This is the third article about our road trip in the Vienne department (86). In a first article, I invited you to discover the cultural side of the Vienne, in another the nature and wildlife of the Vienne, and this time I am taking you on more unusual paths, to discover some slightly different accommodations…
On the agenda, we tested 3 places offering unusual accommodations in the Vienne: we spent a night in a lodge in the woods at the Parc de la Belle, a night in a gypsy caravan at Défi Planet, and finally a night in a floating cabin at Pressac.
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Table of Contents
Le Parc de la Belle
This park, which spans 12 hectares around a 19th-century manor house, offers a selection of unusual accommodations in the heart of the forest with treehouses and lodges.
As for the park itself, you will find numerous varieties of plants and trees, a playground for children, and an adventure game (€12 or €10 per person) which consists of a riddle course on-site. You can also visit the park (€6 or €4) without staying there like we did.
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The Treehouse
Okay, I have to be honest with you: at first, I was supposed to sleep in a treehouse. As the great adventurer that I am (;p), and since I had already done it in a treehouse at Défi Planet (see below in the article) 2 years ago, I thought it would be fine… But actually, not at all…
So, no, I’m not afraid of heights, and yes, I think it’s really funny to sleep in trees. Unfortunately, the deal-breaker is that I’m arachnophobic… And spiders absolutely love being in trees and wooden dwellings…
During my stay in the trees at Défi Planet, it was fine because it was a house and not a cabin, so it was more sealed off. Here, despite the repellent that the park puts in the cabins, barely after arriving, within 5 minutes I came face-to-face with a big hairy black spider, and I knew I wasn’t up to the task…
Well, I know, I only saw one and maybe it was the only one in the cabin, but I was so panicked at the thought of seeing others that I preferred to give up…
Treehouses (between 4 and 14 meters high) with dry toilets and showers available nearby in the park (remember to bring your own towels) / starting at €99 per night for 2 people in low season and €119 in high season
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The Lodge on stilts
So we ended up in a magnificent Cocoon lodge and I didn’t regret my choice at all. These high-end wooden dwellings on stilts enjoy every possible comfort (there is even Wi-Fi access, the holy grail for a blogger) and undeniable charm with their individual terrace.
For the morning, you can book a breakfast (€7 per person) that is brought to the foot of our cabin or in front of our lodge.
Lodges on stilts (capacity between 4 and 6 people) / price per night €189 and €550 to €850 per week
For the evening, a menu with local products is also offered (€20 per person) and delivered directly to your lodge or cabin, which is super convenient, it must be admitted.
The tip: park guests can benefit from discounts for the Vallée des Singes (about 10 minutes away by car) that I told you about in a previous article, and for the Cormenier.
Parc de la Belle rue Anatole de Briey 86160 Magné
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The Floating Village of Pressac
In a setting identified as Natura 2000, the 6 hectares of the Ponteil pond have been home since 2014 to around twenty cabins, 4 floating grill restaurants, a floating terrace-bar, and a Nature interpretation center. The Floating Village of Pressac is a unique ecotourism experience in France in that sense.
For our part, we had a cabin in the middle of the pond (the Pine Island), so we climbed into our boat to try to reach it because, as you will see in the video below, the favorite photographer and I are very poor rowers… In short, after a lot of effort and struggle, we managed to reach our cabin on the water… Phew…
Well, I might as well tell you that once we were there, there was no way we were going for a ride until the next morning, we had struggled so much to reach it. So we really enjoyed this quiet moment to settle down (well, I tried…) and let ourselves be lulled by the lapping of the water.
For info (because I imagine some are wondering), the cabin is equipped with dry toilets… Yes, otherwise it wouldn’t be very nice for the fish…
We also ate in our little cabin with a hot meal basket from the Captain (€24/person) which was delivered to us by boat. Unfortunately, as it was a bit cold, we couldn’t enjoy our pretty terrace and we had dinner inside… In the same way, in the morning, a breakfast basket was delivered to us by boat on our private terrace (super, super convenient).
