Charlotte, Rik and Frankie
27th Oct 2018
Maureen’s comment: Maureens comment: Charlotte and Rik came with daughter Frankie aged 5. It was our pleasure to have them stay at the end of October and the weather was amazing for the time of year even managing some relaxing in the midday sun with Frankie playing in the garden. We were very pleased you enjoyed the wine tour, I learn more each visit and these private visits get behind the scenes to really understand the process from grape to bottle. You also have a good stock to take home. Pleased you enjoyed the meal, it's what holidays are all about.
"What a lovely place to stay, peaceful and well equipped and so many little details that made our stay so enjoyable. The garden is such a beautiful place to sit and enjoy which is an added bonus. The wine tour was a very enjoyable and informative day. We were lucky to have the opportunity to see the grapes being harvested, if you have the opportunity go on the wine tour we would thoroughly recommend it. Everyone who comes to this gite should have a meal prepared by Maureen – absolutely superb. The region is full of lots to see with each chateau being different and interesting. The Loire is such a wonderful region. We would not hesitate to recommend this gite, just superb."
Simon, Clare and Judith (UK)
29th Sept 2018
Maureen’s comment: Thank you for your lovely comment and we were indeed fortunate to catch the grape harvest in full swing giving everyone an opportunity to see the process from vineyard to bottle. We were also fortunate to catch the short period when ‘bernache’ is available, so this was another discovery during your wine tour. You made a great choice of dishes for your meal and also fortunate that it was warm and you could sit out on the terrace well into the late evening even at the end of September, pleased you enjoyed everything.
"This is the best accommodation we have stayed in outside of the UK! Maureen and John are very welcoming, knowledgeable and friendly and put us at ease immediately upon arrival. The cottage is exceptionally clean and beautifully decorated with everything you need to start your holiday. The garden is also delightful and ideal for al fresco dining in good weather as well as sunbathing or relaxing in the shade of ‘les deux platanes’.
We shall certainly recommend the accommodation to friends and family."
Karen & Bernie (Hertfordshire) UK
18th – 25th August 2018
Maureen’s comment: Many thanks indeed for your wonderful comment and we were pleased you managed to explore the region including your full day out to the Strawberry Chateau.
"We have thoroughly enjoyed our two weeks stay in this beautiful gite. We have stayed in many gites in France over the past 10 years, but never stayed in one as perfect as this. It ticked all the boxes. The photo’s on the internet do not do it justice, From the moment we arrived and entered the gite accompanied by Maureen, everything we saw we loved, the décor, the cosiness of the lounge and the bedrooms and the beautiful quiet garden. We enjoyed sitting in the garden and eating our meals outside. Maureen and John could not have been more welcoming when we arrived."
Jean & Raine (North East England)
19th May – June 2nd 2018
"The gite is a restful haven with excellent hosts. They offer a wealth of information about the area. They had information about hidden places and events. Maureen showed her hidden talents serving a 1st class meal. Maureen’s knowledge of vineyards and wine tasting was apparent when we went on the wine tour personally driven by Maureen. All in all a relaxing holiday in a lovely garden with hot weather especially the first week. We hope to return in the near future."
Ann & Robert (North East England)
19th May – June 2nd 2018
Maureen’s comment: We were pleased to welcome you all to our cottage and you certainly made the most of your two weeks here in central France. Rose festivals, historic chateau’s, wine tours, markets and much more. This group know France well so we were very pleased that you enjoyed your stay and the flowers were just coming out in the garden. Thank you for your kind comments.
"Having spent months trying to find suitable accommodation for my disabled partner I was so happy to arrive and find more than I expected in this beautiful cottage, garden and hosts. Having booked a Sunday lunch with an excellent presented and cooked meal with no hassle, just enjoy. The standard of facilities, cleanliness and helpfulness is second to none and will certainly recommend and return. We did not have enough time to explore all that this region has to offer. Thank you again for your hospitality and if I were awarding stars you would get at least 5."
