Chalet Savoie Faire

"Chalet Savoie Faire was a fantastic experience. Set up in the French Alps, the Chalet is fully renovated to the highest standard and has the bests hosts - Nikki and Hugh. I stayed six days with the cooking school and cooked the best food and enjoyed plenty of great wine. It is also a B&B and I enjoyed the company of those guests as well. A very enjoyable, very friendly experience and would recommend highly to anyone looking to travel to this area - also a cyclists haven!"

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"This was by far the best cooking vacation I have ever been on and I have enjoyed several. Nikki is a remarkable host, the cooking classes were outstanding because they were hands on and easily replicated at home. I loved that each class included learning, cooking and eating four to five dishes in a spacious kitchen using local ingredients. The accommodations are beautiful and have all the right touches including high-end linens, L'Occitane products in the bathroom, and very comfortable beds. A must do trip!"

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"Our trip to Chalet Savoie Faire was out of this world. Owner/Manager Nikki was the most generous, fun, kind-hearted host you could imagine. The adventures she took us on were delightful. Old world local food markets, shopping in Annecy, yummy restaurants, walking the mountains and quaint woods, picking food along the road side and cooking up magnificent meals back at the Chalet. The Chalet was renovated and the bedrooms, kitchen, and dinning area were beautiful and of course a wonderful, cozy lounge area with a big open fire. We were a group of five friends and we had the whole Chalet to ourselves. Everything we needed was there. If we wanted to spend time relaxing nothing was too much for Nikki to provide as we lazed. But if we wanted to go on a day trip, Nikki had the perfect plan for us. We spent a week laughing, joking and soaking up the amazing beauty of the French Alps. Everyday was magical. I will be back one day!"

TripAdvisor website, edited

"Lots of fun at the cooking school with our host, Nikki, making a whole range of delicious food which we shared for dinner. Fabulous place to stay with stunning views. Great for hiking or cycling in summer or skiing in winter."

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"Savoie Faire is a bespoke B&B, full fare accommodation and cookery school. You may enjoy one or all offerings. We chose all and stayed for five days. Nikki is an Australian by birth, but has lived in France for over 20 years. She is a wonderful cook and shares her passion and expertise in the kitchen during cooking lessons. Each day we prepared our own lunch and three-course dinner. We were amazed and the delighted with the delicious results. All the dishes, while unique and elegant, will be easily replicated at home. If you love food, wine, and cooking, this is the experience or you. When not cooking, eating or drinking, we hiked in the mountains, encountered locals, Savoie cows and sheep and shopped in the Moutier market. The views of the mountains and tiny villages were lovely. We also spent a day in Annecy, the Venice of France."

"Hugh, Nikki's husband, and mountain bike professional, was a wealth of information about the area and had great tales of his cycling experiences. Both Hugh and Nikki are such warm, charming hosts. Savoie Faire is nestled in a little village, 1200-meter up in the Alps. An experience not to be missed."

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"Wonderful, wonderful, magic place to visit. Hosts, Nikki and Hugh, are very easy going people and fabulous hosts. Some very scenic walks, enjoyable cooking classes, and nearby Annecy were the highlights of our visit. The location is off the main highway, so be prepared for some winding roads if you are driving yourself as opposed to taking advantage of Hugh's driving ability should you require an airport pick-up. A highly recommended spot, especially since Hugh did the reconstruction work on the buildings."

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"Nikki and Hugh are wonderful hosts and make you feel completely at home in their superb Chalet. The surrounding countryside is beautiful and relaxing, with many enjoyable walks. Judging from the excellent meals, we are sure Nikki's cooking courses must be a great opportunity to take join!"

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"This was our second visit to this marvelous alpine retreat and will not be our last. Nikki and Hugh clearly enjoy making this place special for their guests and it shows in all of the details. We were touring the Rhone Alps with two other couples on a cycling centric vacation and were so pleased that Chalet Savoie Faire had something for everyone, from the Col de Madeleine (via velo) to shopping in Moutiers for fresh ingredients for our cooking class. You can imagine that a Chalet that offers cooking classes that the food served to the guests would be really good, right? Well, it certainly is exactly that and elegantly-served. Nothing is overlooked which makes for a relaxing time which is just what we need when travelling overseas. Book early as this place fills up fast. We have already reserved our spot for next year."

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"Just make an effort and go to Chalet Savoie Faire located in the French Alps. I did the cooking school and had a fantastic time, but it is a B&B and a cyclists haven. Beautiful renovated chalet, modern, clean, great food and wine, fantastic hosts and all comforts of home. Great villages to visit close by. Nothing more to say, but just go!"

