As unlikely as it sounds, the Tibetan B&B baptized Le Nid du Dragon Rouge looks like a real Buddhist place, and is really in France. Perched on a cliff overlooking the natural park of mountainous Haut-Languedoc, the rooms here have unbeatable views.
The wood structure was built with local chestnut trees from the many forests around it. The two owners of the inn, American Liam Salter and French Thomas Lestelle have lived in Asia and brought back ornaments and many décor items, so very exotic for rural life in France, to create the ambiance of their B&B.
The secluded retreat offers basic comfort, with simple rooms with a balcony out to the cliff side, and only an outdoor shower, but gives way to more pampering with a small private pool. The owners even cook on demand Asian meals in their traditional Tibetan kitchen.
Raw red silks, straw roofs and black bamboo are only some of the eco-friendly outfits of the inn that runs on solar power. With only two rooms available to rent, tranquility and serenity are assured. A taste of monk life among trees, a drastic change from city life, so near, yet so far away.
The Nest is a destination for warm weather times only, as its open construction does not allow stays during the cold months. Le Nid du Dragon Rouge (Nest of the Red Dragon) is located in the commune of Courniou, in the Hérault province, a village of 650 inhabitants. Hérault is a big producer of olives and has very diverse offerings within short distances, with beaches in the south, mountains in the north, and farmland in between.
Situated east of Toulouse and west of Montpellier, the tiny town is fairly isolated as it is, and the B&B is even more hidden in the woods and surrounding cliffs. But should you feel like mingling with crowds, the Mediterranean seashore is only 1.5 hour away. The French bullet train (TGV) will take you from Paris to Montpellier in 3 hours and 19 minutes (to be exact, trains always are in France), and for just 45 Euros one-way.
Be serene, repeat after me: Om - Om - Om.
INFO: Le Nid du Dragon Rouge -- Rooms pricing: 120-150 Euros per night, including breakfast of homemade breads and native fruit jams. Contact: 011-33-615-946-401 or leniddudragonrouge@yahoo.fr. Visit here for more information.