Caimeli
Caimeli
4
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.0
35 reviews
Excellent
25
Very good
4
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
6
Nikki R
1 contribution
Aug 2015 • Solo
I have just returned from a yoga retreat at Caimeli and am feeling suitably relaxed and stress free! The location is beautiful and peaceful. The house and yoga Shala are homely and well equipped and the swimming pool is fantastic. James is the perfect host, not only did he cook all of the wonderful meals but took us sightseeing, on a trip to an outdoor cinema and to a friends house for wine tasting and roast lamb! Nothing was too much trouble and it felt as though I was spending the week with friends-I hope to return soon.
Written September 9, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Denisegallagher
1 contribution
May 2015 • Solo
I had a great time at Caimeli. Catie and Fiona are great teachers and super people. James was very welcoming. Food was great. The place is stunning. The house is gorgeous. Wish I could have stayed for longer. Thank you!! Denise
Written May 12, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
richclarke99
Chagford, UK2 contributions
Apr 2017 • Solo
I had a long weekend here on a yoga retreat. The food was really amazing, fresh local Italian fare, but with a great flavoursome twist, hints of Morocco.The views are great and the house spacious. It is set off the nearby road, so you wouldn't know the house and grounds are there unless you were directed. It's a long but enjoyable walk down into Umbertide. Car probably helpful for most, but not essential if you want to get away from it all.
Written May 10, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks Richard. It was enjoyable having you here. Next time I will do hints of India for you.
Written May 12, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Global567021
London, UK3 contributions
Dec 2019 • Friends
This was a planned event for me and my 5 friends. We’d wanted to escape our families and significant others for 5 days over the winter break from school. It wasn’t cheap. Food was supposed to be included as was access to the yoga studio and daily instructors also swimming in a heated pool, hot showers and in house laundry . Extras were wine tastings, visits to local restaurants of our choosing and one meal cooked on site by a chef, that turned out to be the owner, who by the way had no idea how to cook anything. All in all this was a comedy of errors from start to finish. We ended up laughing most of the time, the pool was freezing and unusable , the fire was lit daily but the whole house was smoked out because the wood was damp and didn’t burn correctly so all of our clothes smelt like we were camping by a bonfire.
Our king beds were divided in two per Italian style ? 2 quilts per bed.
The towels supplied were like dish towels and never replaced the whole time we were there. No bath mats either the floors were freezing cold. No shower gels or soap provided. Boarding school was reminiscent. The hike into town was about 30-40mins for nice coffees and internet otherwise it was fairly bleak. No TV working or decent wifi so we spent our time drinking wine and admiring the distant view because that’s all there was.
Absolute rip off , we requested a discount and were met with an incredulous “ you’ve got to be kidding me “ dead serious face from the owner James Feinberg who actually believes his place is great, cos he gets away it.
Don’t book this place unless you get it free and even then , bring your own towels, food and drinks
Our king beds were divided in two per Italian style ? 2 quilts per bed.
The towels supplied were like dish towels and never replaced the whole time we were there. No bath mats either the floors were freezing cold. No shower gels or soap provided. Boarding school was reminiscent. The hike into town was about 30-40mins for nice coffees and internet otherwise it was fairly bleak. No TV working or decent wifi so we spent our time drinking wine and admiring the distant view because that’s all there was.
Absolute rip off , we requested a discount and were met with an incredulous “ you’ve got to be kidding me “ dead serious face from the owner James Feinberg who actually believes his place is great, cos he gets away it.
Don’t book this place unless you get it free and even then , bring your own towels, food and drinks
Written November 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AnTh K
Canton of Zurich, Switzerland6 contributions
Aug 2016 • Family
We were two families (not travelling together) who paid a lot of money and invested precious time to join an announced retreat at Caimeli. At no point in time did the owner inform us that the retreat we paid for did not take place. We only found out upon arrival. The location is lovely if off-beat. The house is nice. The owner, James, has no idea how to run a business, be a professional, be humble or respect others. He scammed us, the teacher whose services he sold without her knowing, the poor girl brought to cover the scam and the yoga platforms he announced the retreat on. Place has poor wi-fi. Food is limited. Lots of insects. Need a car. Make sure that if you go that the retreat is for real, that the teacher is on top of it all and be careful with direct transfers and opt for a third party to guarantee that what you get is what you paid for and if not, pursues legal action.
Written September 22, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We strive to offer a wonderful experience for everyone that stays with us. In some cases, the expectations and the performance do not meet. In any event, we put our hearts and soul into providing an atmosphere where everyone could unwind , relax, chill out ,and be simply with nature.
