Tipis Indiens

If you’ve ever had a Red Indian fantasy as a kid, Tipis Indiens could be the place to live it out. Built by Francis Caussieu, the site is an earnest labour of love: an idea turned reality only after a long search for master craftsmen who could build the kinds of tipis Caussieu wanted. And what magnificent tipis they are! Each one is endowed with not one, but two, double beds plus a small sofa bed (all with thick duvets), wooden chests, dining table and Indian artifacts. It’s a small site – only four tipis – but what it lacks in size it makes up for with fine views. When the mist clears to reveal the Cirque de Troumouse, it’s hard to believe you’re not on some kind of film set.

There’s plenty more gorgeous scenery around too, from the ski town of Luz-St-Sauveur to the highest waterfall in France at Gavarnie. The only other thing on site, apart from child-friendly goats in an adjacent field, is a refurbished stone barn, where guests can shower, cook, watch TV, or relax with a good book by the small fire. Not quite so authentically Indian of course, but even hard-core fantasists are allowed to take a bit of a break.