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"We took our two little boys (3 and 2) to Chalet Savoie Faire for a week in February. It was bliss. Log fires in the evening, a bed that you could be lost in and cooking that was not only delicious but incredible value for money. Hugh and Nikki are quite simply the perfect hosts, they are kind and have superb attention to detail. Best of all, they make you feel like you're so at home whilst remaining professional. They cooked (well Nikki did, Hugh is the first to admit that she is a whizz in the kitchen) for the boys every night, which after a long day out at nearby Valmorel was so welcome. They then got packed off to bed and we got spoilt with the evening meal, nibbles, aperitif, starter main, and desert with lovely wine. A great standard of cooking. The rooms were immaculate, our bathroom was tremendous and the chalet overall is just splendid. Hugh's talents in the building sphere match Nikki's in the kitchen, what a team. We loved it and will return."

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"A bit late Nic and Hugh but what a wonderful place to visit. You two are the "hosts & hostess" with the mostest. I went there with Nic's mum Margaret, from Melbourne and we shared in the dinners, etc. that Nic's cooking school clients cooked. Wonderful food, wonderful company and of course Nic's one and only picnics. The ambiance and hospitality are second to none. Even 5-star restaurants would be hard pushed to emulate Nic's presentation of her culinary skills. She leaves nothing to chance. Thank you Nic and Hugh for sharing your wonderful home with me. One day maybe I'll get back again. P.S. - Look after Marg and Kim in May and happy birthday."

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"Fabulous location, Very cozy, delicious food. Nikki and Hugh deserve high praise for their attention to detail and their friendly warm hosting. After a few days we felt we had known them all our lives. We want to return as soon as we can. Highly recommended, probably the best holiday ever!! Thanks Nikki & Hugh for a very memorable time."

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"It all started with a weekend away and in the past 12 months we have been regular visitors to this amazing place. Nikki & Hugh are just the perfect hosts with every attention to detail well thought of. This summer we hosted our wedding in the village & chalet and it was delivered on way beyond expectations. Nikki is a culinary genius, it's hard not to want to go back the weekend after you have left. This is our 4th visit this year and certainly not the last so if you have not been you really are missing something special!"

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"What could be better than staying in a beautifully and thoughtfully refurbished chalet, with the spectacular backdrop of the Alps, in a picturesque hamlet, eating (and preparing - this was a cooking holiday for us) delicious food? What could be better is doing all that at Nikki and Hugh's Chalet Savoie Faire. From the moment we got there, they made us feel truly at home, and their warmth and gracious hospitality made us sad to say goodbye to friends by the end of the stay.It's a lovely chalet, warm and comfortable. Nikki went out of her way to show us some fantastic recipes that we cooked in her gorgeous kitchen and ate in a stunning dining room. She was also kind to take us on hikes in the surrounding hills (with her dogs, Milo and Bailey) and also to the surrounding towns, such as must-see Annecy. Hugh, who designed and did all the work in the chalet personally, was the behind-the-scenes force that helped keep things together.I can't say enough nice things about Nikki and Hugh, and I can't recommend strongly enough that you stay at Chalet Savoie Faire if you're planning a visit to that part of France."

Trip Advisor website, edited

"A beautifully renovated 1900C barn situated in the most stunning setting of the French Alps in Naves. Spectacular walks amongst the most amazing autumn colours in October, great bike riding available nearby, tackling the Col de la Madeleine, or the gorgeous ambience of sitting by the fire with a glass of wine taking in the views.Hosts Nikki and Hugh are so welcoming and their hospitality is very spoiling. Beautiful catering on all levels, cooking classes available too, we hope to be back again sometime soon. Highly recommended for those who like to be indulged!"

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"It was one of the best days of our 2 week stay in France. Very personal experience. Nikki and Hugh feel like friends now. All of the food we made was excellent and easily repeated at home. The environment couldn't have been better."

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"The most amazing place to stay - having just come from a great farmstay B&B near Uzes , and then a grand chateau outside Avignon, this place has left them for dead. Nikki and Hugh have created a magical place out of stone, timber and natural furnishings, complemented with delicious home cooking and hosts that really know how to look after their guests well with fun and friendliness without being overbearing. Close to, but in a tiny village tucked away from, the hustle and bustle tourist areas - We just couldn't fault it. Loved the wandering cows and their bells. Stayed May 2015, travelled with friends"

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"Everything went wrong in the week leading up to the Friday we arrived, but as soon as we came, Nikki and Hugh welcomed us with the biggest smile and a glass of wine, we knew that we had struck gold. The weekend was bliss for our whole family, the food was amazing and we generally just felt welcome. We had full days of skiing and nights in front of the fire following three course dinners. Great value for money, but I would go again simply because of the atmosphere Nikki and Hugh have created."

