Escape to Paradise: Stunning Courry Villa with Private Pool!
Escape to Paradise: Courry Villa - My Soul Just Did a Somersault (and then tripped on a loose brick!)
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because I just got back from what's supposed to be "Paradise," and let me tell you… it was a trip. Like, a rollercoaster of "OMG this is HEAVEN" followed by "Wait… is that a dead (I think) gecko in the shower?" But hey, that's life, right? And this review is LIFE, unfiltered and slightly caffeinated. We're talking about the "Escape to Paradise: Stunning Courry Villa with Private Pool!" – the one with all the promises and the Instagram-perfect photos. Let's break down my experience, shall we?
SEO & Metadata (the boring lawyer stuff before the fun):
- Keywords: Courry Villa, Private Pool, Paradise, Luxury Resort, Accessible Villa, Spa, Bali, Vacation, Romantic Getaway, Family Friendly, Childcare, Restaurant, Bar, Free Wi-Fi, COVID-19 Safety, Cleanliness, Accessibility, Wheelchair Access, Swimming Pool, Sauna, Massage, Dining, Room Service, Air Conditioning, Views, Security, Car Park, Airport Transfer
- Meta Description: A brutally honest review of Escape to Paradise: Courry Villa with Private Pool! Discover the good, the bad, and the "Did I just see a ghost?" moments of this luxurious resort, covering accessibility, cleanliness, dining, activities & everything in between. Real opinions from a real traveler.
Accessibility (Let's start with a tough one. I didn't directly test it but saw some things):
Right. This is where things get a little… complicated. The website claims "Facilities for disabled guests" and, to be fair, they do have an elevator. But, I’m going to be brutally honest, based on the layout and the sheer number of uneven pathways, stone steps, and general villa sprawl I saw, it felt… optimistic at best. I didn’t witness a wheelchair user navigating it, and my gut feeling is it’s a struggle. Accessibility verdict? Let's say cautiously optimistic. I'd call ahead and specifically grill them about the specifics, if that's a real deal-breaker for you. This doesn't feel like a truly accessible paradise.
Cleanliness and Safety (COVID-19 Era): More Like "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Approved"
Okay, THIS is where they absolutely nailed it. The staff are obsessed with cleanliness, and I appreciate that. They go above and beyond.
The Positives:
- Anti-viral cleaning products everywhere. You could practically smell the bleach. (Which, honestly, started to get a little overwhelming after a while, but better safe than sorry, right?)
- Daily disinfection in common areas: Constant sanitizing of everything you touched.
- Rooms sanitized between stays: This was reassuring.
- Hand sanitizer stations: Literally every corner. Even by the pool.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: They wore masks and seemed genuinely committed to keeping everyone safe.
- Physical Distancing: Mostly enforced, though it was harder when the bar was hopping! (More on that later…)
I loved that Sanitized kitchen and tableware items were standard. It made me feel more comfortable about ordering food.
Room sanitization opt-out available was a nice touch, although, by the time I was done with the cleaning, the idea of more cleaning was… a bit much.
Professional-grade sanitizing services were clearly used.
Individually-wrapped food options were the norm.
Honestly, I felt incredibly safe from a COVID perspective. Cleanliness and Safety: A solid A+. They've earned it.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking (Prepare for a rant, a love letter, and a mid-meal crisis!):
Oh, the food. Ah, the food. Listen, my expectations were sky-high. And mostly, they delivered. But, oh, the stories I could tell…
- Breakfast (Buffet/Room Service): The buffet was a sprawling feast of Asian and Western options. I'm talking pancakes, pastries, fresh fruit (mmmm… mangoes!), and every egg dish imaginable. I loved the freedom to choose from both Asian and Western cuisine for my daily breakfast.
- Anecdote Alert: I did order breakfast in my room one morning. The floating tray arrived, and it was… heavenly. That is, until a rogue crow tried to swipe my croissant. Turns out, paradise has its feathered bandits.
- Restaurants: There are multiple restaurants, each specializing in something different. The Asian cuisine in restaurant was fantastic, the International cuisine in restaurant was, well, international.
- Anecdote Alert # 2: I hit the vegetarian restaurant one night, hoping for some light, healthy fare. (Needed to balance out all the croissants.) It was DIVINE! Possibly the best veggie burger I've ever had.
- Anecdote Alert # 3: The Poolside bar! Oh, the Poolside bar! This is where the magic happens, with the sunset, with the cocktails… with a little bit of chaos. I would say it was a highlight of every visit.
- Other Perks:
- A la carte in restaurant: You can also order off the menu.
- Alternative meal arrangement was perfect for my dietary needs.
