So I thought it was about time I sat down and wrote a blog post about my summer holiday to Italy. It’s dreary in England and hasn’t stopped raining for the last three days so even though I love autumn/winter, I am longing to be back on a summer holiday. So let’s reminisce on my villa holiday to Puglia, Italy!
I’m not going to lie, I had never been on a villa holiday before and in all honesty I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I have always been on all inclusive/hotel holidays where you don’t really have to cook etc for yourself (how lazy do I sound?!) and the idea of still having to do all those things felt very alien!
However, the freedom and flexibility it gives you is amazing. It was really lovely to be in the sun relaxing and be able to just pop inside and get a snack or drink whenever I fancied. I mean I know you can do that on a lot of holidays but you’ve chosen all the food so know you are going to like it!
Our CV villa was beautiful, it was in the heart of Puglia and was a traditional Trulli house. I’d never actually heard of a trulli house before but its a tradition Italian building with tall cone shaped ceilings that help to keep it cool, providing the perfect way to cool down after sitting in the sun around the pool.
One thing I did love about the villa holiday was the exclusivity. It was so nice to be able to wander out to the pool at any time of day and know that there was going to be a sun bed available!
Like I said earlier our villa was beautiful but boy was it a trek to get to! It wasn’t super close to the airport so we decided to hire a van big enough to fit the 6 of us in with our luggage. We had to drive for just over an hour to our villa which would have been fine had it not been for the very different driving style in Italy. Tailgating the person in front of you does not seem to be an issue there!
However, that wasn’t even the trickiest part… we arrived to the road up to our villa to find it was the narrowest path ever! It just about fit the van up it with mm each side! We all could do with a drink by the time we had arrived!
On the other hand, once we had arrived we were all so happy. The villa was amazing and the swimming pool was just incredible! It was 14ft long and super deep at one end which meant we could have loads of fun – especially since we brought an array of inflatables with us!
The pool really was the selling point of this villa. It was huge, had loads of space around it for sunbathing and reading and was in the perfect spot to soak up the suns rays!
We did also venture out of the villa a couple of times. Although we did definitely need a mode of transport, a shop, restaurant and the town of Cisternino were all within walking distant.
We were told that in Italy a lot of places shut down in the afternoon and then open back up in the evening when it is cooler. So we decided to have an early evening wander into town on one of our last few days. The town was super pretty but boy was it a walk to get there… the hill was so steep!
However, once we had reached the top you could literally see across the whole of the Puglia region. As Puglia is a fairly new tourist spot the town was full of locals but not so many tourists. On the whole the locals are friendly, however we did get some funny looks when we wandered through some of the more rural parts where lots of the locals live. Saying this, keep to the more bustling parts of town and you’ll have a lovely time!
We also headed out to a local restaurant that had been recommended to us. The first night we went it was shut, which was a bit annoying, but we tried again the next day and walked into this beautiful outdoor restaurant with vines and fairy lights everywhere!
The food was amazing, I had proper Italian pasta and it tasted delicious. Even the pudding was absolutely incredible! However, there was no pizza on the menu, so we didn’t get to sample a traditional Italian pizza which was a shame. I guess it just means we will have to visit Italy again!
Overall our holiday to Puglia, Italy was a fantastic one. It was full of sun, swimming and delicious food. My opinion on villa holidays has completely changed, it was such a fun week full of relaxation and fun with the family. We had exclusivity, the ability to do what we wanted when we wanted and the most amazing pool all to ourselves! I really do hope I get the opportunity to visit again!
Puglia is a growing tourist destination which I think is definitely going to blossom over the next few years. Italy isn’t known for being super affluent but it really is a beautiful country full of interesting buildings, vast land and lots of olive groves. If you ever get the opportunity to visit Puglia or any part of Italy grab it with both hands!
It’s felt like a long time since I’ve written a travel post, so I hope you’ve enjoyed this one! I love travelling and cannot wait to be on my next adventure!
I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post. Also if you haven’t already, check out my social media as I use it to update you all on new blog posts!
Jordyn Amber
P.S heading off to get some winter sun? Have a read of my ‘Get Holiday Ready – Six Travel Essentials‘ Blog post!