Le Bois Guestbook

The grounds have ample space for children to roam, with a swing set and a view over fields. However, the pool is the reason we chose the property and we were not disappointed. The only downside is that we didn’t want to go out and see the area we were so happy there!! There are steps for easy access and still plenty of room for swimming. We found lots of fun toys and comfy chairs provided in the pool house. The loungers were excellent and the water was warm.
There is also excellent wi-fi which extends to the pool area should you need to keep in touch with the rest of the world. We would return without hesitation.

We had a short stay at Le Bois and it was wonderful. We wish we had booked more time. The children loved exploring the extensive barns and paddocks. The parents loved relaxing in many of the seating areas both indoors and out.

Well, we just spent the most amazing week in Le Bois! What a gem – nestled in the Loire Valley, very private yet close to everything. In 25 min you can be in Saumur, Chinon, etc. or in less time there are numerous villages to explore. There is a market literally every day, in different villages which is nice as you see and taste different things. We entered into a nice routine – breakfast at Le Bois with the best fresh croissant obtained less than 10 min away; followed by an exploration of one of the many villages nearby – or a chateau tour, garden tour, wine tasting, float along the river – with lunch in one of the villages. There is a fantastic restaurant close by called La Bouff’tard – a 12 euro fixed price lunch – 3 courses, and half a bottle of rose – with fresh local food. I don’t know how they do it but it was fantastic. Then we would return to the tranquility of Le Bois in the afternoon – lounge outside, enjoy the pool and the lovely views. We would then prepare a nice dinner at Le Bois – either grilling, a light salad and charcuterie, and use the fresh food we would buy in the local markets – of course accompanied by the amazing Cremant or Rose they have in the Loire.

Now for Le Bois – the owners have done an amazing job restoring in meticulous detail a series of original tuffeau stone farm buildings. Le Bois itself is huge – a large kitchen, a huge lounge that opens to its own private patio, bathroom and utility room on the ground floor. Three bedrooms upstairs with the master having an en suite and two generous sized bedrooms sharing an adjacent bathroom. The walls of this place must be 3 feet thick – the place stays cool even though it was the hottest part of the year. The original oak beams are amazing – and they have worked hard to expose as much of the original wood as possible. There are numerous windows which bring in lots of light and air – very fresh. The place is well furnished, fully equipped, and clean. We peeked into the adjacent cottage, Bucheron, as it wasn’t occupied during our stay – again the same level of detail and cleanliness. There are herbs growing in a small garden in front of the kitchen – the thyme and rosemary were so fragrant – we made heavy use of them during our visit. There is a small but nice pool which we used each afternoon for a cool soak – the owner tells me that they are installing a larger in ground pool this year, so we expect to see that on our next visit. The grounds are well kept – this is a large and private compound – must be 4 acres, lots of trees, surrounded by the Loire fields.

Well, I can’t recommend it higher – I hesitated posting this review because I want to make sure there will be availability in the future!! It’s a perfect combination of just remote enough to enjoy a private family holiday, but close enough to the Loire sights that you can do something different every day and still spend afternoons being lazy at Le Bois.