FARM STAY PLANET

Ystumgwern is a friendly organic farm stay in Snowdonia, North Wales, offering luxury self catering accommodation in converted barns around a renovated 15th-century traditional stone farmhouse. It is very near the golden beaches of the Cambrian coast and within the boundaries of the spectacular Snowdonia National Park. THE ACCOMMODATION: It has a range of stylish self catering converted barns that can fit up to five people per unit. They are all fully central heated, all have their own private entrance, a lounge & dining area with TV and DVD player, varying numbers of bedrooms and bathrooms, and a modern kitchen. There is a children’s play area and games room at the farmhouse with a pool table, tables tennis and plenty of games for kids. THE FARM: The farm is a very large, working organic farm with flocks of sheep and some goats. It has a full 1,000 acres of farmland in a lovely setting overlooking the sandy beaches of the Cambrian coast. THE LOCATION: The location is simply wonderful; it has the Snowdonia National Park and its rugged mountains and valleys to the east and north; undoubtedly some of Britain’s best scenery, and very much a nature lovers paradise with plenty of trails of varying degrees of difficulty for hiking and mountain biking. The Rhinog mountain range is the nearest mountain range to the farmstay, there you can lose yourself in some spectacular terrain; visit Cwm Bychan with its peaceful lake and Roman Steps, or the rocky mountains around Cwm Nantcol with some beautiful waterfalls and quiet woodland full of undisturbed wildlife. The Snowdonia Mountain Railway comes highly recommended. It is a relaxing train ride that runs through some really jaw dropping scenery around the mountains and high above the valleys. To the south and west of the farmstay there is a fantastic ten mile stretch of beach that runs between the pretty towns of Harlech and Barmouth. Harlech has much history and is famous for its impressive hilltop castle and is also the site of the Royal St. David’s golf course. Barmouth has a lovely setting overlooking Cardigan Bay on the estuary of the River Mawddach and both it and Harlech READ MORE

A very highly recommended agroturismo vineyard hotel near Porto in Portugal’s Vinho Verde-Douro Valley wine region, Agroturismo Pousadela offers a tremendous rural holiday experience: It’s in a beautiful setting with over 60 acres of vineyards and lots of hiking trails around the surrounding hills and forests, and the accommodation, the food and the service are all very much top class. THE ACCOMMODATION: They have a range of accommodation in renovated traditional cottages around the grounds of the farm to sleep up to six guests. All their cottages are stylish and comfortable, and all have a well equipped kitchen and a lounge area with flat screen TV. Outside each there is a patio area with outdoor seating, plus you’ll have loads of outdoor space to explore or to relax in; the large vineyard of course but also terraced areas and the well tended lawns and gardens which also contain an outdoor swimming pool. The accommodation is self catering but breakfast is also included in the rate. It is served at the restaurant in the main farmhouse which is also open for other meals throughout the day. The food here is famously good and have a variety of traditional Portuguese dishes to be sampled. It is a vineyard obviously so you can enjoy some of their very own wines or wines from other Douro Valley producers at the restaurant all day too. They also have a shop at the farmhouse where you can also buy the wine as well as some other nice local food specialities, and of course staple foods to cook with while staying at the property. THE VINEYARD: There is a full 60 acres of vineyard, as well as numerous marked trails for walking, running and biking through the property and the surrounding hills and forests to be explored. They produce their own classic Vinho Verde and Douro Valley wines which you can sample for very reasonable prices at the farmhouse restaurant. They can arrange tasting sessions for guests too, and informative tours of the extensive vineyards. THE LOCATION: The agroturismo is less than an hour from the city of Porto and its international airport, (there is a shuttle READ MORE

Just outside Franschhoek, South Africa, and about 45 km from Cape Town international airport, this luxury vineyard stay has a selection of spacious, very comfortable suites and chalets in a boutique, award winning winery. All have flat-screen TV and WiFi and private bathroom with bath. And you’ll also find a seating area and terrace or patio in certain rooms. It being a winery, the main theme is wine; red grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz), and some Chardonnay, their highly rated Blanc de Blanc MCC for example, and tours and tasting sessions can of course be arranged. The surrounding valley too is great to explore and rightly popular for golfing, hiking and cycling. WHAT OTHER GUESTS SAY: “The location is beautiful with views over the vineyards and the mountains in the background. At night you can sit outside, watch the starts and have a braai (bbq). The room was clean, modern and great value for money. The bed was especially comfortable and I wish we could have stayed longer….” “You won’t want to leave! Stunning, spacious cottage with incredible views of the vineyards and mountains. Lovely to watch the sunset from the patio with a glass of wine. Would definitely visit again!…” >> CLICK HERE TO READ MORE REVIEWS & TO BOOK YOUR STAY AT TOPIARY WINERY:   READ MORE

Agriturismo Antichi Granai is a scenic rural retreat between Palermo and Trapani in the depths of rural west Sicily. The hillside accommodation is that of a stylish and minimalist, traditional Sicilian farmhouse, the food is excellent, as is the homemade Nero d’Avola wine, and the hosts are enthusiastic, warm and welcoming. THE ACCOMMODATION: The have a choice of rooms and suites to sleep up to in the rustic farmhouse which dates back to the early 1900s. All  of them are spacious and clean and come private bathroom, WiFi, air-con, central heating and lovely views of the surrounding countryside. Outside there are terrace and garden areas which are beautifully designed and maintained with plenty of lounging and al fresco dining space. There is a swimming pool in the gardens too and all around you can enjoy the same lovely views. There is a large working farm here too of course which you are more than welcome to take a look around, and do some horseback riding too. If you so wish, you can also join in some of the activities; harvesting the olives or wheat for example, or helping to collect some of the great array of vegetables and fruit which go in to the fine food at the farmhouse restaurant. THE LOCATION: Though just over an hour from Palermo and roughly half that from Trapani this agriturismo feels very much in the middle of nowhere. From its hilltop setting you have really tremendous views over the miles and miles of rolling hills that surround. There is barely a hint of urbanization in these parts with the exception of the picturesque little town of Calatafimi Segesta, so it will doubtless be a welcome break for many, especially if they’ve just arrived from Palermo. As a result it’s startlingly quiet and peaceful, with the stars at night appearing as bright as you can ever imagine. So it might be a place to relax but there is still a lot to do and see locally and the hospitable agriturismo owners can arrange all sorts of tours and excursions for you. You can arrange day trips to the city of Trapani, and to its surrounding, READ MORE