One last adventure for 2019: Les Villages Nature Paris

Last month, just before Christmas, we were lucky enough to be invited to Les Villages Nature Paris and I honestly can’t think of a more perfect way to have finished our year. We decided not to tell the children where we were going, instead surprising them on the Thursday night after school with our cases already packed, our train to London waiting, and a very emotional reveal that evening in our hotel room when they realised not only were we going to Les Villages Nature Paris, but Disneyland too!

Despite opening in 2017, I hadn’t heard of Les Villages Nature until just a few months earlier and even after reading up on all it had to offer, I don’t think I was at all prepared for just how wonderful it would be. Easily reached via the Eurostar and a short transfer from Marne-la-Vallée, Les Villages Nature offers eco-friendly, self catering accommodation, fully immersed with nature, and a hidden oasis of calm amongst the bright lights of Disneyland Paris. And from the moment we arrived on site it felt as though all of the madness of the Christmas build up, our worries about Megan’s impending surgery, and the stress of every day life literally just melted away and for the first time in weeks, I could finally breathe!

Accommodation

Les Villages Nature offers a range of self catering accommodation with a choice of two comfort levels: Country Premium or Cocoon VIP. We were allocated a three-bedroomed Country Premium cottage, perfectly situated by the lake, which was spotlessly clean, beautifully decorated and perfectly designed.

To the front of our lodge we had an area to store our bikes for our stay and to the back we had our own gorgeous decking area with a table, chairs and sun loungers. The views were absolutely stunning and, although it wasn’t the right time of year to be dining outside and especially not soaking up the sun, when we opened up the curtains each morning and were greeted by the sight of the lake, it really was the best way to start our day.

Inside there was an open plan living, dining and kitchen area which I am a huge fan of. I think when you holiday as a family it’s all about spending quality time together and open plan living really makes that possible. I loved how the lodge had the perfect mix of feeling spacious but cosy, modern but homely, and how the decor really brought the outside in.

The kitchen was fully equipped with everything we needed during out stay including a fridge freezer, a microwave oven, a hob, dishwasher, and all the utensils and crockery we could possibly use. When we travel with the children it’s so important to have our home comforts and our own space to do our own thing, at our own pace.

There was also a downstairs toilet, basin and shower which was a real bonus. I love that toiletries and towels were provided which saved space on our packing plus having two showers meant it didn’t take as long to get ready in the morning so we could be up and out in no time.

Upstairs there were three bedrooms – two twins and a double – with all bedrooms lovely and modern, spacious enough to walk around and with ample storage. The girls instantly chose the front facing twin room and were over the moon that their beds were right next to each other so they could fall asleep holding hands.

Harry was delighted with his bedroom in gorgeous yellows and blues (“Golden is my favourite colour!” he told us) and pristinely clean. It’s funny because growing up I would never have noticed just how clean our accommodation was where as these days it’s one of the first things I notice. Maybe it’s a sign I’m getting old, or maybe my priorities have just changed!

Our room was beautiful, with views out onto the lake, and had a really calming feel to it which is definitely what you need after a day of adventure with the children. We also had a large flat screen television on the wall which is always a bonus as we don’t have a television in our room at home.

My favourite thing about the bedrooms, and the lodges full stop for that matter, was that Les Villages Natures have worked really hard to really stay true to their ethos of promoting nature and being eco-friendly and this even carries through to their choice of decor. From the wildlife on the cushions, the butterfly prints of the wallpaper and lamp, and the wooden clothes hangers on the walls, there are so many lovely little details which absolutely didn’t go unnoticed.

Upstairs there was also a bathroom with a bath and shower, a basin, a towel rail (perfect for drying our swimming costumes!) and a hairdryer, plus across the landing was a separate toilet. I loved that there was also a stair gate at the top of the stairs so that when the children got up in the night to use the toilet they were perfectly safe in an unfamiliar lodge.

