Istria might be a region rich in natural and historic treasures, but nothing has ever made us keener to visit than this home in the tiny village of Nova Vas. Despite its bucolic surroundings, this place is far from rustic, equipped with everything from a heated indoor swimming pool with counter-current jets – available from September to June – to a fully equipped fitness room where you can hire a private masseuse to knead all your worries away. And that’s without even touching on the sprawling grounds where you’ll find a Japanese koi pond and not one but two private waterfalls. We weren’t kidding when we said this home had it all. This is a great base for all age groups, but it’ll be a particularly big hit with little ones thanks to its on-site playground and proximity to Aquapark Istralandia, a fun day out for all the family. That’s not to say that child-free groups won’t have anything to keep them busy though. Grab a bike and set off on a gentle jaunt through the countryside or drive into Novigrad for a day of sunbathing by the Adriatic Sea.

Additional fees

• Your host can help arrange a variety of extra services during your stay, including massages and beauty treatments, wine tours, laundry and dry cleaning, fridge fills, restaurant reservations, private chefs, airport transfers, and car hire

• If you’re travelling with children, your host can organise babysitting services – alternatively, a live-in nanny can be arranged at a cost of £475-£670 per week

• There may be some extra fees to pay here, such as charges for utilities, final cleaning fees, city tax and security deposits – all of which you may need to pay in cash to the homeowner. Please reach out during the booking process to confirm.

Additional fees subject to a 3.5% handling charge.