Le Parc aux Orchidées

The botanical garden is lush, and the place is a quiet getaway. The rooms are pretty rudimentary, though. Even with the terrace, our personal space was probably 15m2. The house threatens a €30 cleaning charge if the place isn’t left spotless. Washing dishes, collecting towels, and putting rubbish in the bin all seemed fair, but having to carry the rubbish bags outside the Parc when leaving went too far. Who wants to handle a dirty bag on the way out? The pool is almost entirely in the shade and glacial. The jacuzzi was underwhelming, too. The setup for the excellent massages and treatments is ideal, but the masseuses are independent, and the jacuzzi is the only “treatment” provided by the house. Hot water in the Parc is also in short supply. Keep in mind that the neighbourhood is dead on Sundays and Mondays if you like eating out.

We’d definitely come back. The owners are super friendly, and our bungalow was quite spacious and comfortable. After a day exploring the island, the pool and spa were a treat. The luxuriant garden, with its beautiful orchids and lovely pond, made the setting especially relaxing and quiet. Wonderful vacation!

Getting a massage out in nature was a relaxing, unique experience, and the hospitality was great. I did have a few issues: there was no warm water for rinsing before the jacuzzi, the deep tissue massage I asked for wasn’t exactly deep tissue, and the wind made me a little cold while I was getting the massage in the treehouse.

We had a superb stay in the middle of a beautiful jungle garden. Arnaud and his wife did everything they could to make our holiday unforgettable, and Arnaud makes the best 'Planteur'. He also speaks English well. The location is very good, just a few minutes’ drive from lovely Ferry Beach, and another 10 minutes from Dehaies, de village where the crime series Death in Paradise is shot.