The other 2 bedrooms are twin beds with fitted wardrobes and drawers to match. As well as curtains each bedroom also has a security blind to keep the rooms dark and cool whilst you’re sunning yourself at the beach or pool, and helps to keep out any pesky insects who might fancy a bite in the evening.
The main bathroom is spacious and contains the normal loo, washbasin and a fully enclosed shower, and there is also a second separate bathroom (a must for growing families) which contains a loo and washbasin and also houses a washing machine.
The living area comfortably seats 6 and we have an extending glass top table and chairs which can also accommodate six people very easily, but 8 at a push with the extra folding chairs we have provided. The main sofa folds out to provide an additional double bed which takes the sleeping capacity to 8. The living area also includes a TV, DVD player and basic Satellite receiver.
The kitchen is open plan and adjoins the living area meaning Mum (or Dad) aren’t separated from the family whilst cooking. It is fully equipped with a full inventory of glasses, crockery and cutlery (yes, a bottle opener and a garlic press as well) and has a full oven and hob, double sink, a microwave oven, kettle, coffee maker and fitted fridge/freezer and a huge array of cupboard space.
Outside you will find a generous covered decking area, with BBQ and a full set of garden patio furniture and 2 sun loungers. We have a dedicated parking area for one car next to the home. Please note any other cars must be parked in the main car park. Also provided is a folding portable washing line.
We provide 2 UK plug adapters for your own bits and pieces.
The home is fed by mains gas, so there is no need to change any bottle, nor need you worry about the gas running out in the middle of cooking or even worse, showering.
We provide the duvets and pillows but you will need to provide bed linen and towels. However, you can hire these from the reception area to save on luggage.
La Carabasse
La Carabasse is regarded widely as Siblu’s flagship holiday park and is located on the road to Vias Plage on the outskirts of the small, typically French town of Vias-sur-Mer. It is approximately 5 miles from the town of Agde and its associated beach resort Cap D’Agde, and about 12 miles from the bustling town of Beziers.
The site is ideal for all ages and caters brilliantly for children from babies to teenagers. There is something for everyone here. Facilities include Children’s Clubs for different age groups up to 14 as well as a service that will cater for the under-4 group as long as a parent is with the child.
The park has a huge swimming complex which includes a 4 –lane waterslide and a water chute, as well as a huge main pool, a children’s pool and a separate toddler’s paddling pool. There are always poolside activities during the high season, from Aquarobics and Legs, Bums and Tums sessions to Water Polo. The pool area is always patrolled by at least 8 or 9 fully qualified lifeguards.
The pool area is also the home of L’Archipel, which hosts a takeaway, a bar, a games area including pool tables and table tennis as well as the main stage for the evening family based entertainment. It also hosted this years “Foam Parties” for the eternal ravers out there! Access to the pool area is controlled via “Fun Passes” which customers can buy from the reception area for a small charge. Please note that during the high season the pool is open from 09:00 until 20:00, but outside of the high season this may be reduced. The passes also control access to other facilities in order to ensure non-residents don’t use them.
Other features of the park include a multi-sports area with running track, all-weather football pitch, basketball and a children’s play area. There is also a dedicated Boules area and competitions are held daily during the mid and high seasons…be warned the French are very good at this game! The park has 2 on-site Launderette’s, and there’s a fabulous one just up the road that does superb service washes as well. An on-site mini-supermarket with its own Butchers, Greengrocer and Bakery can provide virtually everything you need to keep supplies topped up, although the local Intermarche and Leaderprice stores offer better value for the bigger shopping runs.
Also at La Carabasse, as well as L’Archipel by the pool, there is the colourful L’Atoll at the front of the site which is a quieter bar with full Satellite TV, games area and Internet Access area. Be warned though, if the weather is bad then the entertainment from l’Archipel often moves to this bar as it is under cover. Immediately adjacent to L’Atoll is the on-site restaurant which serves a wide range of different dishes, as well as providing an excellent take-way Pizza service.
Although the site is large, the layout means it is much quieter than might be expected. All the different areas are well landscaped and particular care is taken to ensure the site is always clean and tidy. All the main bins are now located behind the Atoll bar but this is a 5 minute walk at most from where we are.
The rear of the site has a gateway to a sandy footpath running alongside a stream that takes you down to the beach away from the traffic and shops. The nearby beaches are an almost endless cove of sand and the sea shelves gently here so it’s suitable for the experienced and inexperienced swimmer. The other route to the beach is out of the main entrance and through “The Strip”, a higgledy-piggledy array of bars, restaurants and shops on a small 2-way street.
The park is barrier controlled and we will supply the code before you leave.
Other things to note:
Please also note that only one car can be parked by the home, any others will have to be parked out in the main car park at the front of the site.
Please note the facilities on the park operate from 15/4 until 15/9 after which they may be closed or operating on reduced hours. To use the pool and kids clubs you will need to buy a ‘fun pass’ from reception. We DO NOT INCLUDE this in the price as it is your choice as to whether these facilities are something you wish to make use of.
There is some noise from the pool area at night but this normally finishes at midnight and they are quite strict about this. This also means that any holidaymakers are also expected to tone the noise down from midnight. Occasionally you will still be able to hear some noise from the Europarc Amusement Park up the road, or from neighbouring camp sites. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do about this, but the double glazing can muffle the noise and the air-con will make sure you keep cool!
During May the pollen count can get very high, so hay fever sufferers will need to ensure they have some anti-histamines with them. If not, then the local pharmacies can supply everything you’d find in the UK and more.