Marie & Weston (Charente, France)
April 2018
"A lovely cottage and beautiful gardens, very relaxing. Maureen is a wonderful cook, presents it so well, beats a restaurant any time! We had a lovely holiday here with hosts who know when to come and when to leave you alone.
Ann and Tony (North Yorkshire, UK)
22nd September 2017
Maureen’s comment: Ann and Tony took advantage of the catering I offer and along with friends had two evening meals - exactly what holidays are all about? The catering menu is on this website.
"When we look back at our (long) holiday at les Deux Platanes, we will fondly remember:
- The wonderful garden
- A lovely restful holiday
- Maureen and John who have been helpful, friendly and discreet.
May and Mike (North Bedfordshire, UK)
9th September 2017
Maureen’s comment: May and Mike were here for 4 relaxing weeks though August and really enjoyed the rural life, atmosphere and location. They made the most of the cottage garden which we have once again entered into the regional competition, fingers crossed as we won 2nd prize in 2016.
"We have spent a lovely week at the gite and were blessed with wonderful weather. The gite is very well equipped and comfortable giving us the perfect base from which to explore the region. Maureen and John are great hosts helpful when needed and discreet when not. We loved Maureen's suggestion of going to the 'brocante' which had 450 stalls - most entertaining!"
Gill & Brian (Sheffield, UK)
5th August 2017
Extract from John and Janet’s lovely comments taken from our cottage guest book:
"It was a happy day when we found your wonderful gite on the website with it’s wonderful rural setting. You set out to exceed expectations at ‘Les Deux Platanes’ and you have certainly succeeded. With Maureen’s superb cooking and knowledge of the area and John’s assistance with the minor problem with the MG, thank you both.
The region has been a revelation to us, producing so many sights, sounds and tastes during our two week stay."
John and Janet Day (UK)
22nd July 2017
Maureen’s comment: We discovered that John and Janet know France very well so it was nice to introduce them to the delights of this area.
They also gave some excellent recommendations for place to visit in the comments they left in our visitor’s book. They even discovered a local chateau that we have not been to and managed to arrange a personal tour in English from the guide.
"We have had a very comfortable and relaxed week. The area is very beautiful and local people so friendly. The cottage is cosy and very well equipped. The garden is lovely and we enjoyed our meal. Also thank you for inviting us to the medieval banquet it was fantastic."
Rosanna and Doug (UK)
June 2017
Maureen's note: Rosanna and Doug arrived on the weekend of the Franco-Ecossaise fete and we all attended the banquet on Saturday evening.
"Nous vous remercions pour votre accueil chaleureux. Gite agieable, comfortable et tres bien equipe, situe dans un petit coin bien reposant. A recommender !! merci pour votre hospitalite."
Les Normands
Translates as:
"Thank you for your warm welcome. Gite agreeable, comfortable and very well equipped, located in a small country corner, very restful. We recommend !! Thank you for your hospitality."
The Normands
May 2017 (Four French guests from Normandy)
Maureen's note: Our four guests had wonderful weather, 28°C plus most days so took advantage of the shade under the tall plane trees in the cottage garden. They appreciated a visit to the Beauval Zoo and Loches plus barbecues late into the evening listening to birdsong and admiring the wonderful starlit night sky.
"What more can we say! We have had a wonderful week with our granddaughters at your place. You were so kind we had a very good breakfast, a marvellous apero with our family – everything was there! We feel very spoiled, a real holiday!!! Even the weather could not have been better. Thank you very much."
Hanneke and Mark (Holland)
"It is a very nice house with a cosy atmosphere, the garden is fantastic thank you for the nice week."
Sophia (aged 11yrs)
"Thank you very much for the week, I enjoyed being able to feed the animals."
