La Bastiane

After a month in France, we were heading north from a place near St.Tropez where I've spent most of my trip for the past 6 years. We had planned to make the return gradually, but had to leave early because of a private matter. In the update, the site assumed we'd booked the wrong place because we arrived with a jet ski. That response says plenty about the customer service. We'd booked three nights and called with 24 hours' notice to explain we could only stay one. At the office the next morning, they flatly refused to refund the other two, even though they weren't full. The pitches felt unmanaged and rustic; ours was covered in logs and branches that I had to shift before setting up, like camping in an unkept forest. There were mosquitoes everywhere. People were covered in bites, and sitting outside at night was impossible. Candles and sprays made no difference. The closest wash block had only two showers, so from 4 to 7 the lines were ridiculous. The other blocks were at the far end of the park, with waits of around 30 minutes there too. The pool was packed during the French summer holidays, with barely room to stand. Kids jumped from the lifeguard platform onto people trying to get by, despite signs saying not to jump or dive. The lifeguards seemed more occupied with showing off and flirting with 15-year-old girls than watching pool safety. Restaurant service was very slow, and the young staff seemed unsure what they were doing. Alex was the only helpful staff member I encountered. I've stayed at several Yelloh villages and usually found the staff accommodating. That wasn't my experience here. I'm glad to say I won't return, and would advise people to avoid it if they don't want bites, kids jumping all over them, poor service, and staff who don't seem to care.

The nearest town is a bit far, so having a car is necessary. The place has been recently refurbished, and everything feels first-rate and incredibly clean. The accommodation is great, the pool is lovely, and the staff are friendly and helpful.

The biggest issue for us was the evening entertainment. It was very loud from 21:15 to 23:00 every night, and the bass carried badly. With small children, an early bedtime wasn't possible, and we couldn't understand why it needed to go on so late or be so loud. Aside from that, this is a small, fairly private campsite with a lovely, fairly new pool. The staff are friendly, and there's fresh bread each morning. It's well placed for exploring the cote d’azur. The caravans could have been cleaner for the 95 euros we paid for cleaning, and the bedrooms are really tiny.

We had a fantastic two weeks in a Barbades mobile home at La Bastiane. The bedrooms were a little small, but the generous terrace and garden made up for that. The home itself was very well equipped. It's a peaceful, small holiday village, well run and suited to anyone looking for some rest. It's also a good base for seeing the Cote d'Azur, though traffic can be rough. We highly recommend it.