La Carabasse does not accept tents or touring caravans.
The Local Area
The local area is buzzing with things to do. Opposite the park there is the Domain St. Pierre vineyard and you can take a tour of their Caves du Vin. Be warned…the proprietor is only too happy to let you taste everything he has which can make the walk back interesting! As a sideline you can also buy locally grown fresh fruit and veg from outside the gates and believe me it tastes like food used to! The Strip has a host of places to eat, ice-cream bars, take-aways, cocktail bars and gift shops, as well as hosting the French equivalent of 7-11, called the 8 ‘til 8 and ironically only open until 7! There’s also a Spar nearby, plus during the high season an ATM is available opposite the site or outside the 8 ‘til 8.
The Strip is the main road to the beach and can get busy with traffic from visitors to the beach – it is only a typical two-way street but it can get a little congested in the evenings and morning as people arrive or depart. As you head into Vias there is the Europarc Amusement Park with its array of white knuckle rides and softer stuff for the more cowardly. During high season Europarc also puts on a huge Firework display every Friday night.
In Vias town centre there is a town square which is also a nice place to go for a meal or drink and this area also hosts the local twice weekly market. We can recommend the jointly named Café de France/Shenanigans, especially if you want to watch live televised sport such as the Premier League. You can hire bikes from the centre of Vias. Just before Vias is the picturesque Canal Du Midi. From here you can walk or cycle comfortably along the towpath to Agde, passing under the Pont de Trois Yeux and ending up at the Round Lock. Go the other way and eventually you’ll end up in Beziers. Although this is a longer journey, there are some nice places to eat and drink along the canal. You can walk, cycle or drive to nearby Agde, with its weekly market and its lovely riverside restaurants. To be honest the area is mostly flat and so cycling is a real pleasure for all levels of fitness and competence. The French love their cycling and hence it is a very much safer pastime than in parts of the UK.
During the high season Agde often hosts water-jousting, firework displays and other evening entertainments, and Beziers can also do a mean turn of entertainments as well. A short distance away is the bustling beach resort of Cap D’Agde, with its world famous naturist beach, which is Europe’s biggest and easy to stumble on by accident which could be either a nice surprise or a sudden shock.
Slightly further away you can visit the lovely city of Montpellier, or the medieval walled city of Carcassonne (where Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves was filmed), which is a great day out. We also highly recommend a visit to Sete if you like fresh fish restaurants. An hours journey to the north and you can visit the spectacular Millau Bridge and have a picnic whilst gazing across the amazing views of the Massif Central.
For golfers, you can play either at Golf St. Thomas near Beziers which offers a discount for La Carabasse pass holders, or at the course in Agde which doesn’t offer a discount. Both are lovely courses and both will hire equipment. Montpellier International golf Course is about 30 minutes drive away and as you’d expect from a Championship course is the dearest of the lot. I’ve not played it but it’s meant to be superb. There is nearby sea-fishing available and coarse fishing is also available at several nearby lakes and of course, the Canal du Midi.
The whole area has many places to visit and things to do and you can get all the up to date information from the on-site tourist office or the bigger one by Europarc.
The T’s & C’s bit
At the time we accept the booking a 40% deposit is required, along with a £100 refundable damage deposit. The full payment for the holiday must be paid 6 weeks before the arrival date. The cost of cleaning is included in the price and as long as the cleaners report everything was OK then you’ll get your damage deposit back in one piece. Keep the van in one piece and we’ll keep your money intact!
Now, if the booking is made within 6 weeks of the required date, assuming the home is available then we’ll need the full amount there and then. If there’s any further information you need then we’ll send it with the confirmation of the booking. Should you decide to pull out more than 6 weeks before the due arrival date then we will refund 20% of the deposit, and if you cancel within 6 weeks then we’ll refund nothing, zilch, diddley squat, zero! We will return the damage deposit in either case though on the sensible maxim that you didn’t go and therefore no damage occurred.
The earliest time for occupation is 15:00 on the day of arrival, and the latest time for departure is 10:00 – although we may be flexible on this depending on circumstances and how the cleaners feel about it. Keep them sweet and it might not be an issue. Either way the absolute latest time has to be midday to make sure it’s ready for us, or the next group. That seems fair to us.
Arrival/departure day is Saturday as a rule, but please ask as we can change this if the home is not occupied.
The high season is generally between June and the beginning of September, and the facilities such as the pool, bars and restaurants are open from 15th April until 15th September. During the high season everything on the site is open. Outside of that the mini-supermarket times can vary, the bar opening and closing times might be different and the pool opening hours restricted. To be honest, they seem to call it as they see it at the time but it’s their site so they can do as they please I suppose. The site itself is open from March 15th until October 15th so if you’re not bothered by the lack of facilities open then this may be a good time for you. The site is very peaceful outside of the school holiday periods.
You can use a barbecue from roughly June 15th onwards, but please check with the reception at the time.
Finally – we’re renting this home to you on the understanding that you’ll be a decent bunch of people who will take good care of the home, leaving it clean when you leave and reporting any breakages as soon as you can. We’ll also expect that you’ll respect our neighbours and their homes and not be a rowdy bunch of hooligans tearing the place up and vandalising things. We’ve covered most of the rules of the park here and we will make sure an updated list of rules is available in the home as part of the welcome folder. Generally we just want nice families who want a relaxing break in the sun at a place where everyone can find something to enjoy.
Sadly, we will not accept bookings from all-male or all female parties irrespective of age!
