Our 200-Acre farm, La Vieille Cheminée, is close to the village of Chamarel, it is quite hilly and offers great views of the surrounding mountains and the sea. Accommodation is rustic, cozy and unsophisticated, in peaceful and natural surroundings. Part of the farm is under cultivation (Pineapples, citrus, palms, avocadoes, vegetables) the rest consists of natural forests and green spaces, ideal for horse rides and trekking. Our place is good for couples, solo adventurers, and families. The cottage on offer is called "La Cabane", and is one of only 6 units on our farm. It has 1 main bedroom with a double bed, and a smaller interleading bedroom with a single bed, ideal for a child up to 12 years old. Bedrooms are air conditioned, and have mosquito nets over both beds. In front is a spacious veranda, with a sofa bed, lounge and dining area, and an open fireplace. It opens onto a cosy private garden and has stunning views over the Chamarel countryside. The veranda can be closed up with drop-down rattan blinds. The cottage offers all the basic facilities to make your stay comfortable, including a fully equipped kitchen and barbecue facilities. There is a private parking just outside the gate leading to the cottage. Our 5 horses are an integral part of the farm life, and will often be seen wandering freely on the premises. They are calm, friendly, and will adapt to beginners as well as experienced riders. Trail walkers will find several trekking paths on the farm, from 2 to 6 km, with various levels of difficulty. They can also access the nearby Black River Gorges nature park, renowned for its spectacular trails. Golf enthusiasts have the choice of four spectacular 18-Hole golf courses, (Paradis, Bel Ombre, Tamarina and Avalon) all within 35 minutes drive. The famous Le Morne surfing, windsurfing and kite surfing spots are easily accessible within 20 minutes driving time. As you will be surrounded by nature and greenery, you may experience mosquitoes and other small insects, especially at sunset. (Mosquito repellents are provided in the cottage, and are on sale in our grocery store. All our beds are equipped with Mosquito nets).When you rent a cottage, it is all yours - there is no sharing with other guests. There is a small reception area near the stables, where you can enjoy complimentary tea and coffee, and have free access to internet. (NB: You can also rent a Wifi box if you need internet access in your cottage). About 5 minutes walk up the hill from reception is a kiosk with a small plunge pool and complimentary tea and coffee facilities, accessible to all guests - it offers spectacular views of Chamarel and the sea, and is a good spot to watch the sunset. We do not have a restaurant on the property, but our cottages have fully equipped kitchens and barbecues. We have a small grocery store at reception, open from 8.00 to 16.00, which can provide some basic foodstuffs and drinks (beers, wine, meat for barbecue, eggs etc..) You can also order fresh vegetables and salads from our vegetable garden. Our house maids can cook a meal for you (tasty local dishes) and stock it in your fridge, but the order needs to be placed the day before. Breakfast is brought to your cottage by the housemaid at a time that you prearrange with her, anytime between 7.00 and 10.30. There are several restaurants in the village of Chamarel (5 mn by car and 20 mn walking) but they are only open for lunch. If you wish to dine out you will have to go down the coast to either La Gaulette (15 mn driving) or Black River (25 mn driving) where there is a good choice of restaurants. As we only have 6 self-catering cottages and a small team, we do not provide 24-hour reception and PR facilities. Our 2 Admin ladies, Clotille and Christelle, are present from 8.00 to 16.00 daily on weekdays, and 8.00 to 12.00 on Saturdays, and are available to provide you with all information and services you may require. Outside of these hours, we provide phone numbers so that you can reach one of the ladies or myself for any urgent matter. A few days prior to your arrival, we will ask you for your arrival time and details so that we can organise for a staff member to be present, welcome you and show you to your cottage. We try to be as ecological as possible, so do not make use of chemical fertilisers, herbicides and insecticides, and do not burn any waste. We produce our own horse bedding from renewable forests on the farm, and the soiled bedding, to which we add mulched leaves and other recyclable waste, is converted into compost. We have an ongoing programme of replantation of endemic trees, especially the endangered species. We have so far planted about 1,000 trees around the farm. We would be happy to share these activities with our guests. As we only have 6 self-catering cottages and a small team, we do not provide 24-hour reception and PR facilities. Our 2 Admin ladies, Clotille and Christelle, are present from 8.00 to 16.00 daily on weekdays, and 8.00 to 14.00 on Saturdays, and are available to provide you with all information and services you may require. Outside of these hours, we provide phone numbers so that you can reach one of the ladies or myself for any urgent matter. A few days prior to your arrival, we will ask you for your arrival time and details so that we can organise for a staff member to be present, welcome you and show you to your cottage. For many years, Chamarel was a very isolated and forgotten village up in the south western mountains, the only activity of note being touristic excursions to the famous Coloured Earths. The village has since developed many touristic and agricultural activities, while retaining its original and genuine atmosphere. There are many small restaurants around the village, but open only for lunch. The village does tend to be very quiet at night. The main activities: - The Coloured Earths - Curious Corner - The Rhum factory and restaurant - Ebony Forest - Le Chamarel restaurant (good food and spectacular views) - Le Barbizon restaurant (Rico, the owner, is a flamboyant and interesting host) Public transport in Mauritius is cheap, but rather basic in quality and not very reliable - avoid it unless you are the adventurous type! There are buses going past the entrance to the farm 4 or 5 times per day, going either towards the village of Chamarel and on to Black River and Port Louis, or south towards the seaside villages of Baie du Cap and Bel Ombre. There are a few good private taxi operators in Chamarel, we can contact them on your behalf either for specific errands or for day excursions. Chamarel AND our farm being fairly isolated, we do advise you to rent a car - we can organise this service on your behalf - cars will be delivered and picked up at the farm, or at any other place of your convenience. It is possible to rent good quality trail bikes, normal or electrically assisted, from a very reliable service provider - he requires 24 hours notice. Bikes can be very useful to access the village and the beach, if you are not renting a car.