Our retreat is located in the green hills of Umbria next to a nature preserve but still only 5 kilometers from the village. Our wifi is received by satellite which is quite irregular and slow but this is well known and advertised as such. We offer a daily transport to the village when guests have the need for stronger internet service. There are many guests that enjoy the walk to the village as a prerequisite for an exquisite cappuccino. We consult with all our guests on their arrangements to our retreat with directions and maps and also offer pick up services from the major airports and train stations via a transport company in the village. An automobile can also be rented in the village for anyone that is interested in going off by themselves on excursions.
We do have mosquitos by us but so does every region of the world excluding the Antarctica . We do not spray our land since we produce food for ourselves and for our guests from it. Our bees are busy and happy and produce wonderful honey every year from the variety of trees and flowers that we have planted on our property.The food is slow, seasonal, fresh and extremely tasty says many guests who have never picked and eaten a green fig from the tree nor a walnut that has just fallen to the ground. We prepare a new menu daily based on the comments, allergies and wishes of our guests.
Our teachers are certified in their local countries, qualified and have done retreats.
before. They are all professionals, and plan their program to the needs of the guests attending the classes. We are sorry that in this particular case the expectations were not satisfied for this one particular family while the remaining other attendees were extremely satisfied.
Written September 29, 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
customizer
Germany8 contributions
Sep 2015 • Friends
Regarding the accommodation, it is urgent to make an objectification of the recent given reviews! Some of the images shown do not correspond to reality. Some rooms are very small, very small window, very dark, no wardrobe. The windows have no grating against annoying mosquitoes. In the rooms there were some bats and black scorpions. Not very enjoyable! Not every room has a private bathroom. The room doors and toilet doors did not fit and were always open! Some rooms could only be reached by stairs as chicken ladders. The lighting in the rooms was weak and did not work partially.
Everywhere there was a lack of a real craftsman!
There are no staff except for the host and his sick dog, which is located in the kitchen ! The hygienic conditions in the kitchen are a disaster. There is no cleaning or housekeeping for toilets, no fresh towels. The food is the lowest level considering the price we paid. It has nothing to do with Italian cuisine but is mostly packaged food from the supermarket. It's all self-service, even the dishes must be brought out of the cupboards. Access to the house is via a narrow and terribly bad road. No signs on the road to the house - a very strange hidden place. All the nights barking dogs from the neighborhood - annoying. We paid 340.-EUR / 2 people per night! The enclosed Winery Tours were ok, but in no way justify this price! Too bad, beautiful surroundings in Umbria but standard of accommodation like a youth hostel. So please do not expect too much! Choose better alternative accommodation, there are plenty of different and better ones. Do not be fooled by a few taken photos! That was the most expensive place we have ever stayed and got very little in return!
Everywhere there was a lack of a real craftsman!
There are no staff except for the host and his sick dog, which is located in the kitchen ! The hygienic conditions in the kitchen are a disaster. There is no cleaning or housekeeping for toilets, no fresh towels. The food is the lowest level considering the price we paid. It has nothing to do with Italian cuisine but is mostly packaged food from the supermarket. It's all self-service, even the dishes must be brought out of the cupboards. Access to the house is via a narrow and terribly bad road. No signs on the road to the house - a very strange hidden place. All the nights barking dogs from the neighborhood - annoying. We paid 340.-EUR / 2 people per night! The enclosed Winery Tours were ok, but in no way justify this price! Too bad, beautiful surroundings in Umbria but standard of accommodation like a youth hostel. So please do not expect too much! Choose better alternative accommodation, there are plenty of different and better ones. Do not be fooled by a few taken photos! That was the most expensive place we have ever stayed and got very little in return!
Written September 17, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our goal at Caimeli is offer people a wonderful experience and vacation in and around nature. We are an eco agriturismo that uses alternative energies and aims to reside in peace with the other beings in the area, and with very little carbon foot print.. Pope Francis just gave a powerful speech about the abuse of our planet and how we are diminishing the quality of our lives and our future children's'. We believe this creed too and perhaps you will understand our mission and philosophy to keep our guest's lives simple, comfortable but yet enriching in the culture of the area .We do not want to be part of this negligence and waste of our planet and we hope and desire that our guests will leave our olive plantation with perhaps a thought on how they could improve their footprint on our planet. too..
Alas it did happen this time for this particular guest. The guest signed up for a packaged Vespa tour to visit different cantinas and to receive breakfast and dinner at the plantation of fresh regional cuisine on a self serving basis. This is how we structure all our meals In fact, almost all of our guests rave about our menu and also enjoy helping us in the kitchen,participating in the pasta making or cooking at the barbecue.. All our food is bought locally and the only packaging that we bring in is for our bulk rice, beans and other grain dishes. We simply dislike the tremendous usage and wastage of plastic that is found in most packaging and bottles today.
