La sat - Mândră Ioană

It was the end of July with high temperatures, but here in the house it was cool. I like it a lot. And this was the reason I chose to stay here, Beautiful place, cool temperatures. Thanks for the hospitality.

Neighbours dogs barking.

We loved the house, the facilities, the location, the two dogs on the property, the porch and the view and the village. The house was great, nice area downstairs with kitchen and living room; also liked the option to use a video projector. Upstairs you have two bedrooms, nicely done. We stayed in July so we did not get the chance to use the stove - would have loved it! We visited several places close by - Paltinu Lake, Atra Resort (nice food and view!), An amazing trout farm at about 50 minutes drive (Pastravaria Crasna Bogiri), Salina Slanic (Salt Mine). We also loved taking an evening stroll in the village. Always accompanied by the two dogs on the property. Communicated very well with the owner via booking.com and whatsapp as well as on location.

The only drawback for just one of us was that you could hear dogs barking during the night. Not only in the distance but very close to the house. And not once or twice but on and on over several hours. This was not a problem for everybody but if you are a light sleeper and are after a quiet, 'no sound' night sleep, this can be a challenge. I understand that this is not that much of an issue for the second house on the hill. We stayed in Mandra Ioana, first house.

Very authentic traditional romanian house, decorated with a lot of taste and combining very well the traditional design with everything you need for a comfortable stay. The property has a very big and beautiful garden where you can relax and disconnect from the city rush, a couple of barbeque places to use and enjoy meals with friends, the guide book had a lot of activities recommendations for an experience where you connect with nature and rural life. The house was well equipped with everything you need, with a lot of very thoughtful details. The hosts were very helpful and caring.

The house looks amazing - from decorations, it's shape or to how clean it is. But more important - the large green courtyard and the view. Also, a very nice playground for children. You can generally relax yourself here (although there were some times for us when the motorised cuting of grass on nearby properties, water pipeline works or neighbour's "manele" music spoiled a bit the treat). We received a very nice list of sightseeings and people in the area which can provide the local flavours, with regards to food and drink or activities.

We did not found a coffee machine but you can boil water or use the oven, I think there was some grinded coffee. You can also make a request to the staff, which was very nice.

Above expectations on all fronts: the location, the care for keeping traditions alive (without compromising on visitors' comfort), the coziness of the _sobă_, Mrs. Iustina's homemade food and Lili's (the dog) cute presence on the grounds. And while it was a cold and foggy winter outside, we'll be certainly coming back for another visit during warm summers, to indulge in relaxing with barbecues and drinks.

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