What the others might not mention...
It is our belief that in order for you to enjoy your villa holiday, you
should be in possession of as much information as possible. Even with the most careful
screening of properties and locations and the most honest evaluation by our staff,
sometimes things happen which are outside our control.
WITH THE BEST WILL IN THE WORLD...
We have
very stringent rules when selecting properties and are careful to ensure that
the area surrounding the property is free of any building work, or other
potential nuisance. However, we have no control over building regulations and
occasionally, to our horror, a building site appears overnight right next to one
of our villas. Whenever possible, we will offer alternative accommodation should
this happen. In the busier areas, other people's music can cause offence. Our
overseas representatives will always tactfully try to ask the offenders to lower
the volume but are not necessarily met with a positive response!
POWER CRAZY...
Cuts to water and power supplies are not unheard of and we would suggest that
you stock up with bottled water and some candles for emergencies. If cuts occur
during the evening or at weekends, it is usually impossible to arrange for
plumbers and electricians so it is best to be prepared, just in case.
NATURE & WILDLIFE...
Please be
aware that the Portuguese countryside may not be as you expect! Instead of green
fields and hedgerows, constant heat often leaves the landscape brown and barren
and instead of frolicking lambs, you are more likely to see the occasional goat
meandering along the roadside.
BACK TO BASICS...
Portuguese plumbing is very different from ours! Each Villa Information Folder
contains details about what should and should not be flushed down lavatories,
but sadly not all clients heed this advice. The systems can take a while to
malfunction and it may not be those people who disregard our advice that are
affected - it is the clients visiting the house later in the summer who suddenly
find themselves without a loo or two!
SAFETY FIRST...
No swimming pool is ever completely ‘child proof’ and all children should be
supervised when playing on the pool terrace. For toddlers, we strongly recommend
the use of arm bands. Always check the pool depths before and be aware that many
rooms, including bedrooms, have direct access to the swimming pool. Most of the
villas have glass doors and if you have young children we suggest you arm
yourself with a packet of sticking plasters so that you may mark the glass.
BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY...
It is an unfortunate fact of life that the incidents of theft from villas is on
the increase and we would recommend that you are as vigilant on holiday as you
would be at home. Remember to close and lock windows, doors and shutters when
you go out. It is also advisable to keep the front door locked while you are
enjoying the pool.
ROAD RAGE - VILLA AGENCY STYLE...
The local
authorities are constantly striving to improve roads to meet the growing
demand. Often a diversion is set up overnight and despite our persistent pleas
to be forewarned, regrettably, like everywhere else in the world, local councils
are a law unto themselves and to date have yet to give us any advance notice.
Our maps and directions are frequently updated and it is a cause of much
frustration to us that almost as soon as we revise maps to show alternative
routes, the diversion or road closure is changed yet again. On a positive note,
we have never yet mislaid a client!
BUGS & PESTS - NOT NECESSARILY OF
THE INSECT VARIETY...
The recent growth of tourism in Portugal means that traffic noise is on the
increase. It is not always possible to guess from which properties you might
hear traffic noise as, if the wind is in the wrong direction, even the remotest
of farmhouses might be affected on a windy day. Barking dogs have always been a
problem but a more modern inconvenience is the large number of discotheques -
often with laser shows - and a variety of other attractions, such as clay pigeon
shooting and bike rallies, which have appeared in the last few years. Ants
arrived long before the tourists and even before the Moors. There are certain,
sensible precautions to contain them but they will never be eradicated
altogether.
AND FINALLY...
If these points paint a rather less than glamorous picture, then we have done
our job! We believe that honesty is most definitely the best policy and it would
be less than honest to imply that Portugal, like any other country, is without
it's nasties. Take heart, in 99 out of 100 holidays none of these things cause
any problems whatsoever and the huge amount of our clients who return year after
year are proof of this.