We couldn’t have been happier with our lodge and, as always, it’s great to find accommodation for larger families. When we had to leave our lodge to go home I felt a real pang of regret that we couldn’t just pack it up and take it back home with us!

Getting around

Les Villages Nature is pretty big, consisting of five different immersive worlds (more about that later) and there are lots of different options for getting around the site. You could just walk, which is definitely doable, but depending on the age of your children that isn’t always possible – or enjoyable! We decided that the best option for us was to hire bikes as not only do the children love cycling but it’s always great to get some exercise and enjoy being outdoors.

You can pre-order bikes with your booking or book them on arrival and it was really quick and easy to select them at the Bike Center along with helmets for the children and keys for the easy lock system on each bike.

For those with younger children you can hire bikes with a trailer which is a great way to get around and in the colder or wetter weather, keep them cosy and dry inside. I think given the chance Megan would have jumped at the chance to be cycled around for the whole of our stay!

 For non-cyclists or those who prefer something a little less strenuous, you can also hire golf buggies which looked like a lot of fun. Due to there being a smaller number of golf buggies available I would recommend pre-booking in advance to guarantee there is one available for you stay.

There is also a free shuttle bus which runs around the park on a loop that you can hop on and off depending on which area you want to visit. To be honest you can probably walk from one side of the park to the other in less than half an hour and there are lots of little cut throughs which are fun to discover and explore.

Five Immersive Worlds

As I mentioned earlier, Les Villages Nature is split into five immersive worlds, unlike anything I have ever seen before, and each with so many unique and exciting things to do. During our three night stay we tried to do as many of them as possible but still I feel that we barely scraped the surface.

Aqualagon

The Aqualagon was so impressive, built in the most amazing unique design, and proudly boasting to be the biggest water park in Europe heated entirely with geothermal energy. With a mixture of indoor and outdoor pools, slides, white-water rivers, play areas, climbing wall, exercise area and wave machines, we could literally have spent our entire stay in the pool and still never tired of it.

We managed to swim three times during our stay and even then I feel there are parts we didn’t even get round to. Obviously we visited out of season in December and so the site was lovely and quiet, that said with the Aqualagon being so large and having so many separate areas, I would imagine that even during the Summer months it would never feel too crowded.

I can just imagine how much the children would love running around in the outdoor splash zone during the Summer, or how lovely it would be to sit in the hot tub and admire the view of the lake. Saying that, there is something pretty special about swimming outdoors in the depths of Winter, I think those moments in the Aqualagon are some of my favourite memories of our whole stay.

Ferme Bellevie

Ferme Bellevie is the most gorgeous open farm where guests can participate in daily workshops, learn how to care for the animals, ride through the surrounding forest on ponies, enjoy the most incredible indoor play area and dine at Ateliers restaurant.

We visited the farm several times during our stay, with our lodge situated nearby, but we particularly loved it in the late afternoon when the fairy lights lit the buildings up with a gorgeous golden glow and it felt like we had the entire place to ourselves.

At various points during the day there are organised talks, classes and activities to enjoy here, all of which you can book at the main reception or via the Les Villages Nature app, something I definitely recommend downloading during your stay.

Although we didn’t do any of the activities on the farm, the children absolutely adored visiting the animals – the ponies especially! It’s always important that the animals we visit appear healthy and well cared for and this was most definitely the case at Les Villages Nature. The farm covers a large area with lush outdoor fields for the animals to run around and graze, as well as indoor shelters.

I love that the farm offers something a little different to Les Villages Nature and alongside the indoor play area and restaurant, there is so much there to keep all ages entertained. We didn’t take photographs of the indoor play area, simply because we try hard not to photograph other people’s children in our content, but believe me when I tell you it is a dream come true for children and we literally had to drag them out of there each day!

Forest of Legends

The Forest of Legends was one of our favourite worlds and just the most magical, hands on experience for the children to enjoy. With climbing equipment, slides, rope bridges and swings, as well as den building, tree houses, puzzles and workshops, it was a fantastic place to burn off some energy and just let the children be children, something I am a huge advocate of.