Evita (aged 9 yrs)
19th August 2016
Maureen's note: Hanneke and Mark are from Holland and have relations living in this area who produce saffron. This week John was looking after the ducks, chickens and sheep for a neighbour so the girls were able to help feed the animals every day and collect some nice fresh eggs for breakfast. One evening the local relations came to visit and I made a variety of apero’s as a dinner.
"After 30 years of gite holidays this place gets our vote as the cleanest and with the most helpful and kind owners. John & Maureen could not have been more helpful - unobtrusive, but there when needed. We used it as a base to 'chill out' and the well kept garden was perfect for what we required."
Mike & Karyn (Gloucestershire, UK)
6th August 2016
"The cottage proved to be ideal for our family holiday with four adults and a small baby. The cottage was cosy on the chilly days and cool on the very hot days, (thanks to traditional construction, John). The pretty garden was much enjoyed on lazy days and the surrounding countryside and villages had some interesting history. Thank you to Maureen and John for help and advice on all aspects of our holiday. The European festival weekend was a pleasant surprise and we much enjoyed the village and the meal with the locals."
Liz, Alan, Emily, Nick and baby Thomas
23rd July 2016
Maureen's note: We were pleased you found the garden ideal for the baby with lots of shade under the two large trees especially welcome on very hot days. Alan managed to enjoy some painting but as always with holidays time passes quickly.
"We have enjoyed our week here in mainly sunny and hot weather. very comfortable accommodation in a traditional cottage sited in a pleasant rural hamlet. Surrounding area "rolling" countryside very suitable for us aged cyclists. We also had a lovely meal (via Maureen) and not forgetting the taxi service."
John and Margaret
9th July 2016
"Thank you John and Maureen for making us so welcome. We have really enjoyed our week in your clean, well equipped and cosy gite. We have visited some lovely and interesting places in the area and if we return on this area in the future we know where to stay."
Milly and Ian (Cheshire, UK)
June 2016
"What a beautifully presented and spotlessly clean cottage to arrive to after our long journey. Thank you John & Maureen for your work and for the advice and information you have given us. We really have enjoyed exploring the area."
Eileen and David (Northern Cyprus)
April 2016
"A big, big thank you to you both for all your help and information to make our stay in your lovely gite memorable. This is the best clean and equipped gite we have ever stayed in during our 40 odd years of gite holidays. Visits you must not miss are the Beauval zoo even better than San Diego and Adelaide, secondly what must be the best chateaux in this part of France plus beautiful gardens. Finally a big thank you for a wonderful meal on our arrival and thank you once again for a memorable holiday."
Annette and Don (Sussex, UK)
September 2015
Note from Maureen: Annette and Dons comment in our guest book also provides details of the many places they recommend for visits, the zoo is indeed brilliant as testified by our many guests.
"Thank you so much for a fantastic stay, we have loved relaxing here this week and Arlo (our 7 month old) has absolutely loved playing in the garden. It's a beautiful part of the world and we would love to come back someday."
Kate, Caleb and Arlo (UK)
August 2015
"We (Maggi, Cooper and Daniel) were welcomed very nicely by Maureen on our arrival. A USA door mat and DVD movie Independence Day were specially prepared for us as we entered the cottage (it was 4th July so we made a special effort - Maureen). This is a wonderful place to stay with great amenities. The Loire Valley is beautiful with castles and lovely villages - a lovely gite and a great time."
Daniel, Maggie and Cooper (Seattle, USA)
4th July 2015
"Temperatures over 30°c all week! Record temperatures made for a perfect holiday. Maureen and John offered excellent advice and the wine tour is highly recommended, going home with a few bottles."
Paul & Carol (Cambridge, UK)
June 2015
"If we had just stayed at the cottage it would have been a super holiday but with so many beautiful areas to north, east, south and west a week was hardly long enough. The d roads were a delight and so quiet. The best choice of the week was to enjoy Maureen's cooking on our first and last nights -n both excellent. A wonderful holiday."
