Guest Reviews

Satri House: "High-end colonial feeling!"

Colonial feeling like in a private Villa. The lovingly furnished interior, the pool, the complete architecture is marvellous, just like the home made-jam,, the Croissants and the Baguette at breakfast.

Tugu Malang: "Beautiful and Authentic Hotel"

Beautiful hotel in a gorgeous setting. Lovely spa and good support for bookings and activities across the island. Located very close to a good surf break and able to provide basic assistance with arranging surf expeditions to local beaches.

Inle Princess Resort: "Perfect balance between East and West"

"We loved our two nights at the Inle Princess and wish we'd had longer. Approaching the hotel in a canoe with a local oarsman foot-rowing was the start to a wonderfully relaxing and romantic stay. It is always tricky getting the balance between traditional style and atmosphere on one hand and modern needs on the other. I think they get it just right. The hotel is a series of traditional Burmese wooden houses with verandas, tiny gardens and an additional outdoor shower cabin. We had a lakeside view with wonderful sunsets. It is all beautifully landscaped with paths (lit by small lights at night) winding through trees. There's a pool and a spa where you can get a treatment and enjoy another stunning view. To our surprise there were no insects,apparently they come with the better weather. None even around lights in the garden. August turned out to be not a bad month to go - very few tourists, no bugs and (apart from an occasional downpour) good weather. All the staff were smiley and helpful and the whole place had a peaceful atmosphere. Our room and bathroom were large. The wash area was tucked away separately so the bathroom was basically a large room with a tub in the middle. The lighting was quite dim,so anyone putting on make-up would have a challenge not looking like a painted clown. Contrarily the curtains were quite thin so light streamed in once the sun was up. Large bed was very comfortable. We only ate Asian food and it was pretty good. Stick to cocktails, forget wine. Breakfast on the terrace overlooking the lake will leave an enduring picture in my mind. I could have done without canned music which clashed with the atmosphere but I think it was only breakfast and in the bar. A day on the lake visiting floating islands and local craft-making was a delight. We had a tropical downpour and ponchos and umbrellas were immediately produced. We were on a tight schedule mixing work and holiday so couldn't have the 3 or 4 days we would have liked. For charm and a distinctive atmosphere this hotel deserves a good rating."

MesaStila: "Colonial charm fantastic place"

Great place to explore central java, borobudur, prambanan etc. Estate build in colonial times is perfect getaaway from the city. Nice touch with heritage style villas. Coffee plantation tour is fun and informative, get freshly ground coffee as well. Nicely nestled amongs the mountains with spectacular views, infinity pool and a massive spa for those who like to indulge. Food is decent with good mix of western and local food. Great coffee cocktails! Service is also very very good extremely friendly staff.

The Island Lodge: "Unexpected gem"

I signed up for a two day tour of Mekong delta and the itinerary simply stated that we will stay in a boutique hotel in the delta. Well, this place is special. We arrived by boat and was immediately immersed in a paradise environment. It is located on the banks on Mekong (one of the rivers of the delta) and it is surrounded by lush landscaping. I took advantage of many bikes they provide and biked around the island, which was very easy trip because of the flat profile. The hotel itself is superb in their services, perfect pool, excellent restaurant and very helpful staff. I felt like in Marguerite Duras' novel for fantastic 16 hours. The only drawback was that I could stay only for less than one day but it was worth it. I need to come back and stay longer, I simply loved it.

Jing’s Residence: "Good place that you just cannot miss.."

Do spend time to sit outside of the room, hotel will help to set tea table with sweet stuffs. This is quite different experience that you couldn't get from other 5 star hotels. The only weakness is not many selection from breakfast menu.

Tugu Bali: "Hotel with old charm"

