SALERNES Haut Var Charming house swimming pool 6x12 air conditionng park 70000m2

We loved the house which has plenty of charm and is well loved by the owner who was very helpful when we needed it. The pool is large and well maintained as are the extensive gardens. The mosquitos can be a bit of a pain and the pond probably contributes to that. The fifth bedroom is actually very separate from the house down a steep path to the pool and smelt of damp/ drains for a few nights. As a result calling this a 5 bedroom property isn’t wholly accurate, but if you don’t need the extra room I wouldn’t hesitate in giving this four stars. Aside from this it’s a unique place and has real charm and you truly feel you’ve experienced rural Provence.

We rented the house as a 50th birthday celebration for our elder daughter, and in all we were nine people in three generations, me and my husband in our 70s, two daughters and husbands, and three grandchildren of eight, ten and fourteen. The house was just perfect for us all. The situation is beautiful - not an open view, as the big trees have closed it in, but nevertheless a sense of space as you can see distant slopes through the trees. It is not very near to other houses and is very quiet. The many trees also mean that there is always shade, although the beautiful pool is almost always in the sun. There are plenty of sun-loungers, cane chairs and little tables, with two large parasols by the pool, so we found that sun-lovers and shade-lovers were all content. The garden is really lovely, showing great care in the choice and placing of plants - oleanders, hybiscus, lavender, many succulents - as well as the huge plane trees and cypresses. To one side of the house is a meadow dotted with old olive trees, and it's possible to walk for some time within the boundaries of the estate. The house itself is old, with red tiled floors and thick walls, but there is modern comfort with air conditioning in every room. The bedrooms are small but we soon adapted to this (even the 'independent' room near the pool has air-con and proved quite comfortable), and it was a pleasure to eat at the large table outside in the shade, or inside on the one morning when it rained. The village of Salernes is a five minute drive away, so you really need a car, but one of our party went every morning for croissants. The Sunday market was great and on other days it was peaceful. Perhaps the only down-side was the mosquitos, especially in the evenings, but this is hardly unique to this property. Anyway, it's best to wear long trousers and long sleeves in the evening to minimise the amount of repellant you need. Incidentally my husband and I travelled all the way from Hull by train. On weekends in the summer it's possible to take Eurostar all the way from St Pancras to Marseille without changing trains; then there is a local train to Les Arcs/Draguignan which is a 40-minute drive from Salernes, so we had to be picked up from there. All in all this was a most delightful holiday. Chantal Rocadot was cheerful and helpful and the one little problem we had (a broken bed-leg) was dealt with very promptly and without fuss. We would certainly like to go there again.

We stayed in this location mid July and were very pleased. This place has everything you need, a huge well maintained private pool, air conditioning in every room, lots of space for up to sleep 10 people, a lot of seating areas.. I counted 10 seating areas!! A hamac, table tennis, a swing, a pond with frogs (do mind the mosquitoes it brings!.. bring some mosquito spray). While the furniture inside the house is not modern, it remains very comfortable. Best of all is the nature and landscaping around the house. Very well maintained and green. Lots of variety of vegetation, charming stone walls. I would stay there again.

We stayed in this location mid July and were very pleased with it. This place has everything you need, a huge and well maintained private pool, air conditioning in every room, lots of space for up to 10 people, a lot of seating areas.. I counted 10 seating areas!! A hamac, table tennis, a swing, a pond with frogs (do mind the mosquitoes it brings!.. bring some anti-mosquito spray). While the furniture inside the house is old, it remains very comfortable and gives it its charm. Best of all is the nature and landscaping around the house. Very well maintained and green. Lots of variety of plants and vegetation, charming stone walls. I would stay there again.