Activity Reviews in Provence

A late night decision over a sublime "soupe au pistou" and a bottle of red, ended up with an early morning alarm call to make for a dash to the summit of the Mont Saint Victoire.

Take in the historic sights of Avignon and make a visit to Ile de la Barthelasse using this alternative mode of transport.

We meet at the back of the tourist office in Arles where 3 white safari jeeps were already parked with the canopied roofs wide open.

Take a gentle bike ride through Arles along the Rhône River to visit the subject of one of Van Gogh’s famous paintings.

During the course of my flight over Avignon I looked down out of the cockpit and a green expansive golf-course spread out below me; just a stone’s throw from the runway of the airport.

In 1994 a limestone cave in the Ardeche was discovered that excited the archaeology world. Three caving enthusiasts discovered a cave richly decorated with charcoal drawings, hand prints and engravings that had been closed off by a rock fall for around 20,000 years keeping its contents in incredible condition. Named after one of the cavers, Chauvet Cave quickly became regarded as one of the greatest archaeological finds of our time. 

Strawberries are a summer delicacy loved by many. In my time, I've eaten a fare share of strawberries – from wild ones, to freshly picked, to frozen to ...not so fresh squishy ones. Today, I had the best strawberry I have ever eaten, hands down. Obviously I ate the entire carton immediately.

Somedays you want it all, it was one of those days so we booked ourselves in for a day of golf, lunch and spa at the Terre Blanche in the foothills above the French Riviera.

Mont Ventoux for those who are not fans of the Tour de France or have not ventured inland past Avignon, is a mighty mountain which dominates the relatively flat surroundings north of the Luberon. With it's peak at 1912 metres, it is a mecca for cyclists (although it also appeals to hikers, mountain-bikers and skiers). Seen as I was passing by with my fold up bike in the boot I decided to find out what the fuss was about...

Vaucluse ULM flight school are based out of a hangar in Avignon-Sud Airport where they are in possession of around ten different types of aircrafts – from gliders; to stunt planes, microlight aircraft and the bright yellow Auto-Giro that I’m going up in today.

The Train des Merveilles takes you from the coastline of Nice into the rugged mountains of the Vallée des Merveilles and the Mercantour National Park.

It was a very hot day when we decided to set out for a hike from Digne les Bains, and after a three course lunch with a cheese course to finish, we weren't feeling like moving around too much.

Touring the Mont Sainte Victoire is a perfect escape from Aix-en-Provence to see a wild side of Provence, share some of Cesanne's views and taste some fine wines en route.

With the many rivers around Avignon there are plenty of opportunities to kayak in gorgeous natural surroundings. We headed just 50 kilometres north-west to the village of Goudargues, near La Roque sur Ceze, to try Goud' Canoe’s “Nature” package; which is an 8km route with plenty of picnic areas, swimming spots and sun-bathing sites along the way.

On a sunny Tuesday morning in April I found myself getting quite lost in the maze of narrow streets and lanes in the stunning, and slightly quirky, hilltop town of Biot.

The image we have of Provence is one of a small county house, probably surrounded by lavender fields in full bloom, flowers twisting their way over the door frame, someone in the yard stamping grapes in a wooden barrel with their bare feet, a picnic basket at the ready with a baguette, selection of cheese and a corked half bottle of wine...and probably some delicious Provencal style food on the wood stove...

Riding around La Camargue on horseback is the perfect way to spend an afternoon in the company of experienced and well-trained horses trekking through marshland and along the dusty-paths of the famous region.