"Hotel Tugu Bali is located on the shores of Canggu Beach at one of the most romantic places in the island. We stayed here a few nights over the Nyepi day, which is the Balinese day of silence and it was an incredible experience. The staff members have done everything to make this time pleasant for all the guests and we immediately felt like a part of a family. The mission of Tugu luxury art hotels is to bring back to life the art, soul and romance of Indonesia's long forgotten years. The hotel owner is an antique collector for many years and all the priceless pieces of Indonesian antiques and artworks are beautifully positioned around the hotel, blending perfectly with the hotel ambience. From the moment we arrived, we were pleasantly greeted by the hotel staff members. They send a car to pick us up from our previous hotel with delicious fruit baskets to enjoy during the ride. A lovely touch! So, from the moment we arrived to the hotel we knew that this would be an unforgettable experience. The hotel manager took us around the hotel and explained us about different antiques and all the special pieces that the hotel possess. At the lobby entrance you stumble upon an impressive wooden giant Garuda, which was carved from a 120-years-old tree. Around the grand lobby are tropical gardens with beautiful lotus ponds and small paths that leads to the resort villas. We stayed in spacious Rejang Suite, which was located on the upper floor of a charming Javanese house. The suite had dark timber interior and was decorated with different artworks. The room had a working area, separate shower and bathroom, a big carved four-poster bed, a terrace with a private spa area and a unique sunken bathtub with amazing views over the Indian Ocean. A dining concept at Hotel Tugu Bali is completely different than in any other hotel we have stayed at. You can choose to dine whenever and where ever you like. We usually had our breakfast in the lobby with lovely view of the garden. The breakfast was a la carte and the food was delicious. They also served the high tea with different sweets every day. In the evening we have planned a romantic dinner Picnik in Bed, but because it was raining, we had to move it from the beach to the 300-years-old Bale Sutra Temple. We felt like a royalty sitting at this big table where many, many years before the royal Balinese kings had their dinner served. Amazing! Hotel Tugu Bali is a special place, it gives you the real Bali feeling. So, if you are looking for an authentic and luxurious hotel in Bali, this is a place for you."

Villa Song Saigon: "Luxurious Hotel and Great Chef"

"I've started to miss Villa Song very much. We normally have a weekend there to escape from busy noisy down town, and get relaxing after heavy working days. It was pity that our last asking to stay there on the weekend of 12-13 August was unsuccessful, because ""our"" room 203 was occupied. It made me miss the sunset over the balcony to the river, dinners prepared by Chef Kevin with lots of creative tastes and caring. I really enjoy the room with the big bath room served with nice bathtub, and separate shower, and really comfortable bed under nice temperature. Last of not least, I can tell the foods made by Chef Kevin are the best in town. We can feel his heart on the dishes, his caring for the wine pairing. Kevin and the staff always make us the most warm welcome ambiance. We really feel like home there."

NOEL RODRIGO’S LEOPARD SAFARIS: "Memorable and fun packed 2 day safari in Wilpattu"

"We had high hopes for the 2 day safari, and were not disappointed! Pila was our naturalist host and he drove the jeep and hosted us throughout the safari. He is a knowledgable and experienced guide, very committed to providing a wonderfully memorable and diverse experience. We saw many varieties of birds, mammals and reptiles, often thanks to Pila's sharp and expert eyes. He was happy to provide as much information as we wanted, and carried a selection of reference books on the jeep to add background information to what we were seeing. The highlight was seeing 2 leopards, one up close and magnificent! But we were also delighted by the mongooses, deer, mugger crocs, jackals, painted storks, eagles, brown fish owl, langurs, monitors, turtles, woolly neck storks, adjutants, kingfishers, bee eaters, and many other stars. Pila also educated us about the flora and especially species unique to the area. We observed other professional park guides greeting Pila with respect and deference and realised we were fortunate to be with one of the best. The campsite was in a very natural setting. We had the impression it was actually within Wilpattu National Park, which isn't the case. It's about 15 minutes drive to the entrance. However there were only short queues and the campsite location was fairly peaceful and very beautiful, with plenty of natural sights and sounds. The cook and team produced delicious and beautifully presented food, and all manner of lovely small touches. Cold towels on arrival and each return from game drives, a small library of reference books, torches, campfire, refreshing King coconut water, warm showers on request, solar powered lights in the tent, gorgeous fresh fruit, 4 course meals with plenty to go around. Our first night was on a full moon night, Poya celebration for Buddhists. It was very special to be served a wonderful moonlit dinner in this amazing setting. The second day we were joined by 2 delightful New Zealanders and their Sri Lankan friend, who were great company on the game drives and during our lovely meals, which also added to the magical and memorable experience. "

THE SAMAR: "Ideal spot for exploring!"

"We stayed here for 5 days two days longer than planned but it was so nice here we stayed a couple of days longer. The room was class, very clean and of high quality good shower. Price wise we got a good deal, you can get cheaper and hunt all day long for the best price but we were very happy in that respect. We ate out a lot, breakfast was good just what we needed, good evening meals too, good local food which is what we are here for! Tuk tuks were easily available and the drivers were a right old laff, took us to all the best places to visit, nothing like a local to show you around the temples better than a guide book! All in all we had a fab time and would highly recommend Samar Villa to anyone, can't wait to come back!"