     During our stay, each time we visited the Forest of Legends we had the whole place to ourselves which was lovely and meant the children could be as loud, or as silly, as they liked. It also meant that Gaz and I could get involved without feeling self-conscious and, as we ran across rope bridges and flung ourselves down the slides, it did us the world of good to just embrace our inner child and let loose!

Extraordinary Gardens

The Extraordinary Gardens are pretty special, divided into four sections to represent the four Greek elements: water, fire, earth and air. I would love to see them in the Spring when the flowers bloom and all of the different colours come to life, Eva is completely obsessed with gardening so I imagine she would really enjoy speaking to the gardeners and learning more about nature.

Les Villages Nature has so many wonderful places to walk and explore but the best view, in our eyes, was from right at the top of the Aqualagon where you can see right the way across the lake and literally feel on top of the world.

There is something so calming about being by the water and, even for three very hyperactive children, this was still the case. I loved that moment when we reached the top, in complete silence but for the steady flow of water below, and as I held the children’s hands in mine and looked out at the view I had a real pinch me moment at just how lucky we were and not for the first time, I felt all of the emotions!

Lakeside Promenade

The Lakeside Promenade is the heart and soul of Les Villages Nature and home to a number of restaurants, cafes, shops, leisure facilities, a bowling alley, kids club, an escape-game complex and the Action Factory!

I love how the addition of the Action Factory with climbing walls, karaoke, arcade games, plus the Escape Game next door, open up activities to older children and teens. We always find it incredibly difficult to holidays which can cater to both a five year old and a fifteen year old but I think Les Villages Nature does just that. Sadly Lewis was unable to make the trip due to his mock GCSE’s but I know he and Gaz would have loved trying the Escape Game and the climbing walls, plus bowling is one of the few activities we can all enjoy together as a family where age is never an issue.

Other than Ferme Bellevie, the restaurants can all be found at the Lakeside Promenade and there is such a huge range of cuisines available (more about that later!). You can also get take-out from Vapiano which we did on two occasions and enjoyed a delicious meal back in the comfort of our lodge without the fuss of having to cook it. Bonus!

  There is also a large supermarket on site with everything you could possibly need and even better, reasonably priced. We always expect on-site supermarkets to be quite expensive but I found there was very little difference between other supermarkets we have used when previously in France and it was so handy being able to pop in for any bits we had forgotten during our stay.

As well as being the hub of Les Villages Nature, the Lakeside Promenade is also just a really lovely spot to sit back and watch the world go by. We found that we almost instantly adapted to a slower pace of life here at Les Villages Nature, taking our time to just enjoy the outdoors, have fun, be silly, laugh (a lot) and really make the most of every moment. It’s funny how a place can do that to you but it was such a welcome relief after a really stressful few months for our family.

 

Where to eat

Although Les Villages Nature provides only self-catering accommodation, for an added fee you can have your breakfast delivered each day from the on-site bakery and let me tell you, it is worth it ten times over. The novelty of having breakfast waiting on doorstep when we woke each morning was a real luxury and, although I couldn’t eat any of the breads and pastries, I was assured by Gaz and the kids that they were utterly delicious!

With fresh orange juice, milk, a range of croissants, breads, fruit, yoghurt, jams, spreads, Nutella, tea, coffee and hot chocolate, it’s safe to say we dined like kings every morning and, when there is so much fun to be had, it was the best way to build up our energy ready for the day ahead!

During our stay we were lucky enough to dine at several of the restaurants, as well as enjoying Italian take-out from Vapiano’s (the risotto was incredible!) and I can’t fault the food at all. On our first night we dined at Cepages, the most stylish wine bar where we ate together as a group and enjoyed a range of dishes and a few glasses of wine!

I loved that the children’s orders were taken and brought out as fast as possible which meant they could tuck in before they got beyond the point of hunger and then play together whilst we enjoyed our meals. Harry, of course, ordered breaded chicken and fries where as the girls went for a steak patty and fries which was really tasty.