The roads in Umbria are not the best nor the worst in the world but the riding a Vespa is a pure unique experience here, a "Roman Holiday". We have had nothing but positive comments and returning guests to achieve this experience of dolce vita in Umbria and this guest decided at the onset not to participate in riding the Vespa. 125XL so in fact the guest had no experience in riding on these roads with it..
Our plantation has been painstakingly restored back to its original state with care and authenticity, Our residences are an old farmhouse and tobacco tower that over 250 years have now become a Villa and guesthouse. We do not create barriers for our neighbors but accept that they are living in this area with us and far longer than us. We surround the area with lavender, rosemary and walnut trees that aim to reduce their presence but not disallow them to come. We are surrounded by nature and its many varied sounds and we want our guests to experience the bright moon and stars or the cacophony of wild pigs and nocturnal birds drinking by the lake,
The photos taken and shown of Caimeli on various websites are taken by our guests and can be verified by them. We do not doctor our photos but publish them to show anyone arriving what they should expect to find here.
Our dog, a black Labrador 12 plus years of age is a fixture of the plantation and the resident downward dog instructor and hiking guide. She offers only love, a wagging tail and her open belly for rubbing. She is not sick and we hope that she will still be with us for many more years to come. No one has ever complained of her presence or even her snoring.
We are quite pleased that at least the cantina experience has been rewarding since Umbria makes some delicious, fine unknown but great wines. There are grapes found here and no where else in the world and the variety of choices is breathtaking and so nearby. The cantinas that we visit are all family owned and the passion of the people go into the making of their wines. We mostly sit at the dining room table and drink the wine and eating the food with the owners of the cantina. This in itself is a memorable experience..
As a hospitality owner ,one hates to have a guest leave unhappy since this is definitely not the aim in being in this business but in this case this particular review is very good in informing and filtering out future guests who will willingly come and desire this relaxing simple natural atmosphere and lifestyle. or will decide based on this review to go elsewhere. Both decisions are fine with us and both parties will have memorable holidays.
Written September 26, 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
SarTraveller
New York City, NY1 contribution
Jul 2016 • Solo
It has taken me a while to get this this review - and read the other positive reviews with some surprise. My experience relates more to the less positive ones - but given the style of personal attack anyone who writes something less than favorable had to suffer I hesitated to write anything. Makes me wonder if the owner only "caters" to certain groups and chooses to disrespect the rest of us, where he feels he can get away with it, especially if you dont travel as a group. The place itself is nice enough. No view but calm. Food ok, with a few highlights. Yoga shala dirty. But for the rest - I strongly caution against going on your own. It was the worst holiday of my life.
Written December 30, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sadly we have no record or registration of this person participating in a yoga retreat by us.
Written January 12, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mapple78
78 contributions
Aug 2021 • Friends
This is the perfect location if you don’t care about insects… Totally isolated, no Wi-Fi connection (only available next to the main building and with a low signal), if you ask to the owner you will get the answer “go down to the city if you need it”… mobile service signal is very bad (any carrier) and only in some spaces of the house.
The owner is often unreachable and the house needs maintenance and it seems he doesn’t care about it!! Spiders in each corner and behind the furnitures… Scorpions are everywhere in the house during the night while you’re trying to sleep in the HOT SUMMER NIGHTS, no air conditioning, and you can’t leave the window open as long as the garden has a free access for anyone, and it is totally dark, besides there aren’t mosquito nets and every kinda bugs can come inside…!!! Horseflies will bites you all the day at the pool (why don’t put a trap?)… a vacation at the hell!! We were counting down the days to come back home, finally… an experience to forget!!
The owner is often unreachable and the house needs maintenance and it seems he doesn’t care about it!! Spiders in each corner and behind the furnitures… Scorpions are everywhere in the house during the night while you’re trying to sleep in the HOT SUMMER NIGHTS, no air conditioning, and you can’t leave the window open as long as the garden has a free access for anyone, and it is totally dark, besides there aren’t mosquito nets and every kinda bugs can come inside…!!! Horseflies will bites you all the day at the pool (why don’t put a trap?)… a vacation at the hell!! We were counting down the days to come back home, finally… an experience to forget!!
Written August 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kpearce81
Norwich, UK2 contributions
Oct 2015 • Couples
We visited Caimeli as part of a yoga retreat and had an amazing time. The retreat itself is in beautiful surroundings approx 2.5 hours from Rome. During our stay we went to Tuscany to do wine tasting (which I fully recommend) plus we were close to the nearby town, Umbertide which is definitely worth a visit.
The accommodation was good, we stayed in the separate farmhouse building and had a good sized room with en suite. We had a kitchen and living room area which we could have used but didn't need to as James cooked breakfast and an evening meal for us all in the main house.
