Guest Blog by Faith Winnett
The Chateaux Dans Les Arbres near Bergerac in France–This was a place I had seen in our Brisbane weekend newspaper travel section. The picture caught my attention first, followed by the description of treehouses designed on local chateaux – castles in the trees. OOH!!! We just had to go.
Amongst our mostly city hotel/B&B accommodation plans for our month in France, this seemed like the perfect retreat. With each treehouse surrounded by the forest, and green meadows just a boardwalk away, our toughest choice was which one to reserve. Fortunately for us, the same one was not available for the two nights of our planned stay, so we got to experience both the two-level Cabane Milandes and Cabane Monbazillac.
Our arrival after a light shower of rain and a long drive from Le Mans, made the warm welcome of our hostess promising. We were given a quick overview of the property and asked what time we would like our breakfast hamper delivered (via a rope and pulley to maintain privacy), then promptly escorted to our lodgings for the night…
WOW! Even better than the pictures–so warm and inviting. The tasteful décor and gentle lighting perfectly demonstrated the versatility and variance of timber. We were like children exploring everything that opened and shut, climbing the small spiral staircases – one to the parent’s turret and the second to the bunk beds for the children (if we had brought ours from Australia J). The two-person outdoor spa on the deck was simply the icing on the cake. Entirely private and incredibly quiet and peaceful, we were so happy we had found this gem. The enormous European pillows were like sleeping on marshmallows and the view of the forest was just a perfect.
Breakfast was a very generous serving of warm croissants and baguettes, fresh juice, hot coffee and tea, yogurt, condiments, ham and cheese, delivered precisely at the requested time. A wonderful way to start our day.
We chose to drive to Bergerac (about half an hour away) to visit the original Chateau de Monbazillac and were not disappointed by it’s grandeur nor its wine selection. A couple of souvenirs (wine bottles) and delicious lunch at a local café later, and it was back to discover the delights of Cabane Monbazillac.
Our hosts had transported our luggage to our new lodgings (a mighty challenge up the steep steps no doubt), ensuring our only responsibility was to relax. The heavy wooden double doors unveiled an enormous bed with an incredible view, lush timber-lined shower and oriental-themed furnishings to add intrigue and interest. Fresh fruit ready and waiting to accompany our newly purchased wine and cheese and we were set for another lovely evening under the stars in our private spa.
The infinity pool near reception was an added bonus, which I think we mainly used just to say that we had as we really had no need to leave the splendor of our castles in the trees.
It is a truly wonderful place and I recommend to all who ask, and even those who don’t.
americanjulie.com 
this looks INSANE!