Rak Ko Jae Seoul: "A nice respite from a busy life and city"
Rak Ko Jae was truly a peaceful respite after a long day of travel to South Korea. I had read lots of reviews and expected the experience to be a little more... interactive perhaps? Really, this was a pretty solitary experience as we seemed to be the only ones there and only had contact with the staff at meal times. The hanok was smaller than I expected and very quaint. I woke up at 5am and actually WANTED to get out of bed and go outside and just sit and breathe the fresh air and listen to the sparrows sing and fly around me. It was so peaceful and quiet and still. (...) I highly recommend Rak Ko Jae, but I would also say to expect a very quiet and somewhat uneventful experience while you stay. The uneventfulness of our stay was a treat, and we didn't leave once between check-in and check-out! They even reminded us that check-out was 15 minutes away... we were aware, just trying to soak up every bit of our time there.Locavore: "Very nice!"
"Very nice ambience and staff. The food is good (very different) but you expect this difference when you are going to a restaurant that specializes in local food that is not from your country. The only thing I didn't like about this place is that I told them about my ginger allergy before going and until we were there they told me that I could not have almost half of the menu that they prepared and only gave me the option to eat from the vegetarian menu. I told them that i really wanted something with fish and they tell me that they couldn't. Every restaurant that we've been in Asia had given me the option to make similar dishes to the ones in the menu and just without ginger or they even made different sauces and had them before we came in. Besides this, Locavore is a nice and different experience while visiting Ubud. The cocktails were great!"Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge: "An amazing experience.."
"Firstly, my apologies, as my review comes in very late. We travelled as a family of 5 and had planned a one-night stay at Tiger Mountain in late March. The moment we stepped into the lodge, its location took our breath away. Looking down at the valley below and the clouds in the distance, my family was instantly taken with the property. I, of course, had ulterior motives, Tiger Mountain is renowned to be one of the best birding destinations in Nepal. We were welcomed very warmly by Jhalak, the property's customer service manager who gave us a complete overview of the property. We had arrived at lunchtime, so after taking our lunch (all freshly made, the highlight of which was the tomato chutney), we retired to our rooms where the view was equally marvelous if not more. (...)As my family had some specific food requirements, the hotel stage were kind enough us to whip us something when the regular meal choices didn't make sense. At night once the weather had settled, Hari brought me out to listen to the haunting call of the Mountain Scops Owl, and since I had a flashlight, he said I could try my luck to catch the eye shine of a wandering yellow-throated marten (no luck there!). Next morning, I was up again to go with Hari, and after a quick clouded view of the Himalayas, we were off. We saw many more species, including the Khaleej pheasant scurrying away from the owner's bungalow into the forest. Truly a birder's paradise this. Jhalak and all the other staff ensured throughout our stay that we were well looked after (Jhalak, I did mention you to Jitudai at Chitwan, he beamed brightly when he heard yours and Hari's name). All in all, a wonderful stay, cozy, relaxing and for an amateur birder, downright enjoyable :) "MesaStila: "Wonderful and different"
"Just left beautiful Mesastila Hotel. In the middle of a coffee plantation surrounded by jungle. We stayed in a typical Javanese villa, like nothing I have stayed in before. It had lovely furniture and antiques and was huge. And as for the terrace-enormous. Fabulous spa and restaurant. The staff couldn't do enough for us. They arranged our trips and were friendly and polite. It is a very different kind of experience at Mesastila. The attention you expect but the buildings, history and immaculate gardens make it an experience you are unlikely to forget. Wonderful."Inle Heritage Stilt Houses: "Unique Boutique Hotel with fabulous service"
"My sister and I spent 6 nights at this fabulous hotel and I can honestly say I have never stayed at a hotel with better service. It is a training hotel for the hospitality industry and each year there is a new intake of about 48 students from all parts of Myanmar. The attention to detail is unsurpassed in each of the six stilted huts which feature local crafts and fabric with a lot of teak wood. Breakfast was served each morning overlooking the reed banks floating in the lake. Stunning views in all directions. There is a very special shrine room featuring a fabulous shrine copied from a temple nearby. My favourite feature of the hotel is the Burmese cats. The hotel has taken on a project to reintroduce the Burmese cats to Myanmar. The breed had all but died out. Guests are allowed to spend time with these precious animals getting a cuddle. We were fortunate to attend a cooking course at the hotel with the head chef. What an amazing experience that was, not cheap but worth every cent. Perhaps my only negative at this magical place was the passing boat noise which is probably to be expected if you stay on a lake and that is the only form of transport available. I would strongly recommend a few nights stay at this very unique hotel. I can't finish this review without mentioning some of the very special staff members who made our stay even more enjoyable, thanks Pann Myet, Nay Zaw, Chaw Su and Thun and so many others. Stayed December 2016, traveled with family"The River Resort: "Magnificent"