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"I was travelling alone and decided to treat myself to a few days at a cooking school I'd read a snippet about in a travel magazine. All I can say is that my time with Nikki and Hugh was one of the best things I have done in all my years of travel!I arranged for Hugh to pick me up at the airport in Lyon so I didn't miss a moment of daylight in Fontaines-Naves and then took the train back at the end of the week (an easy journey). The days I had went by in a flash and although I was reluctant to go, I felt refreshed and as relaxed as I can remember.My time in the kitchen with Nikki was fantastic and my confidence grew each day. My family and friends back home in NZ are enjoying some of the delicious recipes I got from Nikki and there is more to come. Chalet Savoie Faire has it all whatever season you choose to come.If cooking isn't your thing you can still enjoy the wonderful meals Nikki makes in the comfort of the dining room or as a picnic to take with you as you wander from village to village. For the more sporty, there is an array of activities you can do while making Chalet Savoie Faire your base.If what you want is peace and quiet this is the place for you. Bring your book and curl up in front of the fire or enjoy the sunshine on the deck. I will definitely be back. Thank you Nikki and Hugh for making my trip so memorable."

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"This was a girly weekend for four of us; long overdue, so we wanted comfort, relaxation, great food and drink and some gentle activities. I can honestly say that the say after my return that I feel happier and more relaxed than I have in ages.Chalet Savoie Faire has been lovingly built by Hugh; literally. Nikki and he have lovingly sourced exquisite antiques and beautiful, functional bits and bobs that engage the eye at every turn. Nikki and Hugh run this superb operation which can be B&B, fully catered chalet, activity holiday from skiing to walking to cooking. The cookery school is amazing. In our group we had a very competent professional foodie and those with...less confidence!Nikki had us whip up an extensive menu of fabulous, indulgent and healthy dishes, including wild mushrooms and herbs from the garden. We had enormous fun and learned loads. Having had a 3 hour walk in the picturesque surrounding hills that morning, we were ready for our several course dinner after aperitifs that evening, despite the fabulous picnic Nikki had packed for us along with a lovely bottle of wine!We arrived late evening to find trays of delicious nibbles and homemade cold supper laid out to eat by the cozy log fire while we caught up with each other. These are the perfect hosts; friendly yet discreet, they think of everything you might want...just before you thought of it yourself. The chalet came recommended, and it exceeded all expectations. It's wonderful."

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"Having holidayed and sampled fine French cuisine I have always wanted to take that taste of holiday home with me. The combination of sumptuous accommodation and a fantastic regional cookery course it was a no brainer that Chalet Savoie Faire was the choice for us. To say that our experience was beyond expectation is an understatement. For an experience like no other an escape to Chalet Savoie Faire is a must.On entering our aptly named "Princess" suite for the week we were greeted with incredibly luxurious surrounding... The pictures do not do it justice! The lovely Hugh took us on a grand tour of the rest of the house, showing us all the intricate craftsmanship that he personally put into the house. Along with wife Nikki's chic sense of style and talent for antiquing their wonderful home leaves you excited for the week ahead.The cookery course it's self is a true find! Join Nikki in her incredible hand build kitchen and learn the secrets of the Savoie region. Her hits and tips leave you feeling confident and excited to show off your skills to friends and family. Nikki and Hugh welcome you through the doors to their home like a member of the family. You feel your shoulders relax and the pace of life slow down. We will be back!"

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"This B&B truly is a gem! You must take the time to drive the long windy road up to find this fabulously decorated, perfectly placed and warmly hosted, comfortable accommodation. The little touches to complete your comfort are unending. The house is an old barn which has been lovingly restored in typical Savoyard fashion. Hugh and Nikki are great hosts bending over backwards to your very need.The village is a typical mountain village, quiet and friendly. The views are magnificent, something you won't tire of looking at. If you like food, try a cooking school with Nikki. She makes it really fun and you learn so many little tips! Eating the sumptuous meal afterwards, either in Nikki's fabulous dining room or down stairs in the B&B in our own gorgeous chandelier private dining room, is a treat not to be missed!"

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