Mas du Versadou

Second time we have visited the Mas du Versadou, and it is definetly some place I would come back again next years. We were at the Celliers, a big appartment with 3 rooms for up to 6 people. Beds were comfortable and big enough (I measure close to 2 m tall). The kitchen has everything we needed and the couch was great ! The bathroom were enough for the 6 of us. Everything was really cleaned up for a big place like this one. Coming to the Mas you would be in an old farm, with little objects here and there that tells a lot about its history. If you are in the celliers ask about what are those things you can see on the ceilings, you would be amazed. The owner is making a huge effort every year to improve the surroundings and the apartment. Yes it's true they are mosquitoes, but not as much as in the rest of the Camargue. Believe me, I have seen worst. And every time I was there, there were none. The place is at the entrance of the Camargue, which means you can go anywhere in no time. Or enjoy some walks here and there, ask the owner for advices, they do know what they are talking about. I would tell that you can enjoy Nimes, Aigues-mortes or Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in under 15-30min by car whilst being far from really heavy touristic areas. The Mas' location is really calm and refreshing. You can enjoy the place for vacation and leisure with : - 1 exterior pool near the pond - 1 heated interior pool & jacuzzi under the geodesic dome (it's like the tropics under it) - 1 secret hidden pool for only one special apartment (I could have a glance of it, and it will be the next apartment I would try in the Mas) - Table tennis or biliards Or you can plan for a big events (marriage, anniversary...) like we have done. It was really cost effectiv and with so much value from the owner and his team. I am thinking of bringing my company in for future seminars (they are going to bring ultra fast internet connection by satellite). Yeah his team : 3 really enjoyable cats ! They will be glad to get a scratch under the chin (that's the secret to have them by your side any time).

Beautiful structure immersed in nature. Not far from Arles and Saintes Maries de la Mer. Very well-kept garden, there is an outdoor pool and also a covered one, usable all year round. The owners were always present and kind (merci poir le bas Armagnac 😘)

A step up from camping? Possibly… We visited early July and left early. Between the roasting 1st floor bedrooms with no fans or air con, 1 tiny bathroom between 5 of us and 1 toilet with no ventilation, to decor that felt like a melange of uncomfortable oriental op shop (beds too short for my 6ft husband and son), flea market “finds” and other make shift decor we had to leave early or risk family implosion during a hot week in early July. Apparently in France you use dish wash liquid in place of hand soap. Hard to believe in the region of L’Occitane. No hand wash in the bathroom, no shampoo or body wash, byo toilet paper, no coffee (!!), and pool towels were a stretch. Fly spray and mosquito repellent should be mandatory swamp side. Bring your own - per person - plus the above list. Our “apartment” was 20m from a swamp/wetland, and while the cacophony of frogs was 90% reduced with heavy duty ear plugs, the bird scare boom (or whatever the hell it was) that went off every 30seconds to 2 minutes ALL NIGHT EVERY NIGHT, left us all sleep deprived and ratty when we finally slept around 5am and woke sweating around 10am. The only positives at Mas du Versadou were the resident animals and the pool. The duck Charles wagged his tail, the chicken Catherine hovered at mealtimes, 2 cats Ouzo and ? (their work cut out 🐭) cruised in and out, the otter made an appearance and there were several baby bats the kids rescued from our apartment and took outside. The pool was a saving grace and we gave it 4 stars instead of 5 mainly because we had to scoop out the dead frogs each morning and there was creeping mould that the automatic vacuum hadn’t seen…possibly since last summer. This place definitely has potential. Starting with filling the many driveway potholes, getting a trained hospitality person to welcome you warmly (regardless of the hour), at least a weekly linen change (!!), daily apartment “straighten” including rubbish removal, sound proof walls, some basic white washed furniture tipping the hat to French Provincial (when in Rome!), water blasting the decks, cleaning the windows….actually water blasting everything. It all felt grimy. Mouse droppings on the stove and having to wash cutlery, crockery and cookware from the previous guests. Ick! A bar fridge also did not suffice for 5 of us in the self contained unit. Instead of a relaxing week in the Carmargue we left early (did I mention already?) sleep deprived, mosquito bitten and feeling filthy. Still waiting for a response to our request for a partial refund…but in the meantime we’ll settle for a review that may aid any would-be guests anticipating hospitality or amenities.