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sleeps 4 in 2 bedrooms, 1 double and 1 twin. There is one family shower room. |
 | The large outdoor pool is heated via a solar cover. It is safely fenced and has a shallow area suitable for little ones |
 | A selection of toddler books, DVDs, soft toys, bath toys & general toys are provided in the gites |
 | Useful baby gear available on request includes: Cots (with linen), high chairs, stairgates, baby bath, steriliser, changing mat, bed guards, nightlights, microwaves, hand blender, sippy cups, plastic crockery, potty, baby monitor, bathroom step, plastic cutlery, cupboard locks & socket covers. |
 | Babysitting available on request |
 | A local professional caterer offers a great value in-gite catering service |
 | Friendly owners Graeme & Graziella offer a useful pre-arrival shopping service for groceries & baby essentials such as nappies, wipes etc. They also provide home-made frozen ready meals created by a local chef. |
Seasonal Discount:
10% discount for dates booked between 03 Sep 2010 and 01 Oct 2010
Arrivals and Departures:
Check-in time: 15:00
Check-out time: 10:00
Payment:
Reservation Deposit: 30%
Balance: 56 days prior to arrival
Capacity:
Sleeps: 4 + cot sleeping infants
Architect-designed and sensitively converted, this cluster of three eco-gites sleep from 4 to 24 and combine a lush pastural setting with an admirable commitment to being carbon neutral and stylish, yet family-friendly accommodation. From their 5-acre setting, nestled amongst sunflower-filled fields and near several pretty Poitou-Charentes towns, they are within easy travelling distance from Limoges, Poitiers and La Rochelle on France's west coast and in the heart the country's second sunniest region (according to stats for average hours of sunshine), making them a pretty safe bet for visiting from early spring through to late autumn.
British owners, Graeme and Graziella Swan have given the honey coloured-stone former barns stylish makeover that blends their pretty stone walls, terracotta floors and exposed beams with muted tones and good quality contemporary fixtures and fittings. Numerous patio doors flood the living areas with light and lovely rural views, whilst also bringing the outside in, as the open-plan living areas lead onto private dining terraces and the shared gardens, which are great spaces for ball games and safe toddling.
The Swans clearly have a keen eye on looking after the needs of pre-school families and along with useful services such as babysitting, locally made gourmet freezer fillers and a brilliantly useful pre-arrival shopping service; they also provide a very comprehensive list of baby and toddler gear. All but guaranteeing a great start to relaxing and indulgent holiday - even with tots in tow!
There's also an impressive barn housing a shared laundry and games area with table tennis, table football, darts board (safe for kids), pool table and numerous board games. The pretty open-air pool is heated via a solar cover, safely enclosed, and well furnished with sun bedsand parasols plus a brilliant shady cabana area, which is useful for junior guests to engage poolside playing or daytime dozing.
The former stone barn, La Vigne hasbeen
transformed into a comfortable gite, whichsleeps 4 in two bedrooms,
1pretty double with romantic cast iron bed and 1 twin, perfect for
little ones with a matching set of cast iron singles. The gite is set on
one level, making it perfect crawlers plus the open plan livingarea means
parents can keep an eye on mini guests whilst they cook. The contemporary
kitchen is well equipped (incl.microwave, fridge/freezer, steel oven and
hob)and although the dining area is great for a family breakfast, the
outdoor sunken terrace with patio furniture and BBQ is the best place to
dine during the summer months due to its lovely views over Les Cygnes gardens.
The exposed stone lounge is a great place to relax plus the handy satellite TV
and DVD player help keep the little ones entertained on quiet evenings in.
There is one family bathroom, with shower and w/c
Show Location Map
Les Cygnes enjoy a lovely rural location amongst woodland and farms, ideal for exploring on foot, by bike or on horseback, since there's a riding school within 10 minutes walk of the gites. A little further afield, the town of Chef Boutonne is within a few minutes drive and boasts useful facilities such as supermarkets, banks and a pharmacy, whilst numerous other towns with colourful markets and excellent restaurants are also nearby.