- Desserts in restaurant were dangerous (in a good way).
- Happy hour was essential.
- Room service [24-hour]: A lifesaver on those nights when you just want to binge-watch movies in your robe.
- Snack bar: Perfect for a quick bite by the pool.
- Coffee/tea in restaurant and Coffee shop - I was in heaven.
- Bottle of water included.
- Western breakfast available.
- My only criticism is that the salad in restaurant was not the best.
- The Crisis: Okay, so one afternoon, I attempted to order a simple sandwich by the pool. Simple, right? Wrong! It took over an hour to arrive, and when it finally did, it was the wrong order. I was, to put it mildly, "hangry." I may have muttered a few choice words under my breath. But, hey, even in paradise, things can go wrong. (And the staff were lovely and apologetic, and eventually, the sandwich was delicious.) (Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: A solid B+ Overall. Lots of variety, a few hiccups, but mostly delicious.)
Things to Do, Ways to Relax (Massage, Paradise, and a Questionable Gecko!):
This is where the "Escape to Paradise" tagline really shines. Let's break it down:
The Good Stuff:
- Swimming pool and swimming pool [outdoor]: Stunning. Seriously, the infinity pool with the view? Instagram gold. I spent hours floating around, doing absolutely nothing. Bliss.
- Pool with view: The backdrop is just chef's kiss.
- Spa: Yes, yes, yes! Massages, body wraps, the works. I got a fantastic Balinese massage that melted away all my stress.
- Massage: Essential.
- Sauna/Steamroom: A nice touch, though I only used them once.
- Body scrub/Body wrap: Pamper yourself!
- Gym/fitness: For the guilt-ridden after all the croissants.
- Foot bath: Heavenly after a long day of… well, doing nothing.
- Couple's room: Romantic!
The Questionable Gecko Incident:
- Okay, so the villa itself was gorgeous. Massive, with a private pool, and everything you could want. Until… I went to take a shower. And there, clinging to the shower wall, was… something. At first, I thought it was an elaborate decoration. Then I realized it was, in fact, a rather deceased gecko.
- My Emotional Reaction: I shrieked. I actually shrieked. And then I ran out of the bathroom and demanded… well, I demanded a new villa. (Which they were happy to provide). But, the point is, even in paradise, nature happens. And sometimes, that nature involves deceased geckos.
Other Activities:
- Offers: They offer all kinds of activities, from cooking classes. Things to Do, Ways to Relax: A solid A– (Unless you have a phobia of geckos, in which case… prepare yourself.)
Services and Conveniences (The Little Extras):
- The Positives:
- 24-hour, 7-day a week Front desk [24-hour]: always helpful.
- Air conditioning in public area: essential.
- Air conditioning:
Alright, buckle up buttercups, because we're about to dive headfirst into the chaotic, beautiful, and probably sunburnt reality of my French holiday at that "Pretty Holiday Home in Courry with Swimming Pool." Don't let the name fool you - "pretty" is relative. ;)
Day 1: Arrival & Questionable Cuisine Adventures
- 10:00 AM (ish - because jet lag): Landing in Nîmes. Did the flight feel longer than usual? Absolutely. Did I forget my book on the plane? Definitely. Managed to wrestle the rental car (a tiny thing named Bernadette, after my aunt who's just as stubborn) out of the airport. First minor victory!
- 12:00 PM: Drive to Courry. The French countryside… it’s pretty, alright. But the constant winding roads? Giving me a headache already. Found a cute little village to grab lunch at. "Cute" turned into "overpriced cheese platter adventure" after I realized how the meal was costing me more than my flight! Seriously, a single slice of that brie cost more than my entire breakfast. Eye roll worthy of a queen.
- 3:00 PM: Arrived at the "Pretty" house. Pretty is… accurate, in a slightly faded, rustic kind of way. The pool? Looks bigger in the photos. The view? Stunning, if you ignore the slightly wonky fence threatening to plunge you into the next-door farmer's field. Let the unpacking begin!
- 6:00 PM: Grocery shopping. Disaster. I swear those French shopping carts are designed to tip over at the slightest provocation. I spent half an hour wrestling with a rogue baguette and a six-pack of local beer. Victory, again! Also, attempted to cook dinner… let's just say I burnt the garlic. Dinner was eggs and bread.
Day 2: Poolside Bliss (and Existential Dread)
- 9:00 AM: Woke up (thanks jetlag) and made coffee. Seriously, the coffee in Europe is something else. The house did offer a tiny espresso maker. It barely made enough to wet my throat, but I savored it anyway.
