Bumblebee Manor - Manoir Bourdon

01/07/2024

If you're gonna do gardening, you need chickens to help you. First time the cats were not helping too!

25°C today, pool is ready...

15/04/2024

Welcome to our home. We usually spend our time working on our guest accommodation, but this winter it was our turn. We hope you enjoy this little tour of the ground floor salon, dining and kitchen. Special thanks to Mandy from for helping us with our interior design.

10/03/2024

Bathroom transformation complete.

29/02/2024

Wine in bottles, barrels, stainless steel, concrete, terracotta, porcelain and ceramic. All giving different flavours. And we tried them all!

17/02/2024

For special occasions we love to visit the nearby town of Maulevrier. We wander the beautiful oriental garden, the largest in Europe, and work up an appetite for dinner at the magnificent Château Colbert . This is an absolute favourite on our all inclusive tour. Parc oriental de Maulévrier

12/02/2024

The spire is complete and the scaffolding is coming down. The grand lady of Paris is revealing herself again. It feels surreal to be here, seeing history unfold before our eyes.

08/02/2024

The Olympic games are in Paris this summer. So cool that the medals have a piece if the eiffel tower embedded in them. We can't wait to experience the buzz of the games. Any chance you may be joining us?

PARIS (AP) — An Olympic medal inlaid with a piece of the Eiffel Tower. How’s that for a monumental prize?

31/01/2024

** Special offer **
Have you been thinking of joining us to Live Like a Local in France? We would love to have you join our 7 night all-inclusive experience starting May 11th.
For you, our Facebook followers, we are offering 15% off our usual price (minimum 2 people).
Feel free to pass this on to your friends and family.

Here is a video to give you an idea of what to expect https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VasaS0OYqAU&t=1s
and detailed info about our Live Like a Local tour https://www.bumblebee-manor.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=64&product_id=64

An immersive French experience for the curious traveller  Visit fairy tale castles.  Explore the world-famous spectacular castles of the Loire Valley   Oo la la the food!  Start your day with fresh pastries from the local boulangerie.  Enjoy garden to table

04/12/2023

We really appreciate when our guests take the time to write a review on social media. It helps other travellers decide if Bumblebee Manor is right for them, and it helps us to improve. We now have 35 Tripadvisor reviews and are super proud to say that all of them are 5 star.

Ranked #1 of 1 Accommodation in Saint-Macaire-du-Bois. Been here too? Add it to your map!

31/10/2023

Ahhhhh... It's Halloween at the Manor! Be scared... Although there are some chocolates to be had...

21/10/2023

This is a cool article from the financial times about Puy de Fou, which is only 40 minutes away from us.

No rides, just great story telling with amazing effects, castles that move, scenes on water, chariot races, etc. Fabulous for all ages, and in 12 languages.

And guess what? More popular than Disney!

Deep in the woods of La Vendée, something patriotic is stirring

12/10/2023

What an amazing season we have had. 7 all inclusive tours, full occupancy, and awarded Airbnb Super Hosts for the 6th time. Now Martin and I will take a well earned break, spend more time with family and friends, and get on to our winter jobs. We hope to see you next year!

10/10/2023

The Aussies are in the house!!! The RWC has not gone as they had hoped, but we are making the best of it with plenty of good food and wine

26/08/2023

Here we go again!! The cabernet franc grapes are a week or two from harvest...and looking good!

16/08/2023

This morning I saw this article on one of our emblematic grapes in the region and thought I'd share. We have shown winemakers from Argentina and the US or vineyards, and they all remark that even though it is the same grape, the resulting wines are quite different.

Cabernet Franc is a corner stone of the Loire valley, creating some wonderful wines across a range of styles.

Come do a wine tour with us and I can certainly show you what I mean. Wonderful wines that are affordable and very adaptable to most occasions.

Cheers

After a lifetime in the shadows, Cabernet Franc's affordability and versatility is wooing a wide audience. Read the latest wine news & features on wine-searcher

15/08/2023

I hear there is an oval ball tournament of sorts soon around here ;-). (a tournament we cannot name)

Are you planning to be in France then?

Maybe you want some days away from the madness, in the country side, sipping wine, eating great food and surrounded by like minded fans? ..and still 2 hours from Paris, and one hour to Nantes.

We have some all-inclusive packages, as well as some straight out self catering accommodation left.

Come join us!

Manoir Bourdon

12/08/2023

We have our tour dates for 2024! We would love for you to join us for the French experience of a lifetime. 8 days, 7 nights all inclusive... oh, and don't forget the wine is included too!
May 11
June 8
July 13
August 10
September 7

22/07/2023

Enjoying a Mount Dunstan pinot noir from 2014. Great way to end a busy day. Sue Alemann Christine Rasmussen

20/07/2023

No this is not photoshopped. We think our new companion planting method for the vege garden is here to stay.

13/07/2023

Notre Dame de Paris rises once again. The first new trusses for the roof went in a couple of days ago...

BTW, if Paris is currently deemed dangerous, no one has told the thousands of tourists wandering about its streets, eating on the side walk cafes and taking millions of selfies with history past and history in the making.

Vive la France!

01/07/2023

Many of you are aware of the recent death of a teenager in Paris which has sent shockwaves across France. But for people in rural and coastal areas and in central Paris, life continues as normal. Here at Bumblebee Manor we are experiencing the usual peace and quiet. For visitors the biggest disruption seems to be the early closing of some trams and metros in a few cities. If you are coming to France in the near future, we recommend that you continue as planned but with an eye on travel advisories and with the advice of your tour operator. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to us.

26/06/2023

Sue has switched up the potager (vege patch) this year with companion planting. The big success is 3 sisters planting, a traditional North American first nation method. The sunflowers are already 3m tall, the Kings Seeds honey n pearl sweetcorn from my brother David in NZ is growing nicely with beans and peas using them both as climbing frames, and pumpkin, courgette melon and cucumber are keeping the weeds down and already producing prolifically.

19/06/2023

Are you dreaming of a holiday in France? How about an all inclusive stay with us? Wine included of course! https://m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR1e4DboXEc5ESXnfZt_4G67ttpwnnerYZLpbk82eZcT75EFtTHo8Ax7vnw&v=VasaS0OYqAU&feature=youtu.be

13/06/2023

Sue trying out companion planting in the garden this year... And it looks amazing with a huge variety of crops on offer.

Our cat June is supervising.

03/06/2023

Rose season! Everything is blooming around Bumblebee Manor and the region.

02/06/2023

Bonjour! Hello!
Summer is well under way in the Loire Valley!

The sun is out, the vines are growing and all the tourist attractions and restaurants are open.

We have been hibernating a bit, but lately have been out sampling some of the wonderfulness of the region.

Come join us for a simple self catered stay, a full inclusive experience, or a wine tour of the region.

21/02/2023

17/02/2023

We love being part of our community. Today we planted 2,000 trees to protect the biodiversity and health of our environment.

06/02/2023

We are loving Justine's truck that arrives outside Bumblebee Manor every Thursday selling fresh organic produce from local farms. The cheeses and yoghurts are soooooo good. L'épicerie de Justine https://fb.watch/iwQorfWybt/

05/01/2023

Pretty special: we have been super hosts now for 4 years and counting. I'd like to say it is all our own doing, but we have had wonderful clients all along that made it a lot easier!