Sorry - no pets allowed Suitable for children No smoking at this property Self-catering
Home description
Villa Emmanuelle is an ideally located villa in Banon Provence with a private pool, fireplace and fantastic views over the beautiful Provence countryside. The villa is very centrally located in Provence between the Luberon National Park and Verdon National park. Banon is a beautiful medieval hilltop authentic Provence mountain village.
The villa is tastefully decorated in provence character, with real fireplace, very large garden, large outdoor terrace areas and a private well maintained pool. The villa is spacious and bright with a real country fresh feel. Cathedral Ceilings with beautiful timber beams and a mezzanine looking over a very large living and dining area greet you. The villa has a covered terrace with a large second storey balcony.
Villa Emmanuelle front view in the morning
Pool and View from Villa Emmanuelle
Dining room and Mezzanine looking onto kitchen
Banon - medievil hilltop village
To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/22529
The Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur / Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region
The villa is very centrally located in Banon Provence between the Luberon National Park and Verdon National park. It is located in the department of Alpes de haute Provence (or in English 'Lower Alpes in Provence'). The weather is moderate most the year round. This area is the authentic country life you imagine when thinking of Provence. It is not overun with tourists as are parts of Provence and retains its natural beauty. The outdoors definetly call whether its a walk or bike ride in the local forests, lavendar, wheat or poppy fields.
Spring in Alpes de haute Provence is when the colours of nature quite literally burst into blossom. This is the time and place for artists to be painting and drawing. The temperature is moderate about 15C-25C and the light is incredible (just ask Van Gogh!). Markets and festivals seem to sprout up everywhere and the pool will tempt on many days.
Summer is the busiest season for the area and it seems that people are all out and about the whole time. The weather is wonderful being in the lower Alps and rarely gets very hot (normally 28C - 35C) though still perfect for a dip in the pool.
Autumn (Fall) is my favourite season. You get a wonderful lingering warmth in the area and the colours of the area become breathtaking as leaf season begins - the colours that vary between a deep earth red, fluorescent yellow and deep green provide a soul building palate. Mid October, November is best for leaf season. Temperature is on average 15C-25C.
Winter is time to cosy up to the fireplace. While Banon lies below the snowline nonetheless there will be a number of blanket white days that turn the area into a Christmas wonderland. There are some close by skifields for the kids and amateur skiiers. More serious resorts can be got to in a day trip but take about two hours travel time. Average temperature is -2C - 15C.
Banon area
Banon is a medieval hilltop village centrally located in Provence between the Lure and Ventoux mountains and between the Luberon National Park and the Verdon National Park - two of the most beautiful parks in France. Banon is authentic Provence in every way and is the perfect destination for food lovers, outdoor activities and landscape artists who value its natural and beautiful character. The village is a symphony of bright colours with expanses of lavender, poppy and wheat fields that fill the air with the unmistakable scents of Provence.
While there are numerous things to do we have tried here to give you a sample. Local activities include cycling, horse riding, mountain biking, mountaineering, paragliding, swimming, tennis, walking, writing, landscape painting, drawing, petanque, quad biking, hang gliding, hiking and walking in the fields and the woods.
There are many places to explore. Nearby you will find the medieval town of Forcalquier with its beautiful narrow streets, Simiane a world heritage listed village, and the very traditional Montsalier (where I was born pop. 63) with the three windmills on the climb to its ancient location. There are dozens of villages that will enthral with their deep history and beauty.
Easy Day trips would include visits to Avignon, Aix en Provence, Apt, Gorges du Verdon with the many lakes, Little Colourado Provencial (with its many sand colours), Gordes, Luberon National Park and Villages. Further afield day trips would include Saint Tropez, Calanques of Cassis, Cannes, Nice, Monte Carlo, in fact all the Cote d'Azur, Nimes, Arles, Camargue, Parc du Mercantour, Marseille and the French Alps with the Ski fields.
The markets in the area are just wonderful. Almost everyday there will be some market with specialist ones by little villages, such as antique fairs, springing up all the time. Banon has a market in its town square on Tuesdays where you can find many of the local cheeses, olives, sausages, fruits and vegetables as well as a large variety of non food items. A short drive away two large markets occur on Mondays at Forcalquier and Saturdays at Apt. These markets are immense and the variety, colours and many traditional provencial products will keep you busy all day. Additionally you will find a numerous number of village markets to fill each day of the week.
Festivals in the area almost happen every other day of the week. From the Cheese Festival of Banon in late May to the Melon Festival in Cavillion and the almost month long immense theatre and dance festival in Avignon in July, you will find festivals along almost every theme from antiques, artisanale, apricots, farm equipment, the fire festival as well as many that simply celebrate the village.
How to get there
Flying to Provence
There are a number of airports in the area. The largest and one of the closest is Marseille International Airport. This airport is regularily served by BA, Easyjet and Ryanair. It is about 1.15 hours from Villa Emmanuelle driving time. You can find many rental car companies at the airport. Other airports in the area include:
* Nimes - About two hours away. Low Cost Ryanair, easyjet from UK Stansted, Luton, Liverpool, East Midlands * Avignon - About 1.10 hours away * Nice - About three hours away - Useful for direct flights from North UK and Midlands * Lyon - About Three and a half hours away - Direct flights from Manchester
Coming by Train
The closest major TGV rail stations are located in Avignon and AIX en provence. Both are about an hour away drive by car. You can also arrive in Marseille if coming from Italy or Spain.
At each of these stations (or nearby) you will find a number of car hire companies. Having a car is very desirable in Banon though not absolutely essential.