Dick and Di (Suffolk, UK)
June 2015
"The gite was immaculate. Maureen was very helpful, we used Maureen's culinary skills on a couple of days, recommend the cock au vin and chocolate pave! We visited the Brenne park reserve and saw a range of wildlife including a snake. The local walks were wonderful. We also took the chauffeured wine tour with Maureen which was excellent and fun. There is plenty to do we will return to manage the things we missed."
Jackie, Mark, Nicola and Mike
April 2015
"We have spent a wonderful week here, wish we could stay longer. We found the gite cosy, warm and very clean. We have had a very relaxing time and hope to come again soon."
Rod & Tina (Leicestershire, UK)
April 2015
"Our third visit and what's left to say, we have had a relaxing holiday in this lovely area"
Malcolm & Barbara (Hampshire, UK)
September 2014
"We had a lovely time in your beautiful cottage - the nicest one we have ever stayed in. Our toddler loved the big garden and paddling pool. We loved the peace and quiet and lovely area"
Hannah, Stuart and Alex
September 2014
"Thank you once again for two weeks in your beautiful gite. We have really enjoyed our second year here exploring lots more sites including Chateaux and the wonderful Zoo Parc Beauval. The hospitality welcome pack was most welcome as we were late arriving"
Claire, Andy and Tom
August 2014
"Thank you John & Maureen for a great week in the gite. It is a lovely comfy place to stay and everything you can think of is here and more besides. Thank you once again for a truly relaxing week"
Karen, Ian, Daniel & Joshua (West Midlands)
August 2014
Maureen's note: Karen and the family wrote much more in our guest book, they were here during the village mechoui so they had a warm welcome and of course enjoyed the roast lamb and abundant wine in the evening.
"A most comfortable and pretty gite, the garden is delightful as is Poppy! One of the best places we have stayed in, John and Maureen are superb hosts. We hope your holiday is as enjoyable as the one we have had."
Ann and Ian (Leeds)
Chris and Ian (Cambridge)
July 2014
"We have had a very enjoyable an relaxed holiday with super weather and very genial hosts. It will be remembered by us as a haven of peace."
June & Keith (Somerset)
June 2014
"This is a pretty gite and it has been a pleasure to stay here. We have enjoyed borrowing the bikes and cycling locally. John & Maureen gave us some great advice about local activities. Much thought and effort has gone into the cottage and garden, thank you very much."
David & Elaine (Staffordshire)
May 2014
"The gite is incredibly well equipped and was a very warm and comfortable home for us for the week. We particularly liked the DVD collection and Maureen's cooking. I would just like to say thank you for making 'quality' one of your many hallmarks. Your gite is superbly presented, our arrival felt as though we were entering into a Disney fairy tale! The garden, the flowers, the décor, the colour scheme, everything blends to create a lovely oasis of rest for the world weary travellers. Our only regret is that we were not staying for two weeks."
Jonny & Louise (London and Northern Ireland)
October 2013
Thank you for a wonderful comment; it was a pleasure to meet you both. Maureen Hindhaugh
"We arrived on a quest to follow the story of Pearl Witherington, secret agent and resistance leader 'Paulette'. The cottage is very 'chic' and comfortable home - also good beds and showers!. Have had a wonderful rest and enjoyed the peace and quiet - using Wi-Fi connection to keep in touch with work and the outside world."
Peter & Carol (UK)
September 2013
Maureen's note: Peter & Carol wrote much more about the quest to follow Pearl and other information about the area in the cottage guest comments book.
"We have had a lovely relaxing stay in what is probably the best presented gite we have ever stayed in over the last 15 years. Maureen and John have been the perfect hosts."
Lesley and Mick (Washington, England)
September 2013
"Most Pleasurable stay - good food, wonderful hosts, we will surely meet again."
Stave, Jackie, David and Susan
July 2013
"Another fabulous holiday. Gite is lovely it was a shame we had to go home."
