PARIS, FRANCE LES VILLAGES NATURE
Iwill admit that I am a fussy traveller. My wish list for family holidays is so long (relaxing, luxurious, action-packed, family friendly, but not too family friendly!) that I often give up booking anything at all. And to add to my endless list of requirements is an increasing concern that our travels shouldn’t have too large an impact on the environment. So Les Villages Nature really appealed. The ‘village’ is an award-winning eco-friendly resort 32km from Paris with thoughtfully designed cottages and apartments set around a lake. A shorefront hub offers shops, restaurants and indoor activities including a climbing wall, escape rooms, kids’ club and a bowling alley. On top of this, outdoor activities such as boating, pony rides and high ropes can be booked; we choose a boat ride, a mini Jeep safari and a chocolate making (eating) workshop. But even without these added extras, we find more than enough to fill our days, from trips to the swimming lagoon, with its indoor and outdoor pools and stomach-churning water slides, to afternoons lazing by the beach, playing outdoor chess or oh-so-french games of boules.
The landscape around the village has meandering waterways, created to attract as much wildlife as possible. It is also home to a farm, where kids can get hands-on experience looking after animals. The resort is car-free and best navigated by bike
– an assortment to suit all abilities is available to hire. The sustainable-living message is all around: from the use of natural materials in the buildings, such as beautiful living walls on the apartments, to the emphasis on locally sourced produce in the restaurants. Most impressive of all is the geothermal heating system that provides 100% of the heating and hot water for the resort, including the swimming lagoon.
Our two-bedroom chalet is furnished to reflect the eco-conscious ethos of the resort, there’s ample space and a well-appointed open-plan kitchen. One night, we eat in, heading to the supermarket to pick up all we need for our meal, but most evenings, we eat out at the resort – from the chic Cépages wine bar to the super family-friendly Les Délices de la Ferme restaurant. And, for breakfast, nothing beats the just-baked croissants from the Chez Meunier bakery.