Driving There
Coming from Paris and Lyon
* A6 motorway, then the A7 to Avignon * Exit "Avignon sud" * Direction Apt * In Apt, direction Banon
From Paris you are better off taking the Avignon Sud Exit of the A7 rather than taking the exit at Orange
Nearest Travel Links
Airport:
Marseille: 100 km
Railway:
Avignon: 80 km
Activities near Banon
Sports: Tennis in town Horse Riding
Great for: Walking holidays Rural / countryside retreats A winter sun break Cycling holidays
Facilities
Luxuries:
Log fire, DVD player, Private outdoor pool (heated)
General:
Central heating, TV, CD player, Telephone, Satellite TV
Single beds (2), Double beds (3), Cots (1), Dining seating for 8, Lounge seating for 6, Sleeps maximum of 8
Other:
Linen and towels provided. Highchair available.
Outdoors:
Balcony / Terrace, Private outdoor pool (unheated), Private garden, BBQ, Bicycles available, Swing set
Access:
Secure parking
Further details indoors: Architecturally designed and tastefully decorated in Provence character, the villa is luxuriously appointed. The villa is spacious and bright with a real country fresh feel. There are three bedrooms, one with full ensuite, an additional bathroom and two additional WCs. Inside the villa you will find quality furniture, the living area has a real fireplace, mezzanine and cathedral ceilings with large supporting timber beams. The traditional large country kitchen is fully equipped and well stocked for all your needs.
The villa is fitted out with all mod cons you may require including a dual satellite system that receives both French, English and International TV with a range of News, children’s, and music channels. In addition we provide quality entertainment equipment including flat screen stereo/hi-fi TV, a quality hi-fi system, and a Pioneer international DVD multiregional player – supported by a small library of recent major movie DVDs.
Further details outdoors: Outside the villa, you will find a very large garden, large outdoor terrace areas and a private well maintained pool that also has a removable security fence. The villa has a covered terrace with a large second storey balcony. There are two outdoor settings to enjoy on the main terrace and on the second storey balcony.
Near the pool you will find a large pergola giving shade during the peak summer months. You will also find barbecue facilities for those outdoor days by the pool. The house is fully secured for children with the pool being fully fenced (which is removable if there are no children). You will find a range of kids games including swings and sand pit. Kids playground area located within full view of the villa. The property is fully secured with lockable gate and fenced all around.
For adults and teenagers we have two mountains bikes which are available and included in the rental for riding along the fields of lavender, wheat and flowers.
Further details
We also provide a range of optional value added services at very affordable rates to make your holiday even more relaxing and enjoyable. These include babysitting, maid services, French cooking classes, French lessons and home cooking services so you can enjoy home cooked traditional Provence meals right in the villa or by the pool.
* Pool is open April through to October * Linen and towels (including pool towels) are included in the rates * Reasonable final clean included. * To confirm the booking a 30% deposit is required. Balance is due six weeks prior to booking date. * A addittional security deposit of 800 Euro is required at the start of stay and will be returned if the villa is undamaged. * October through to April electricity charges are not included (Timber for fireplace is included). * We accept payment in Euro, GBP, and Australian Dollar.
Rental rates
Rental prices originally quoted in: Euros €
Convert to:
Period
From
To
Weekly
Nightly rate
Minimum stay
Weekday
Weekend
January - April
16 Feb 08
26 Apr 08
990£ 780
0-
0-
1 Week
May
26 Apr 08
31 May 08
1290£ 1,016
0-
0-
1 Week
June
31 May 08
28 Jun 08
1690£ 1,331
0-
0-
1 Week
July - August
28 Jun 08
31 Aug 08
2490£ 1,961
0-
0-
1 Week
September 2008
31 Aug 08
4 Oct 08
1690£ 1,331
0-
0-
1 Week
October - December
4 Oct 08
20 Dec 08
990£ 780
0-
0-
1 Week
Holidays
20 Dec 08
3 Jan 09
1490£ 1,173
0-
0-
1 Week
61
NB: Prices may be subject to change at the owner's discretion. Rentals are Saturday to Saturday. This requirement may be relaxed between October and April. Weekend and short week bookings may be available October through to April.
Guestbook
I have never stayed in a holiday house that was so well equipped. Everything was perfect. Particularly enjoyed "Nice Beach" after a hard days sightseeing and the BBQ too.
Virginie and Rob, Thank you so much for an unforgettable week in Provence. Joel, William, Paul and I had a wonderful time.We love your villa and the surrounding area. We saw so many beautiful sights. Thank you Michele for a delicious meal. We enjoyed food we had never tasted before! The rabbit and the brouillade of truffle were tres bien!
Wonderful week in a wonderful villa with a wonderful weather... What else could we ask for? Once again thank you to Gaby and Michele. We will keep excellent memories and we will tell others about this very good address!
We have greatly enjoyed our time in this beautiful nicely appointed house. This home and the surrounding region have provided a wonderful week for our family.
My husband and I have rented vacation houses in France for many years but Villa Emmanuelle is where we long to return. What can I say? The owners are sharing a true home with all of us, thoughtfully designed (the bathrooms and kitchen/salon are a complete pleasure), comfortably appointed and very user-friendly. Gaby and Michele, two souls of kindness, humor and common sense, made our stay even more special. The birds sung us to sleep and welcomed us each morning. What could be better?
See dozens more on our website at villaemmanuelle.com
Availability notes
To see availability please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/22529
Click to view availability for this property.
Contact owner
To contact this owner please visit: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/22529
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