Our Blog

A few years ago if you used the words ‘eco’ and ‘luxury’ in the same sentance, people would have laughed in your face.  Eco was seen as shorthand for cheap & soulless,  luxury on the other hand, could only mean expensive, exclusive & sycophantic. Scotland is the place to go to see this theory turned on its head.  Glorious lochfront eco luxury pads are springing up everywhere; perfect for weekend hideaways, honeymoons and romantic breaks.  Luxury personified, for less than the price of a hotel room.

One the fab things about Suffolk (I’m an outsider) is that the pace of life seems to be very relaxed, so our guests seem to adopt that approach when they're out and about too. And what better place to do this than, in my opinion, along the most beautiful river in Suffolk? I’ve been up and down most of them and the Deben is my favourite. There are other wonderful rivers in our county, all with stunning scenery and of course, great pubs, but the Deben is the one that I enjoy the most.

Many guests who stay with us here at Dordogne Holiday Barns enjoy walking in the Dordogne, discovering the many routes perfectly suited for all abilities. Late September and October are, in our opinions, perfect for walks as the colours remain vibrant and autumnal.

The growth in adventure tourism, biking, hiking and walking holidays has been a welcomed boost for sustainable tourism in rural communities throughout Europe. ‘Traditional’ destinations such as the Alps are being shunned by a new style of explorer who is eager to avoid the crowds and annoyingly extortionate prices.
The Eastern Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria offer some of the most breath taking scenery imaginable, free from the organised masses and possibly the most economic destination anywhere in the EU.

Where do I start?  At the beginning would be a good place I suppose so here goes…….

Six years ago we upped sticks and moved lock, stock and barrel from London to Pembrokeshire, West Wales where we run, as a family, three, self-catering cottages. We moved here after falling in love with the area whilst on a family holiday and within a year had sold up and moved to Newhouse Farm.