We had booked a garden view room but when we arrived there were few people staying and we were upgraded at no cost to a River Front room. The room was very nice with a lovely outlook over the river. We enjoyed the infinity swimming pools and the natural landscaping of the resort. All staff were extremely helpful and polite. The restaurant served excellent meals including breakfast. We enjoyed our stay and extended. Everything is very clean. Highly recommended.Mathis Retreat: "Best place in Ubud"
"My wife and I stayed at the Kenanga for our honeymoon in Ubud. The place has a unique charm, and is very relaxing. The rice fields in front of the infinity pool and the restaurant are breath taking. The staff is so friendly and always smiling. They made sure that we were satisfied From the moment we arrived until we left. We would highly recommend this place to anyone going to Ubud. "4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "Peaceful trip away from the city"
"The resort arranged a car to pick us up at the airport, which took us on a long drive out of the city and into the woods. Afterwards, we still need to take another ride on a boat, that was waiting for us on the docks. Once we arrive at the resort and greeted with an extremely friendly service, we immediately felt charged up. We were told that there are a variety of activities that we could do, and the best thing is that there is no internet, cell phone reception and absolutely no wifi. It is the ultimate getaway tactic. They have a small reading room filled with books, dvds and board games that you can borrow though. Each tent has a tv and dvd player and strictly no AC. The food is fantastic, I typically like breakfast, where you can pick one of each selection on the menu (I did gain weight after this trip). Each and every one of the staff is amazing and helpful. We stayed there for a few days, so we are able to do plenty of activities. We went to a small fisherman village at Koh Srolao, saw Tatai waterfall and kayaking around the mangroves. Try kayaking near the resort, just on the back there is a hidden area that is so peaceful and quiet. Didn't go off the boat because a few staff warned us of leeches. Also tried fishing, but that didn't go so well, the current is too strong. It was a perfectly amazing trip. Away from emails, social medias, texts and other things that ""concerns"" us. Try staying a few days here, be in touch with nature and yourself, surrounded with nature, wonderful people and delicious food."Reverie Siam Pai: "Delightful hotel"
We had a four day stay at the Reverie Siam with my elderly parents and two month old baby. The staff were excellent - very kind and flexible when it came to accommodating our baby. I felt comfortable breastfeeding in the restaurant and by the pool which was a massive bonus for me since I didn't have to hole myself up alone to feed. The rooms were beautiful and we loved the jacuzzis. The pools are lovely and we were lucky that the hotel wasn't too crowded - we had sun loungers every day. One thing that was slightly disappointing was the food. Although reasonably priced, I was sad that the meals were not exactly generous in size. The pizzas were especially tiny! Someone is very good at writing menus because everything sounded delicious, but nothing really lived up to its description. Breakfast was big - two dishes, a hot drink, and a juice, but again, the taste just wasn't quite there. All in all though, we had a really great stay and will definitely return if we can.Mume: "Knocked it out of the park!"
"we ordered 2 appetizers- Oysters and tartlets, 3 small dishes- prawns, waygu tartare and beef tongue and 2 big dishes- amadai fish and beef cheek. 2 deserts - Cucumber sorbet and passion fruit cake. 1 bottle of water and 2 glasses of wine. Oysters and tartlets were both very good. Prawns, tartare and beef tongue were excellent. Amadai fish and beef cheek were nothing short of amazing. Deserts were also very creative and tasted great. I mean when was the last time that you thought of cucumber as a desert ? This is a restaurant that is truly deserving of a 5 star rating."
Travel Asia with Secret Retreats
Secret Retreats is a curated community of independent boutique hotel, villas, yachts and river boats keen to share their Asian Homes with travelers, sustainably and responsibly.
Conservation of the environment, culture and traditions of Asia is of paramount importance to all in Secret Retreats.
A community of like-minded hospitality professionals, we offer our guests authentic travel experiences that go beyond typical offerings to unveil the essence of Asia. Supporting the Asia based hoteliers and hospitality professionals and providing incredible holidays in Asia and tailor-made Asia travel itineraries direct to public ad travel agents.
Get inspired and make savings!
By booking direct with Secret Retreats and enjoy peace of mind from our full on the ground support. Contact our concierge and plan then book your Asia holiday now!