Gaz and I both went for the dish of the day which was steak and fries, cooked to perfection with a peppercorn sauce. It was utterly delicious as well as being reasonably priced for an on-site restaurant, plus the service was great not just on this occasion but throughout our whole stay.

The children’s favourite meal was at the newest addition to Les Villages Nature – Miam Miam Burger, an American style diner with amazing dishes for big appetites. After a morning swimming, cycling and walking, we turned up for lunch absolutely famished and couldn’t have chosen a better menu to tuck into.

With burgers, chicken wings, salad bowls and sides, there was something for everyone although each of us, apart from Megan, went for a burger and they didn’t disappoint! I couldn’t get over the portion sizes and at first insisted we could never finish them all off, but surprisingly we ate every last mouthful!

Hilariously Megan ordered nachos expecting a small bowl to herself where as the reality was a huge sharing platter which she wasted no time getting stuck into! I love this kind of food and thought out of all of the restaurants it was fantastically priced and similar, if not cheaper, than I would expect to pay here at home.

The desserts looked absolutely amazing and although I was far too full to even try one, Eva enjoyed a huge slice of Oreo cheesecake where as Megan and Harry went for a fudge brownie milkshake. You can totally see why this was their favourite restaurant!

Eco-friendly

In a world where we are all becoming far more environmentally conscious, it is admirable that Les Villages Nature have created a resort to inspire guests to lead a happy, sustainable and balanced lifestyle. Not only is the site 100% fuelled by geothermal energy, but Les Villages Nature conserves water using filtering gardens and specially-designed roofs to collect rainwater, planted 43,000 plants and 28,000 trees and made sure it had zero impact on the 72 protected species found there, and 98% of all waste materials using in production were used in other areas of the project.

The village is completely car-free (although cars are allowed to lodges on arrival and departure to deliver and collect cases to and from the lodge) and many of the activities revolve around promoting healthy, eco-living with classes such as gardening, wannabe park ranger, chocolate making classes, bread making and animal care. I love that they 100% practice what they preach and a stay at Les Villages Nature is not only enjoyable, but massively educational too.

The big question: how much does it cost?

I often find myself reading reviews and get all excited picturing ourselves booking the holiday only to scroll right down to the end and discover that actually, it is way out of our budget. So let me tell you that a three night stay during the Summer holidays, in a Country Premium lodge, costs from £750 for a family of four (two adults and two children). For anyone considering visiting Disneyland Paris as a larger family, or indeed on a budget, this is a far more affordable way of doing it and there are some amazing deals on the Magic Breaks website too.

Would we recommend it?

I would imagine, if you’ve read this whole review, the answer is clear, but for those who aren’t quite sure, I would say a big fat YES!!! I absolutely loved our stay, we all did, and it was genuinely everything we had hoped it would be and more besides. As a family who loves being outdoors it was the perfect setting, allowing us the freedom to do our own thing, with all of the convenience and luxury of the amenities, spend quality family time together and make memories we will treasure for always. When it comes to a holiday, what more can you ask for?

Whether you’re looking for a tranquil, outdoorsy holiday to enjoy as a family, a calming escape from the madness of Disney, or a family friendly base to explore Paris as a city, Les Villages Nature has it all. We will 100% be back here in the future (Lewis is still devastated he missed out!), perhaps in a different season to enjoy the site in a whole new way. And, in the meantime, I’ll be shouting about it to all of you, randomly smiling at some of my favourite memories, and getting occasionally misty eyed when I look back on how special our December of 2019 was.

We were also incredibly lucky to not only enjoy all that Les Villages Nature had to offer, but Disneyland Paris too and I am so excited to share everything we got up to there with you in my next post…..watch this space!!

 

** We were invited to Les Villages Nature for a fully gifted stay including travel, accommodation and dining in exchange for an honest review. All words and opinions are my own **