Villa dans un bel emplacement de village rural avec vue sur les vignes

We had a lovely stay in a very well equipped and relaxing villa. We enjoyed the villa, the pool and the village. There are lots of things to do in this wonderful region. We would definitely come back.

This is a new build and thus newly 'landscaped' too. First impressions count and driving up to the property, set in a dessicated plot still resembling a building site was not great. The finish of the house itself was very good with quality fixtures and fittings and good provision of kitchenware etc. However there was no dining table inside the house. The house sleep 6 and there is a breakfast bar for 3. And that's it. There is a glass topped table outside on the terrace - we tried to eat there but it is like sitting in a wind tunnel and so had to retrieve all sorts repeatedly from the garden. The terrace is also completely overlooked by the neighbouring property, so not exactly great for a lazy breakfast in PJ's.

The pool itself is good - newly built so in good nick, and a good size - but inadequately bordered. The one side that borders the house, with the decking, is fine, but otherwise it's a very narrow walk around on raised slabs surrounded by dirt and scrub, so entering the pool along its length not breadth was not straightforward.. not ideal for kids playing pool games and racing. And there is no external shade. The covered terrace is entirely separate from the pool and because it is still gravel and dirt in between the pool and terrace, one needs to go through the house in bare feet to get from a to b. Not ideal on stone floors with wet feet. Sun loungers are rubbish too - fold up on you when you sit and too narrow so uncomfortable. They need replacing with better quality ones.

The lack of any privacy on the plot, or any kind of wind break in the form of fencing or planting wasn't great either as it is quite a breezy area (we were told). Fortunately, as they overlooked us the whole 2 weeks, the immediate neighbours were incredibly helpful and friendly and helped us out immensely.

Lastly, there is NO AIR CONDITIONING. We put this onto our search determinants so naturally expected it. There are ceiling fans only. I haven't checked if the details have been corrected now but be warned if this matters to you.

I imagine in a few years when the plot is properly developed and fenced, and hopefully the TV moved to allow a proper dining area etc this could be a great place to stay. I think that for adults, who are more interested in sight seeing etc it would work well, but for a family where pool time is key, and dining was predominantly at 'home', it fell short. We still had a lovely holiday but I wouldn't go back.

If you are looking for a real home from home, this is the place.

This villa is very well equipped for families of all ages. The beds are super comfy & rooms are dark at night helping you get that good night sleep!

The main bathroom is lovely and spacious with a gorgeous rainfall showerhead (with pressure!). The kitchen is fully stocked with every utensil & cookware item you will need during your stay.

This villa is perfect if you are looking to really recharge your batteries in peace and explore the surrounding authentic French villages.

Whilst I was here I took a boat trip down part of 'Canal du Midi', went on an olive oil tour/tasting at l'oulibo, visited the medieval village of Carcassonne, took a hike to the nearest village & took part in a wine tasting at Borie de Maurel (located in the village).

I enjoyed my stay here so much that I will be returning in the next couple of months to do all the things we ran out of time to do!