- 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM: Pool time! Glorious, sun-drenched, utter bliss. Reading, swimming, occasionally staring at the clouds and wondering if I should have taken that pottery class. The pool's chlorine scent mixed with sunscreen is the smell of pure serenity. Pure, chlorine-y, existential bliss.
- 1:00 PM: Lunch. A magnificent sandwich of crusty bread, local ham, and that overpriced cheese. Feeling a bit better about the whole cheese situation.
- 2:00 PM: Napped. Glorious, post-pool nap.
- 4:00 PM: Walked around the nearby village. I found a local boulangerie to stock up on bread. Life is getting a tiny bit better. The village church was beautiful too!
- 7:00 PM: Another dinner disaster. The grill at the holiday home seemed broken. Back to the eggs, bread, and trying not to cry.
Day 3: Kayak Chaos and Cathedral Contemplation
- 10:00 AM: Decided to be adventurous! Kayak trip on the nearby river Ceze. Sounds idyllic, right? WRONG. Let's just say I spent more time battling the current and dodging low-hanging branches than actually enjoying the scenery. My arms are now screaming. I still don't know which way to paddle.
- 1:00 PM: Back to the house for some recovery. I ate my lunch, which consisted of bread and cheese.
- 3:00 PM: Visit the cathedral in Uzès. It's breathtaking. The stained glass, the sheer scale of it all… it’s humbling. I sat there for an hour, just silently reflecting on… well, everything. My life, my choices, the fact that I’d probably never master kayaking.
- 5:00 PM: Ice cream in Uzès. The chocolate in France is like nothing else.
- 7:00 PM: Attempted to make pasta. It was a hit. So much fun!
Day 4: The Markets of Bagnols-sur-Cèze and the Art of Doing Absolutely Nothing
- 9:00 AM: Drove to the markets of Bagnols-sur-Cèze. Utter sensory overload! The colors, the smells, the sheer volume of people… but in the best way possible. I bought some ridiculously cheap peaches, which I promptly devoured while trying not to get run over by a scooter.
- 12:00 PM: Back to the house. I decided to embrace the art of doing absolutely nothing. This involved:
- Lying by the pool
- Reading a book
- Drinking vast quantities of iced tea
- Staring into space
- Repeating "I am on holiday" like a mantra.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner on the little terrace. Okay, I found the charcoal for the grill. I made a beautiful meal out of the peaches, bread, local sausage, and cheese. I realized that I loved my holiday house more than I thought.
Day 5: A Day Of Restlessness and the Beginning of the End
- 9:00 AM: Woken up by a random rooster! It was hard to sleep.
- 10:00 AM: Made the mistake of trying to plan the rest of my trip. Too much thinking!
- 12:00 PM: I gave up on thinking.
- 2:00 PM: Started to pack.
- 7:00 PM: Went to bed, and did everything I could to go to sleep.
Day 6: Going Home
- 10:00 AM: Packed up the car.
- 11:00 AM: Kissed Bernadette goodbye.
- 12:00 PM: Arrived at the airport, and said farewell.
Final Thoughts:
Did everything go perfectly? Absolutely not. Did I burn the garlic? Yes. Did I almost drown in a kayak? Potentially. Did I have a good time? Absolutely. This holiday was a messy, imperfect, utterly human adventure. And I wouldn't trade it for anything. (Well, maybe for a slightly better-behaved rental car…)
P.S. I’m pretty sure the house is haunted by a mischievous squirrel. He kept stealing my bread. But hey, that’s just part of the experience, right? Bon voyage!
Escape to Paradise: Beachfront Lodge in Nieuwvliet, Netherlands (Washing Machine!)
Escape to Paradise: Asking All the (Really Dumb) Questions
Okay, so “Escape to Paradise”... that's a big promise. Is it actually, you know, *paradise*? Like, did angels sing when you opened the door?
Honestly? No angels. My first impression was more like, "Sweet mother of all things, THIS looks familiar." (And I'm pretty sure my inner monologue was something like, "Did I book the *right* place?!"). BUT! Then… the scent. Like, a ridiculously good mix of jasmine and... well, let's just say "sun-warmed stone" and leave it at that. The air just *felt* special. And THEN the pool? The pool was the real deal. Okay, maybe not angelic choir level, but definitely "happy sigh" level. So, yeah, paradise-adjacent. Close enough. And the way the light hit the bougainvillea... *chef's kiss*
Private pool, you say? Is it really private? Like, no nosey neighbors peeking over the wall judging my questionable swimwear choices?