The food was amazing, I can't recommend it enough, made with fresh ingredients and cooked by James daily. Each evening meal was 3 courses. My personal favourite was the hand made gnocchi and the homemade panna cotta (it was the best I have ever tasted!) There was fresh fruit available all day, along with a
selection of hot drinks.
James was always offering to take people to town / wine tasting etc, we didn't need to as we had hired a car but the offer was always there.
Now on to the yoga.. Catie was awesome!!! A great teacher and she catered for everyone's individual ability at all different levels. My boyfriend is more advanced than me at yoga and I was worried that I would not be able to keep up, but Catie would give different options for each move and you are able to stick with the beginner level or advance further depending on capability.
Every day Catie would ask us all what we wanted to work on and would add these into the classes. My boyfriend wanted to learn more around handstands and had lots of questions etc which Catie would answer throughout the class and also after the classes too.
I found Catie to be incredibly skilled at her role, she was able to demonstrate moves, talk people through them and made everyone feel welcome and at ease. I am definitely planning a second retreat.
Thank you to Catie and James for an excellent retreat, I have come home feeling relaxed and peaceful.
into the clas.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and learnt so much.
The
The accommodation was good, we stayed in the separate farmhouse building and had a good sized room with en suite. We had a kitchen and living room area which we could have used but didn't need to as James cooked breakfast and an evening meal for us all in the main house.
The food was amazing, I can't recommend it enough, made with fresh ingredients and cooked by James daily. Each evening meal was 3 courses. My personal favourite was the hand made gnocchi and the homemade panna cotta (it was the best I have ever tasted!) There was fresh fruit available all day, along with a
selection of hot drinks.
James was always offering to take people to town / wine tasting etc, we didn't need to as we had hired a car but the offer was always there.
Now on to the yoga.. Catie was awesome!!! A great teacher and she catered for everyone's individual ability at all different levels. My boyfriend is more advanced than me at yoga and I was worried that I would not be able to keep up, but Catie would give different options for each move and you are able to stick with the beginner level or advance further depending on capability.
Every day Catie would ask us all what we wanted to work on and would add these into the classes. My boyfriend wanted to learn more around handstands and had lots of questions etc which Catie would answer throughout the class and also after the classes too.
I found Catie to be incredibly skilled at her role, she was able to demonstrate moves, talk people through them and made everyone feel welcome and at ease. I am definitely planning a second retreat.
Thank you to Catie and James for an excellent retreat, I have come home feeling relaxed and peaceful.
into the clas.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and learnt so much.
The
Written October 5, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tina M
ZĂĽrich8 contributions
Sep 2015 • Solo
I have just returned from a week long yoga holiday at Caimeli and wish I could have stayed longer. The place is simply amazing - a couple of secluded old, renovated stone houses in the hills of Umbria, surrounded by olive trees, lavender and forrest. After a pretty hectic time, I felt instantly relaxed and very at peace in this little paradise. The yoga hall is beautiful, a renovated old barn that looks over an infinity pool and a lush valley. The main house itself, where I stayed in a spacious room that opens onto a terrace, is also tastefully renovated and very welcoming.
James, the owner, looked after us as if we were family or friends - he cooked amazing vegetarian meals for us, took us to town in his car, organised tours, cooking classes and other activities for those who were interested in them and was generally very accommodating and friendly. His 12 year old dog is one of the friendliest and most easy going dogs I have ever met, and added to the feeling that we were all like one big family.
I also loved Catie Foroughi, our yoga teacher. Working with her on handstands, arm balances and backbends was a beautiful challenge and very inspiring. She is a dedicated, friendly and very talented teacher who knows how to tailor her course so it fits everyone, no matter what level they are at with their yoga practice.
I only just returned from Caimeli yesterday, but am already looking at when I can return next to this amazing place. Thank you James and Catie for making my week there so wonderful.
James, the owner, looked after us as if we were family or friends - he cooked amazing vegetarian meals for us, took us to town in his car, organised tours, cooking classes and other activities for those who were interested in them and was generally very accommodating and friendly. His 12 year old dog is one of the friendliest and most easy going dogs I have ever met, and added to the feeling that we were all like one big family.
I also loved Catie Foroughi, our yoga teacher. Working with her on handstands, arm balances and backbends was a beautiful challenge and very inspiring. She is a dedicated, friendly and very talented teacher who knows how to tailor her course so it fits everyone, no matter what level they are at with their yoga practice.
I only just returned from Caimeli yesterday, but am already looking at when I can return next to this amazing place. Thank you James and Catie for making my week there so wonderful.
Written October 5, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Does anyone know if they have yoga props? Bolsters, blocks, blankets, chairs...
Thank you
Written August 18, 2019
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