For cold nights (and that was our case in April), there is a small stove inside the cabin which proved very useful.
Village Flottant de Pressac Etang du Ponteil, 86460 Pressac Price of our duo cabin: between €109 and €130 per night for 2 people depending on dates
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A night in a gypsy caravan at Défi Planet
DéfiPlanet is very clearly a one-of-a-kind place. Created in 2008, the site, spread over 50 hectares including forests and ponds, is multifaceted. It offers numerous unusual accommodations, a nature park that is both fun and educational about preserving the planet, restaurants, a shop, and activities focused on sports (equestrian center, treetop adventure course, archery, mountain biking…) and nature and well-being (pool area, spa, sauna, hammam, hair salon, chromotherapy).
I had already been lucky enough in 2015 to spend a magical night in a treehouse (account of my experience here), and this time, for a change, we tested the gypsy caravan accommodation.
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The gypsy caravan
A lovely accommodation with every possible comfort (running water, toilet, shower, microwave, etc.) and a very charming little mezzanine bed.
The extra touch: in the morning, we found a basket in front of our caravan with our breakfast, left by the on-site baker. So charming!
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Le Chaudron des Farfadets
When I came in 2015, this restaurant offer was under construction at Défi Planet. However, there are other restaurants on the site (the Well-being restaurant, a snack bar near the entrance to the site, and the Plancha des Farfadets, a friendly table d’hôtes).
If you want to taste local products, I advise you to try the Ardoise du Poitou (€18.50) or the slice of Poitou Charentes lamb with mogettes (€17.50).
The tip: a plate of tapas is offered to all tables.
Price of dishes: between €10.50 and €18.50
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The Défi Planet trail
The DéfiPlanet’ Park offers a 25-hectare trail for raising awareness and education around the environment and sustainable development, aimed at children. This leisure park offers the chance to discover these themes through 5 villages of the world, as well as a forest path featuring information panels, interactive kiosks, and videos.
This trail (count on 3 hours with the family) is really ideal for children, as they will discover numerous animals from around the world, places with immersive experiences, and a passage through the treetops with a canopy walk 150 meters long.
Rates: €19 for adults / €13 for children / free for children under 5
The tip: for those who might be worried, there are toilets along the way…
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Rates (price order) for Défi Planet accommodations:
- Treehouses from €124 / night for 4 people
- Houses in the branches from €149 / night for 4 people
- Gypsy caravans from €99 / night for 5 people
- Fairy House from €185 / night for 10 people
- Mongolian Yurts €74 / night for 4 people
- Camping €21 / night for 2 people
The tip: even if you are not staying at DéfiPlanet, the site is accessible for free, notably the outdoor play areas for children. If you are passing through the area, do not hesitate to make a detour, if only to have a picnic or to enjoy the walking trails.
Défi Planet Domaine de Dienné 86410 Dienné open all year 7/7 (annual closure in January) from 9 am to 7 pm The park is located 25 minutes from Poitiers by car
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Our video of these unusual stays
New video (by Nicolas Diolez, my favorite photographer) for the blog that tries to convey the atmosphere of these unusual experiences and make you want to experience them yourself.
Do not hesitate to tell us what you think in the comments, and there are videos in all, or almost all, the articles of our stay in the Vienne!
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I hope that with all this, I have made you want to discover or rediscover the Vienne department, and if you also have your recommendations and good addresses for this department, do not hesitate to share them in the comments!
Find all my travel articles below:
⇒ All my articles on Nouvelle-Aquitaine
⇒ All my articles on the Vienne department
MY ARTICLES ON THE VIENNE
⇒ City guide to Poitiers
⇒ The Vienne, well-being and gourmet
⇒ The unusual Vienne
⇒ The nature and wildlife Vienne
⇒ The cultural Vienne
⇒ Le Futuroscope
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's authorization required before any use