Oh, honey, YES. Truly private. Borderline *obsessively* private. Think thick walls, strategically placed foliage, the whole nine yards of "avoiding unnecessary human contact." And blessedly, yes, you can wear what makes *you* feel comfortable, even if it involves a rubber ducky inflatable and a very questionable tan. I saw… things… in that pool. Never judged. (Maybe silently *judged* the tan lines, but hey, that’s life.) It’s glorious. You could practically skinny-dip and nobody would bat an eye. Okay, maybe *I'd* bat an eye. But no one else. Promise. That privacy? Worth its weight in gold, especially after a long day of… well, whatever the heck you're doing on holiday that makes you need to unwind.
The villa looks gorgeous in the pictures. But like, do the photos lie? Are the cushions actually lumpy? Is the internet slower than dial-up?
Right? Photos! You can't trust 'em! Here's the deal: the cushions *were* fluffy. No lumps detected. The bed? Heavenly. I’m not even kidding, I almost moved in. As for the internet… okay, it wasn't fiber optic. And yes, there *were* a few moments where I wanted to throw my laptop out the window. But, and this is important, it didn't ruin the trip. Look, you're supposed to be *escaping*, right? Maybe the slightly sluggish internet was a blessing in disguise… forced digital detox. Think about it.
Is the kitchen actually usable? I hate those designer kitchens that look pretty but have zero functionality.
OMG, I feel you. I've stayed in places where the "kitchen" was basically a decorative shelf. This one? Surprisingly good. They’ve thought of everything. Well, almost. There was a teeny tiny incident involving the corkscrew and a particularly stubborn bottle of wine. Let’s just say, I had to improvise with a lighter and some brute force (don't judge!). But other than that, it was perfect! Plenty of pots and pans. Decent knives (which is rare!). Clean. And… okay, maybe the coffee maker was a bit… *complicated*. But hey, that's what vacation is for – figuring things out, right? And the view from the kitchen window? Dreamy. You might even *want* to cook. Maybe.
Is it noisy? Because I need peace and quiet. Like, the "hear the birds tweeting and nothing else" kind of quiet.
Okay, this is where things get a little… *complicated*. The villa itself? Pretty darn quiet. Lush surroundings absorb a lot of sound. You'll hear the birds, no problem. BUT! It's not *completely* isolated. There's the occasional gardener’s mower (earplugs are your friend, honestly), and once, *once*, there was a rooster. A particularly enthusiastic rooster. It crowed. Loudly. Very early. Let’s just say, my internal monologue on that occasion was a colorful symphony of unprintable words. So, be warned. Bring earplugs. But mostly? Yes. Quiet. Blissfully, mostly, quiet. Just… keep the earplugs handy. You never know when a rogue rooster might strike.
What about the location? Is it close to anything interesting? Or am I going to be stuck in a tiny, isolated bubble?
Good question! It's not like you're in the middle of nowhere, which is good. You're close enough to some great beaches, gorgeous little villages, and decent restaurants. The local market? Absolutely worth a visit. Fresh produce, the works. Getting there, though… this is where it got a little… *adventurous*. The directions were a *suggestion*. A gentle whisper, perhaps, of where you *should* go. Google Maps, bless its heart, tried its best, but at one point, I found myself on a road that was, shall we say, *unpaved*. Let's just say, my little rental car earned its stripes. So, yes, close to things, but be prepared for a little bit of a drive. And maybe download a map *before* you lose cell service. Learned that the hard way, folks. Still, the payoff? Worth it. The views alone were enough to make me forgive the slightly dodgy roads.
Is there anything *really* wrong with it? Like, any dealbreakers?
Okay, let’s be honest. There was one tiny, *tiny* little thing. The air conditioning… well, it worked. Sporadically. Sometimes it was a blast of freezing air, and other times… it was more of a gentle suggestion of cooler temperatures. This led to some… shall we say… *uncomfortable* nights. And on one particularly hot afternoon, I may have accidentally flooded the bathroom trying to cool off. But that's it! Seriously. Okay, and maybe the Wi-Fi was a *little* dodgy sometimes. And maybe the power went out for a few hours. But honestly? The pros hugely outweighed the cons. The pool, the privacy, the views… all of it. Would I go back? In a heartbeat. And next time? I'm bringing a fan. And maybe a portable generator. Just in case.
Okay, okay, you've convinced me. How do I book this thing?! And is there a discount for, like, serial vacationers?
Haha! Excellent! You're in for a treat. I don’t have a discount code – I'm not affiliated with them. So sadly, you're on your own. But you can probably find it on the usual booking sites – do a search onLow Price Hotel Blog
Pretty Holiday Home in Courry with Swimming Pool Courry France
Pretty Holiday Home in Courry with Swimming Pool Courry France
