Reach PLC journalist Simon Thomas paid a summe visit to Chilly Powder, with his travel review published in the Welsh Daily Post, Birmingham Post, Nuneaton News, Birmingham Mail, Burton Mail, Cambridge News, Derby Telegraph, Leicester Mercury, Liverpool Echo, Nottingham Post, Paisley Daily Express and Stoke Sentinel. Check out Simon's full review below and read the article the nation is talking about! 

The lure de France

Simon Thomas heads to the French Alps for a summer break to remember...

"Now I can’t promise you too will get to see a welshman win the Tour de France if you head for Chilly Powder in France this summer. But I can guarantee you will have a holiday to remember.

It proved to be the perfect trip for me in more ways than one last July. when the opportunity arose to visit the family-owned chalet business, near the resort of Morzine, I immediately did three things.

I checked the calendar, I checked the map and I checked the Tour de France route. As a long-time lover of Le Tour, it seemed too good a chance to miss, especially with Cardiff’s own Geraint Thomas in the saddle.

Little did I know at the time what a wise move it would prove to be.

A check on the dates and the location revealed I would be well placed to take in a couple of Alpine stages during my stay.

So it was I got to see history in the making, watching Thomas take a stage victory on the way to winning the tour. It was the experience of a lifetime.

That would have been enough for me as far as the holiday was concerned. But, as it turned out, the rest of the trip was to prove pretty special too.

If you think of holidays in the French Alps, you tend to think of snow, skiing and apres skiing. well, think again.

I can confirm that it also has a huge amount going for it in the summer months. The mountain scenery is stunning, the weather is of the shirtsleeve variety and there is no shortage of activities to keep you busy.

The good people of Chilly Powder ensure the latter is the case, helping to arrange a whole series of events. For the more adventurous, there’s a zip wire ride, white water rafting, paragliding or mountain biking on the ski runs. If, like me, you fancy something a bit more sedate, then there’s golf and spa days as well.

You can also just take yourself off for the day and walk up into the mountains, with a back garden that stretches to the Swiss border. There really is something for everyone. Such are the natural surroundings you can hardly fail to have your breath taken away at every turn.

But what also set this holiday apart for me were the surroundings of my base.

The chalet hosts, Francesca and Paul, set out to make you feel totally at home, treating you more like a visiting friend or family member than a hotel guest and it makes for a pretty 
unique experience.

It is very much a home from home. what also really stands out is the food.

I can honestly say it is up there with the best I have experienced on holiday anywhere.

That high quality is a nod to Francesca’s background as a chef, working in the catering industry in Ireland and England.

Her story is a moving and inspirational one of overcoming family tragedy. She lost two siblings to cystic fibrosis, while her mother passed away after being diagnosed with cancer.

It was a twist of fate involving a pearl necklace which had belonged to her late mother which actually led to Francesca moving to the French Alps. After vanishing at an event in the UK, the pearls were retrieved and that led to a conversation which saw 
her head for Morzine to take up a job offer.

There she met Paul and after running a series of chalets together they went on to establish their own Chilly Powder business in 1996, designing the building themselves and overseeing its construction.

Based just an hour away from Geneva Airport, it is easy to get to, with flights available from Bristol, among other UK airports. It’s sited just outside Morzine, in the peaceful hamlet of Prodains, which is conveniently situated at the base of a cable car that takes you up to Avoriaz – the highest resort in the area.

In addition to the main hotel, there are several self-catered chalets, with facilities including a sauna, a yurt for massage treatments, hot-tub, bar, crèche and kids’ club, games room, movie room and pool table.

If you fancy a dip, the Aquariaz waterpark is to be found in Avoriaz, which is just a five-minute gondola ski-lift ride away.

Alternatively, you can drive the short distance to the picturesque Lac de Montriond, where you can dip a toe in the natural water set against the stunning mountain backdrop, with Kayaks and paddle boards available for hire too.

So, all, in all, it’s a holiday that has pretty much everything. And, you never know, you might just get to see Geraint do the business again!"

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