace and relaxation. I just loved the setting of the retreat - it is idyllic! The house and grounds are beautiful and ideal for relaxing - I felt very nurtured being so close to nature and enjoying Shirley's excellent cooking with mostly home grown organic food and excellent wine from neighbours' vineyards. I can honestly say that Shirley's therapies are the best I have ever experienced - and I've had plenty! Nigel was a great source of tourist information and advice and always happy to help out with where to go and what to do - we had a great trip to the Mountain Villages of Motovun and Groznjan which are just beautiful.
Two special highlights, though, I'd like to mention.
1. The Istrian night with the neighbours was just fantastic. A genuine night with a local family giving a great insight into their old and current ways of life (don't confuse with the "local night" of package holidays - this is the real thing!).
2. Odie! Shirley and Nigel's dog! Originally a village dog that they have taken ownership, he is a real star and took me for several walks through the villages.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
This is a real retreat for people looking for peace and quiet, relaxation and rejuvenation, and is ideal if you don't want to venture far, which when I booked I didn't want to, particularly as I only had a week. When I did need transport (eg to Porec to get the ferry to Venice), Nigel offered this as an additional service. If you would like to explore more of Istria and Croatia (which I would like to do in the future), then a car is a must.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes, Shirley and Nigel are very much part of the community in Diklic'i and buy produce locally, and certainly the Istrian night with the neighbours across the road directly benefits local people in the village. As Shirley and Nigel also promote visits to the Mountain Villages (either on your own or using Nigel for transport) where you can eat/buy local crafts, this also contributes to the local people. From what I saw, they are following the three Rs of reduce, reuse, recycle and are aiming to be as sustainable as possible.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Absolutely fabulous! Just what I needed - should be on prescription!
| Reviewed 4 Aug 2008 by Freda Newlands | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
It would be easier to mention the least memorable part of my holiday as there wouldn't be anything to say!!! My holiday was much much more than I could ever have expected. I was promised a retreat in Croatia and I got a paradise of calm, rest and healing. My body and brain benefited from wonderful home grown food, relaxation in an organic garden by a beautiful pool, energised by the fresh air and most of all made to feel so very much at home by Shirley and Nigel the owners of this Idyll.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Contact Shirley and Nigel before you go and they will answer all of your concerns or queries. Many of the restaurants will take a credit card but occasionally they just won't work!!! So take lots of local currency with you just in case.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Nigel and Shirley have been fully accepted by their local community. They are often to be found helping their friends with whatever seasonal job is required. Harvesting vegetables, wine making, learning local ways to preserve and store for winter use. They don't see the language as a barrier; communication about the land is a shared experience. In return, the retreat offers a haven for the villagers to have treatments from Shirley. And as guests, you can share an evening with their friends across the road to experience local customs, food, wine and deadly dangerous Rakija :-)
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
12/10
| Reviewed 26 Jul 2007 by Jessica Hodgson | |
My sis and I had a really fantastic time at this accommodation in Croatia. It's really handy for Pula airport and is rural and rustic and Ryan Air do cheap flights from Ireland. You're about a half hr drive from Rovinj which is a lovely fishing village with great restaurants and a bit of life, there are also mountain villages to visit with spectacular views.
Shirley and Nigel cook a great variety of food and you can eat there in the evenings if you like or out in one of the local villages (they are great cooks and all the food is home or locally grown and organic whenever possible). There's also a lot of local wine on offer! We had a great time lounging by the pool and exploring the local area (when we could drag ourselves away!)
There are a few animals around 2 house cats and the neighbours pets came for a wee visit now and then which was great! Shirley is a fantastic masseuse, she does reiki and is totally into all that kind of thing - after my massage I swear my neck was an inch longer - fabulous. Thanks Shirley and Nigel for a lovely holiday, I'll be recommending you to all my friends and hopefully we'll make it back there soon.
The feeling of total relaxation, peace, quiet and a friendly stress free atmosphere.
Shirley and Nigel were very warm and generous hosts, attentive but not intrusive. Immediately felt at home, lovely atmosphere. Shirley's treatments are wonderful - she has magic hands!
Go there soon! If you are tired and stressed-out this is the place to go. With a daily treatment from Shirley, the great home cooking, a swim in the pool and a few glasses of the local wine you'll relax in no time.