Hosts Graeme and Graziella live just behind the gites and are always on hand with great advice and suggestions for places to visit and eat out. One of their top recommendations for young families is Vallée des Singes (The Valley of the Apes) a brilliant wildlife park with many different species of apes, gorillas and monkeys all in their natural setting. Hold on to your hats though as some of the monkey's roam freely amongst the visitors and can be quite mischievous! There are also mini-goats, ducks and chickens. Plus a wooden adventure play area and a decent cafe serving salads, pizzas etc.
The Swans also have useful advice on the west coast beaches, many of which are within 90minutes drive. They particularly recommend La Grande Conche in Royan for families due to its 2km stretch of sandy beach and proximity to the many facilities on offer at this large town. There are many attractions available close-by if the sand-castle building becomes too much.
Getting There: The nearest airports are Poiters - 45mins drive, served by Ryanair from Stansted, Birmingham & Edinburgh, and La Rochelle - 90mins drive, served by Flybe from Birmingham, Manchester, Southampton & Glasgow, or Easyjet from Bristol & Gatwick. By train you can catch the Eurostar from Waterloo to Paris and TGV from Paris to Poiters (approx. 90mins). By car, the major ferry ports are within 4-6.5hrs drive, with St. Malo being closest.
Location Map
Past Guest Ratings* (Rated by 1 guests)
*BFB cross references all feedback scores with our own booking records to ensure they come from genuine past guests with young children.
Ratings Collated Since February 2010. Some Reviews May Pre-Date This.
Too short a stay for a such a wonderful place... We would love to come back agai...
Too short a stay for a such a wonderful place... We would love to come back again maybe next time to bring the entire extended family. Thanks again for such a wonderful family holiday, see you again.
Had a really great holiday. So very relaxing and enjoyable for all ages from 6 w...
Had a really great holiday. So very relaxing and enjoyable for all ages from 6 weeks old upward
Wonderfully relaxing! and enjoyed the holiday immensely. The place is very child...
Wonderfully relaxing! and enjoyed the holiday immensely. The place is very child friendly, Emily loved all the animals and the swimming pool. As a first holiday abroad I can't imagine a better place to have come
We have all had a fantastic time. This is a brilliant place for all the family t...
We have all had a fantastic time. This is a brilliant place for all the family to enjoy themselves.
Many thanks for your hospitality and helpful recommendations over what has been ...
Many thanks for your hospitality and helpful recommendations over what has been an enjoyable holiday. The gite was great, the games barn well used and the pool definitely was a great hit with all
Great weather, great BBQ and cooking facilities, good space for the children to ...
Great weather, great BBQ and cooking facilities, good space for the children to play in. Really enjoyable holiday.
Great hoiday at Les Cygnes Gites - it was everything we thought it would be and ...
Great hoiday at Les Cygnes Gites - it was everything we thought it would be and more. Graeme and Graz were extremely helpful and friendly. The pool and outside space is ideal for children
Thank you so much for letting us stay in your lovely gites. The pool and games r...
Thank you so much for letting us stay in your lovely gites. The pool and games room really made this holiday perfect. These 2 weeks feels like 2 years (in a good way) and it's such a shame to go. The beautiful gites were child safe and full of everything to live for a lifetime
Beautiful Gites in a beautiful tranquil setting, very welcoming, informative and...
Beautiful Gites in a beautiful tranquil setting, very welcoming, informative and friendly hosts, and their pets kept our daughter entertained for hours. The cherries were delicious and it was easy to explore the region especially La Rochelle, Angouleme, Poitiers and Monkey Valley!
Lovely rural location, had a really nice time. We felt it was very safe for our ...
Lovely rural location, had a really nice time. We felt it was very safe for our 2 1/2 year old. We will remember the beautiful fragrances of the herbs and flowers. We enjoyed having the animals around. Plus Graeme and Graziella were very friendly and helpful - excellent customer service- Great holiday
