Top holiday homes for all the family

CV Travel has come up with a list of its top family villas and houses, selected from the company's worldwide collection of properties in Britain, Europe, the Caribbean, South America, South Africa, the Far East and Australasia. Among the choices are villas with nanny annexes, with separate pool areas, houses beside sandy beaches, with staff, baby-sitters, cooks and even a Moroccan palace with maids.

THAILAND

Family villa in Koh Samui,

This stunning and ostentatious villa is surrounded by extensive gardens, with shady trees and tropical plants, providing hiding places for kids and plenty of examples of outlandish insects and plants, though a wooden railing around the pool terrace stops younger children wandering too far. A nanny can be accommodated in the study, which also could double up as a playroom. Because of the scale of the house, with five bedrooms in two separate pavilions, around a central pool terrace, two families could easily enjoy this property, which is very private and built away from other houses in the area.

Motsamot can be rented through CV Travel, from £2106 to £2502 per week for up to 8 sharing.

GREAT BRITAIN

Fabulous British holiday house by the sea

This fabulous Enid Blyton-esque British holiday house on a headland is right above a gorgeous Cornish beach for swimming and surfing and has magnificent sea views from most rooms, including the bathroom.

Cliff Top House is close to Helston in Cornwall and sleeps up to 10 guests. Nearby are fishing trips from Helston, an abundance of fish restaurants, fishing for bass from the beach and an award winning local fishmonger which add to its appeal for foodies!
Cliff Top House can be rented from CV Travel from £2095 per week, or £1575 for short breaks.

SOUTH AFRICA

Family beach house nr. Cape Town

Villa Lara’s close proximity to a peaceful sandy cove makes it a lovely holiday retreat for families with children to enjoy long days playing in the sea and sand and return home to a private, comfortably furnished home, constantly lulled by the sound of the waves. The house has an annexe on the lower floor with a bedroom and shower, for grand-parents, staff or a nanny to be close at hand, and three bedrooms, sleeping a total of 8 guests, with a spacious family kitchen and large, double height living room.
Villa Lara is available to rent from £9,575 per week for 4 person occupancy and from £11,170 per week for 8 person occupancy.

MOROCCO

Moroccan palace with themed bedrooms, gardens, pool and maids

Kids will love Verger d’Etoile Filante, a palatial Moroccan house full of nooks, crannies, grottoes, staircases and hideaways in a residential area of Marrakech. Comprising of two interconnecting houses, `Dolls House’ and `Riad House’, that link via a large sitting room, around a central swimming pool this large living space offers themed bedrooms, Jungle, Bonsai, Nursery and Tantra, designed by a top French architect working closely with the property’s artistic owners. Two maids are on hand to play with the kids, a Moroccan cook prepares healthy, home made organic meals and vegetarian feasts and the house manager can arrange exciting excursions, including overnight stays in the desert.

Verger d’Etoile Filante can be rented through CV Travel, 020 7410 1045, from £4700 to £7000 per week, for up to 15 guests, including staff of two maids, a house manager, full time cook (3 meals / day, 7 days) and English speaking Chauffeur.

GREEK ISLANDS, CORFU

Greek island house with playground, private beach and jetty

St. Nicholas Beach House is a wonderful house for children of all ages, with its kids’ play area, private location on a low cliff, swimming pool, gym with pool table and steps leading down to a virtually private beach and jetty.

For accompanying nannies, grannies or less able relatives, the house has wheelchair access to a downstairs bedroom and a specially equipped bathroom.

A week’s stay at St. Nicholas’s Beach House costs from £445 to £935 per person, based on 10 sharing, including return Gatwick flights, transfers and a welcome hamper.

Corfu family holiday house

For teenagers and mixed age families Corfu's north east coast offers idyllic opportunities for pottering up and down the coast in little boats, swimming in amazingly uncrowded bays and for whiling away the afternoon in one of the excellent tavernas on the coast. Older kids can enjoy the night life in the bars and clubs in Kassiopi. Harbour Bar and the adjacent Passion Club are THE places to go and get regular mentions in the many Facebook groups that appear each season. Unlike some other clubbing destinations, it's an idyllic setting, the Greeks keep a watchful eye for any signs of rowdiness and taxis are plentiful for returning in the early hours.

CV Travel offers a week's rental of Villa Lithari, in walking distance of Kassiopi in the hills behind the town, from £495 to £920 per person, based on 6 sharing, including return flights, transfers, maid service and a welcome hamper.

CARIBBEAN

St. Lucia, house with young children in mind

Bananaquit is perfect for young families, or those traveling with children of mixed ages. This stylish house has been built with children in mind as it has a fenced swimming pool, specially designed children’s bedrooms, two high chairs and cots and three permanent staff to cook family dinners and barbecues, do housework and help with childcare. For older children the house has its own boat and driver (extra cost) and a tennis court, carved into the hillside on the house's doorstep. There is even a small library of books, a DVD player and a cupboard equipped with many games and puzzles to keep the family entertained.

A week’s rental of Bananaquit costs from £2134 to £4248 per week.

Beachside house on Barbados for active families

Water babies and water sports families should head for this amazing beachfront house, on 300 feet of prime West Coast beach in Barbados, with a whole array of water sports equipment on hand for the guests to use, including a 30’ speedboat, Hobie sail boat, Sunfish sailboat and snorkelling equipment. As well as a large pool, there’s a 5m x 3m toddler’s pool, enough space for 16 guests, a grand piano, Jacuzzi, internet connection, fax machine, CD, VCR and DVD and satellite TV.

A week’s rental of The Great House costs from £22,712 to £41,517 per week.

ITALY

Magical Trulli house in Puglia

Children love the magical trulli houses, characteristic of the region of Puglia in Italy. These conical, beehive structures with whitewashed walls appear to be straight out of ‘The Hobbit’, with their fairytale qualities. `Parco del Vaglio’ is a typical trulli house, beautifully converted while retaining the integrity of the original structure, with accommodation for up to 8 guests, a large private pool and extensive lawned gardens. Days can be spent by the pool, on the nearby beaches or visiting local hill towns such as Cisternino and Ostuni.

A week at Parco del Vaglio costs from £2050 to £3615 per week for up to 8 sharing, excluding flights, which CV Travel can also arrange.

SPAIN

Family country house with a cook

Particularly good for families, Casa Gandolfo comes with its own cook, available 5 days a week to prepare breakfasts and dinners, barbecues and sumptuous picnics. This lovely country house in Spain’s inland Andalucian mountain region is set in its own landscaped gardens, with freeform pool and surrounded by breathtaking mountain scenery. It’s real family hideaway with easy access to the beaches of the Costa del Sol or the lovely lakes north east of Malaga.

A week’s stay at Casa Gandolfo costs from £2000 to £4795 including the cook service, based on 10 sharing and excluding flights, which CV Travel can also arrange.

FRANCE

Classic family villa with fenced pool, Cote d’Azur

Paradis des Pins is a lovely classic French villa with a large swimming pool, lawned gardens and the option of a cook or babysitter and is located close to the village of Bormes-les-Mimosas and the excellent restaurants and beaches of the Cote d’Azur. This is a perfect location for pottering around, enjoying the house and the surroundings and to having a relaxing family holiday, for up to 8 guests.

A week’s stay at Paradis des Pins costs from £3200 to £3645 for up to 8 to share, excluding flights, which CV Travel can also arrange.

For more information and bookings, log on to CVTravel.co.uk.