Guest Reviews

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "Cultural Hotel"

"Very much enjoyed this hotel/museum. The staff were attentive and informative . The free bikes a great idea . Well located. The female receptionist (song?) was extremely helpful with tips of where to go and advice . Review collected in partnership with this hotel "

Misool Eco Resort: "Are we there yet?"

"Getting there from the US is grind, but well worth it. As a result of ranger patrols, the marine park is protected and thriving, making the diving (and snorkeling) truly outstanding. The soft corals and marine life are abundant, healthy and beautiful. The dive center is efficiently and well managed. Evening talks were fun and educational. The resort is well designed and eco friendly. Staff are friendly and helpful. Was very sad to leave, but would go back in a heartbeat! Stayed February 2017, traveled with friends"

Rachamankha: "PEACEFUL OASIS"

"We spent 4 nights at the Rachamanka hotel, a small boutique hotel in Chiang Mai. The staff was very friendly & helpful. Our room was large with comfortable beds & quality linens. Bathroom amenities, including a toothbrush/toothpaste & insect repellent, were replaced daily. Breakfast was served in a beautiful courtyard, with a wood burning fire to take the chill off those cool mornings. The grounds are beautifully manicured. Antique Burmese letter chest decorate the walkways. The pool has comfortable chaise lounges with large beach towels. I would definitely stay here again. Stayed January 2017, traveled with friends"

Maduzi Hotel: "Oasis in busy Bangkok"

"Had an enormously big beautifully designed suite and an amazing stay at this peaceful place in the middle of mad Bangkok. Hotel has been designed with a good feeling for space and feng shui and even though it is a few years old, it is an intimate and personal place and feels, like you are staying at someone's private palace. Nice restaurants just around the corner, very close to BTS via Exchange Tower and there is parking for about 20 cars within the walls of the property, which is very unusual for Bangkok I believe. Next time in Bangkok we will be happy to stay here again. Thank you for everybody from the staff, who made our stay very special!"

The Island Lodge: "Magnifique"

Superb hotel in colonial design with views of the Mekong, run by a charming French couple. We ended our trip to Vietnam by staying at the Island Lodge and the only regret we had is not there longer. The home is perfect with a welcome drink, the decor is sought and done with taste, rooms are spacious and comfortable. There is a beautiful pool, a spa with a great massage, and a restaurant. It's very nice to meet service standards "French" after 2 weeks in the end of the Vietnam background. Congratulations to the owners who have created this beautiful jewelry.

Pindaya Farm House: "Lovely place"

My husband and I stayed two nights at this wonderful and cosy place at the country side in central Myanmar. The service and accomodation was excellent and the food very delicious and well prepared. We can highly recommend this lovely place if you are looking for peace and quietness in a nice setting and possibilities to do hiking and biking in the surrounding hilly landscape.

Villa Song Saigon: "Relaxing 2-night stay at boutique"

"We enjoyed our brief stay at VS. The staff was genuinely friendly and helpful. A bulleted summary: Pros: onsite spa (for such a small hotel), staff, number of guests/rooms, location away from congested and loud central HCMC, food, water taxi (albeit operating times), grounds Constructive feedback: elevator (4 stories), water taxi (limited to 9a-6p from hotel), buffet breakfast (ala carte portions large if want to sample multiple items)"

Manukan Island Resort: "Great stay in a hillside villa"

We stayed in a hillside villa. The villa was lovely with two balconies with amazing sea views and access to the private beach. It had all the amenities we needed. The staff are extremely helpful and polite and Ben made sure we had a great experience. The food in the restaurant was good and it has a nice atmosphere in the evening when the day trippers have headed back to KK.. There is also a house band happy to attempt any request you have.. Would definitely recommend a stay here.

Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris: "THE highlight of our trip and one of the most unique experiences we have had to date"

"We recently spent a night at Noel Rodrigo's Leopard Safaris, and the entire experience left us awestruck and amazed. To place things in context, this is an actual campsite that is located next to a national park full of leopards, elephants, crocodiles, deer, wild boar and other forms of wildlife. If you're looking for a sanitised, 5-star luxury resort with all the modern conveniences that accompany such indulgences, this is not for you. If you have a sense of adventure and wish to be close to nature, however, you will find that Noel Rodrigo's has everything you will ever need. Our host and wildlife guide for our stay was Pradeeth. He is extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the wildlife in the park. He was also responsible for ensuring that our stay was comfortable and that all our needs were being met. From the moment we set foot in the camp until we left, we were made to feel like royalty. Pradeeth was supported by a team of discreet but attentive staff. We didn't manage to catch their names or speak very much to them, but this team of employees are the ones responsible for ensuring that everything in the camp runs like clockwork, and a big shout out goes to them. We were also introduced to Sajith who, much to his chagrin, has been promoted to management and no longer takes drives into the park as often as he used to. He did manage to sneak a drive in with us in the afternoon, thankfully. Sajith and Pradeeth are extremely knowledgeable about the park and it was awesome having them by our side during the drives, pointing out things we would otherwise miss. From the distinct call of a distressed deer sensing the presence of a leopard (those calls gave us an indication of where to head towards) to the paw tracks left by a passing porcupine, they made the park come alive to us, and made us attentive to even the smallest of things. Despite being a campsite, and sleeping in actual tents (think: glamping), Noel Rodrigo's had everything we needed. The accommodation was comfortable and the tents came fully equipped with safe deposit boxes, cupboards, flushing toilets and hot showers (on demand)! There is no air-conditioning, but all rooms are equipped with fans, and it does get cool in the evenings. Besides the wildlife and game drives (more on that later), the other highlight of the stay was the food. We were treated to scrumptious spreads every single meal. Beer, wine and gin & tonics were also readily available at NO extra cost. Everything was covered and there were no hidden costs. We dined al fresco every meal - literally out in the open, under the spreading canopy of a huge tree. Dinner was served under the stars, and the dining area was lit by hurricane lamps and candles. It was really special. The game drives were awesome. It could be because we were there during the off-season, but we mostly felt that we had the entire park to ourselves. We were fortunate enough to see 2 leopards during our first, afternoon drive. Pradeeth insisted that we woke up at 4:45am for our second, morning drive so that we could be the first to enter the park. This sacrifice paid off as we spotted another leopard that morning, and it was no further than 10 metres from us! Besides leopards, we also spotted elephants, deer, wild boars, peacocks, jungle fowl, mongoose (mongeese?), hares, kingfishers, crocodiles, hornbills, storks.... I could go on and on. The other thing that set Noel Rodrigo's apart was its emphasis on eco-tourism. We had the honour of being the first two visitors to take part in their new tree planting campaign (ask them about it). We were invited to plant a tree at the camp at the end of our visit in order to reduce our carbon footprint. It was a special gesture, and made us feel that we had invested a part of ourselves at the camp. We promised to return to see our wood apple tree. It also shows how the folks at Noel Rodrigo's genuinely care about the environment and nature. For this reason alone, you should consider Noel Rodrigo's over all the other safari options at Yala. We will be back soon. And until then, we sincerely hope that Noel Rodrigo's continues the good work it is doing over in Yala."

Locavore: "Experience of a lifetime"

"First of all: YOU MUST BOOK AHEAD if you want to go to dinner; lunch is less in demand and somewhat easier. We had the most amazing evening with friendly and efficient staff, an elegant and comfortable dining room - with plenty of space between tables, such a luxury - and then the food. Our party of three included one who is violently allergic to shellfish/seafood so with great care and input from the chefs, an alternative menu was chosen for her that included dishes from the vegetarian menu as well as safe dishes from the meat/fish menu. Then we sat back and the dishes started coming. Not only is the food exquisite, but the dishes (or rocks!) on and in which it's served and beautiful too. We settled for the seven courses and even though each is little more than one or two mouthfuls, it was more than enough and every dish was a surprise and beyond delicious. My favourite (apparently I'm not alone) was the quenelle of Bloody Mary sorbet on a slice of frozen tomato that then had a little jug of hot and clear tomato broth poured over it. More like essence of tomato than broth: absolutely marvellous! Didn't have the matching drinks as I felt a puritan need to walk out under my own steam, but wine is an easy alternative and uniformly and reasonably priced. The chef-owners are passionate about local and fresh produce and experimenting – and it shows. Altogether a memorable evening."