Mike and Carole
June 2013
"Our first visit to the Loire region of France and we have found it 'tres interessant', A big thank you to our hosts John & Maureen, nothing was too much trouble and the gite was beautifully equipped. The pre-cooked meal of Coq au vin & fruit tartlets was delicious - so nice to be waited on!"
Pat and Alan Jackson (Cumbria)
June 2013
"A wonderful introduction to France, thank you John & Maureen for making us so welcome."
Alister & Josie
May 2013
"3 weeks holiday in France! Our first stay in a gite, and what a fantastic French cottage. Everything we had wished / hoped for and more. Peace, quiet, tranquillity and little Jake (10 months old). He loved it... especially the space in the garden. Blissful afternoons spent relaxing in the garden and the zoo at St Aignan is amazing."
Russ & Claire + Jake!
September 2012
"Arrived late Sunday evening after a hectic family wedding and WOW, an oasis of tranquillity. Superb accommodation, most relaxing and helpful, but unobtrusive.
Thankyou!"
Pauline & John - aka Bradley Wiggins
August 2012
"From the day we arrived, to this, our departure, we have had the most wonderful time here at Les Deux Platanes. The local area is an ideal location for those whose interest in historic studies, recreation / bird watching, but more over for those with an interest in more consumable products - food & wine. If you get the chance ask Maureen to guide you on her tour of local vineyards, including a typical lunch and you will not be disappointed."
Richie & Claire (Chatham, Kent)
Mike & Roe (Wimbledon, London)
August 2012
"What can we say about this lovely cottage and garden! It lacks for nothing, beds are comfortable, beautifully decorated and everything one could need can be found. Driving on the 'D' roads is a delight and fields of sunflowers everywhere - beautiful."
Isabel & Jean (County Durham, UK)
July 2012
"We have had a lovely relaxing week at Les Deux Platanes. The gite and its wonderful garden are a perfect environment for chilling out. We have made good use of the bikes which enabled us to explore the surrounding countryside and lots of lovely little villages. This has been a real plus for us. John and Maureen have been excellent hosts and we cannot praise Maureen's cooking enough ( ** There is a menu on the website and in the gite so you can reserve an evening meal if you so wish). We can recommend the visit to the vineyards which was interesting and also an opportunity to buy good wine at reasonable prices. Loches market is also worth a visit."
Paul & Wendy
July 2012
"We have enjoyed the wildflowers, butterflys and birdsong on our many walks along the lanes and local tracks. We intend to return!"
Malcolm & Barbara (Hampshire)
June 2012
"Despite 'under par' weather the gite has given us a great week. Charming gite, charming area and topped by your hospitality - thankyou."
Gill & Trevor (Middlesbourgh)
NB: Nice Morgan plus 4!!!! (John)
June 2012
"We had a fantastic time, the cottage is beautiful and the area around peaceful. The children had a fantastic holiday and loved playing with Poppy."
Ronald, Tiana, Micah & Riana (London)
June 2012
"We are two couples from Brisbane Australia. It was a real delight to stay in this beautifully restored cottage of the traditional Berry style. As well as a lovely place to stay, it proved an excellent base for the places of interest in the area. We will certainly recommend Les Deux Platanes to anyone wanting to stay in this region."
Carol & Geoff, Noel & Marie (Brisbane Australia)
April 2012
"I genuinely don't think I have ever enjoyed a holiday more. Your gite is beautifuly renovated, spotlessly clean and tremendously well equipped. So much to do and an idyllic place to stay home."
Helen
"After a long drive the gite was a welcome sight but the inside blew us away! It was beautiful. It is so peaceful that we looked forward to coming 'home' each day."
Angela, Robert, Joe and Barry
"Another wonderful week in the nicest gite we have stayed at in France. It was always relaxing to come back to this well equipped and comfortable house after a days sightseeing, or just lounging around. The gite was spotlessly clean."
Catherine and Tony (Blackburn, UK)
(See French area of the website for comments from our French guests)