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!
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Andalucia villa accommodation, independent reviews
 Reviewed 20 Aug 2008 by Iona Maclean |  |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Arriving at our casita! It was amazing!! Our hosts had left two bottles of local wine, beer, milk and fresh bread, a rare gesture in this day and age. We woke up at dawn the next day to watch the sunrise over the mountains on our terrace, which overlooked the farm's olive and almond groves. We were joined by a tabby cat and her three kittens and we had one of those magical moments when us and the land seemed in harmony with each other. Unforgettable.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Prepare to be completely chilled out. The accommodation caters for total rehabilitation, away from the stresses and strains of modern life. The drive up into the mountains is breath-taking. Go to Pampaneira for the fruit market where you will discover the biggest grapes and nectarines you ever saw and go further up to Trevelez to try the jamon serrano at source. Avoid the coast in high season as it is completely over-populated and make sure you book tickets for the Alhambra in Granada well in advance if you decide to go there. It's worth it.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Our host, the architect David Dry had sourced local skills to renovate the holiday properties, which use eco-friendly systems for air conditioning and heating. He has salvaged as many existing materials where possible to minimise impact. The pool is cleaned with products that don't contain chlorine (great if you have a chlorine allergy). Also, I'm a person who gets hayfever symptoms with conventional air con systems and the system in our casita didn't leave me with a stuffy nose. The nearby town, Orgiva has a great food market on Thursday where you can source local food from the producers and many restaurant owners in the area source produce very locally.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
A perfect holiday. We almost feel as if we don't want to recommend it so we can keep it a secret from everybody else! We loved it so much we have decided to go back next year for a longer stay and see the organic olive and almond groves in different seasons and do some walking in the mountains.
| Reviewed 25 Mar 2008 by Jude Farrimond-Sheddon | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The most memorable part of our holiday has to be the scenery; stunning 360 degree views of the surrounding area from the casita itself including the Sierra Nevada, Sierra de Lujar, Orgiva town and the surrounding olive groves. We were enchanted by the organic olive grove of the accommodation, the orange, lemon, almond, pomegranate and fig trees around the casita. Further afield, driving around Las Alpujarras, especially to visit the little white mountain villages was exciting (the sheer drop from the road adding to the excitement!).
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
I would suggest a hire car is needed and due to the nature of the track to the accommodation and other tracks we came across take out the optional tyre and wheel trim insurance just in case. Slow down to the pace of life as soon as you can and take time to explore immediately around the accommodation itself, take binoculars if you have them. Spend time sitting and watching at one of the many pavement cafes, we loved Orgiva on Sunday morning. Learn a little Spanish before you go.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
We offset carbon emissions but as this was our first flight in many, many years we weren't unduly worried! David has ensured the casitas are as environmentally friendly as possible and there's information in the casita to encourage you to recycle, even feeding your vegetable peelings to a neighbours chickens. We shopped locally whenever we could and I think later in the season a neighbour has organic seasonal veg for sale. We used local cafes in and around the area and in that sense I think our holiday benefited local people.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
I've given our holiday 4 stars. If you want to visit an authentic area of Andalucia then Las Alpujarras is a wonderful area to visit and the accommodation a very special and authentic base. The Casitas are contradictory in the very best ways; they're very cleverly positioned so that whilst each is private they are not isolated; simple and rustic, yet with heating / air conditioning and good bathroom facilities. We hope we visit again, maybe at a different time of year so that we can experience it in a different way.