Well we and they certainly benefited from the amount of local food, wine and culture we consumed, I think we contributed quite a lot to the local economy while we were there. Yes, I think the food and wines were all either local or grown on their own land (no insecticides or herbicides - Nigel went to the field to pick off the bugs every night!). This accommodation tries to be as environmentally friendly as it possibly can.
service, smiles, fun, education and most of all relaxation 5*
Shirley and Nigel cook a great variety of food and you can eat there in the evenings if you like or out in one of the local villages (they are great cooks and all the food is home or locally grown and organic whenever possible). There's also a lot of local wine on offer! We had a great time lounging by the pool and exploring the local area (when we could drag ourselves away!)
There are a few animals around 2 house cats and the neighbours pets came for a wee visit now and then which was great! Shirley is a fantastic masseuse, she does reiki and is totally into all that kind of thing - after my massage I swear my neck was an inch longer - fabulous. Thanks Shirley and Nigel for a lovely holiday, I'll be recommending you to all my friends and hopefully we'll make it back there soon.
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The feeling of total relaxation, peace, quiet and a friendly stress free atmosphere.
Shirley and Nigel were very warm and generous hosts, attentive but not intrusive. Immediately felt at home, lovely atmosphere. Shirley's treatments are wonderful - she has magic hands!
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Go there soon! If you are tired and stressed-out this is the place to go. With a daily treatment from Shirley, the great home cooking, a swim in the pool and a few glasses of the local wine you'll relax in no time.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Well we and they certainly benefited from the amount of local food, wine and culture we consumed, I think we contributed quite a lot to the local economy while we were there. Yes, I think the food and wines were all either local or grown on their own land (no insecticides or herbicides - Nigel went to the field to pick off the bugs every night!). This accommodation tries to be as environmentally friendly as it possibly can.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
service, smiles, fun, education and most of all relaxation 5*
| Reviewed 16 Aug 2009 by Dave Horley | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The Istrian night - a chance to sample some locally produced and prepared food at the neighbours house. We also enjoyed visiting the nearby hilltop towns, especially Groznjan.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
I'd recommend a car as there’s not much in the way of big attractions near the retreat (it is a retreat after all). Having said that i think airport pickups and day trips can be organised.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
The hosts are clearly making progress with sustainable living - keeping their own chickens and growing own vegetables are just some examples. The Istrian night mentioned above also helps preserve and educate about traditional farming methods.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very enjoyable - comfortable rooms and good hosts.
Read the operator's response here:
Thank you for your great review, I am just commenting on your comment about airport pick ups and excursions, we have an offer of pick ups on responsible travel and our own website and also in the literature in the rooms, we also run excursions to all the places of interest which is also listed in the above places. At the moment we have free transfers from Pula airport until the end of August.| Reviewed 25 Jul 2008 by Jennifer McLuskey | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Visiting Plitvice Lakes, having the opportunity to experience Istrian hospitality at Shirley and Nigel’s neighbours' smallholding, spontaneous Beach Boys guitar singalong!
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
The accommodation’s location is in a beautiful rural setting. We would definitely recommend car hire if you wish to explore the area and you would certainly require transport if you wish to go out in the evening. Relax and enjoy the tranquillity! Shirley's therapies come highly recommended as does her cooking.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Shirley and Nigel have clearly fitted in to the community and built up a strong relationship with their neighbours, produce is bought from local farmers and they work together with local people to provide Istrian night which gives visitors a wonderful insight into the area's culinary and farming traditions and benefits local people financially. Vegetables are grown organically.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
We have just returned our honeymoon and were delighted with our choice - a perfect "get away from it all" experience with comfortable accommodation and extremely kind and accommodating hosts. We certainly hope to return in the not too distant future and wish Nigel and Shirley a long and happy life and business in Croatia.
| Reviewed 16 Aug 2007 by Josephine Butler | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
So many things - Shirley is a fabulous cook and spoilt us rotten. We'd have perfect al fresco dinners in their garden with local organic wine. Shirley took us to a friend’s house where we gorged ourselves on figs from their garden, and then came home and had a lesson in making fig jam. We didn't have a car so Nigel drove us to Motovan, a beautiful hilltop town reminiscent of the Tuscan hilltop towns. It's the truffle capital of the world and we ate in a fantastic restaurant where almost every dish had truffles in it - delicious. Nigel and Shirley really made us feel at home and we spent languorous days by the pool with their cats - or having one of the many delicious treatments that Shirley offers - she is a reflexologist, Indian head masseur, and a reiki master. If you want a really relaxing, rejuvenating holiday, then this is it. We got up early in the morning in London, and by lunchtime were sitting by Shirley and Nigel's pool.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Go to Motovan.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Nigel and Shirley have a fantastic relationship with their neighbours. We spent a wonderful evening sampling local organic wine and liquors made by the farm over the road. They also recycled wherever they could, and all our water was filtered. I think they are also involved with some sort of environmental group in Croatia, but I don't know what it's called.
| Reviewed 29 Oct 2008 by Marianne Nichols | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
I needed a restful time and it was indeed that, comfortable and sensitive to my needs to just rest for a few days. Lovely location, very simple village and good company when needed.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Great to get away from 21st century and just relax in a simple setting.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes, there was good contact with the village and most food was grown locally, and everything that could be recycled was.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
A good base to visit the area for those with a car, but very welcoming and accommodating for single travellers too. Interesting to share their experience of setting up abroad.
| Reviewed 5 Sep 2007 by Colleen Corrigan | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The daily excursions were great, particularly to Rovijn and Venice, and the flexibility of the hosts so we could relax in the morning and then head out at our own leisure.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
The place really suits someone looking for a low hassle but varied holiday, where they can have nice accommodation in a quiet spot, but access beach and cultural locales. I think that you need to be prepared to pay to travel around as transition is in quite an isolated spot. This really makes you relax.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
I'm not sure that it massively benefited local people, as our hosts were from the UK, but we did do plenty of local site seeing and this would have benefited the economy. In terms of environmental impact, our hosts did seem to take this issue very seriously.
Read the operator's response here:
I would just like to tell you how we benefit the community. We buy our flour and eggs from our neighbours to make the homemade bread and cakes you had and also the lovely organic wine. They love what we are doing with the house and are always giving us fruit, the figs and pears, which we used for your breakfast. Our renovation project has inspired a lot of them to begin renovating their own properties so whenever we need a local builder they are the first people we turn to for advice. We are using a local man to make our new wrought iron gates this month. The money we spend in the village goes directly into the local community. It is a shame your group ran out of time and could not take up the invitation to see their wine cellar and small holding and sample their liquors which some of our guests in the past have thoroughly enjoyed.I am pleased you found this is a wonderful place to relax being in the countryside away from the direct tourist areas.
| Reviewed 5 Sep 2007 by Judith McNeill | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
We stayed at this accommodation for 3 nights of our 18 day family holiday in Croatia. After a hectic few months at work/school, those 3 days gave us an opportunity to unwind and was a really welcome and relaxing start to our holiday, where we walked a bit, swum a bit, read books and planned the next two weeks, in a beautiful country. We also explored the local area on foot, which was very pretty.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
The house is lovely but it is not an easy location without a car - and to be fair to our hosts, they do suggest car hire on their website - but we had chosen a 'public transport' holiday. So anyone else doing the same needs to know that there are very few buses in the area in summer (although apparently more in winter!) and the nearest train station is quite some distance. Our host did offer some transport, which was helpful in visiting a couple of interesting local sights.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Our hosts have obviously established themselves in the local community and it is now their home too, having left England to start a new life and business in Istria. They grow some of their own fruit and veg, conserve water and recycle whatever they can.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Shirley & Nigel made us incredibly welcome at this accommodation which provided a haven of peace and calm for the first few days of our holiday, which was just what we needed to unwind
| Reviewed 20 Aug 2007 by Lucy Black | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing amazing blue winged insects in Ucka national park and iridescent emerald beetles north of Motovun.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Would recommend having your own transport to be able to explore Istria. The website gives an impression of slightly more than is currently available, but if you are after a quiet base with kind people, this will suit you. Evening meals are good.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Some food (eggs, fruit and veg) and wine was bought from people in the village, putting money directly into the local economy. The neighbours seemed happy that the house was being used in this way. I am sure that in time Nigel and Shirley will reduce packaging further e.g. on breakfast items by buying even more food locally. An old house has been rescued in the village and given a new lease of life.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Nigel and Shirley are hospitable and clearly keen to make a success of their new venture and for all their guests to have a good and relaxing holiday. As this is a new outfit you need to be ready for some aspects, not surprisingly, that need to be developed and considered further for future seasons.
Read the operator's response here:
Thank you Lucy for taking the time to fill out this review, we are very pleased you and John enjoyed your holiday. As a new venture we appreciate your constructive comments as we are endeavouring to make this a really good holiday destination.best wishes
Shirley and Nigel