Guest Reviews

Misool Eco Resort: "Magic Misool"

"In November/ December 2017 we had the pleasure of experiencing Misool for the first time. Located in the pristine Raja Ampat Coral Triangle, with its glorious corals and bountiful fish, it is the most beautiful marine environment we have ever experienced! Misool caters for professional divers with a well-equipped dive centre, but there are daily excursions for snorkelers such as ourselves and we did not feel deprived or second-class to the divers. Boat-rides to nearby small islands were short 10-minute hops, 20 minutes at most, and the guides were both friendly and professional, pointing out small nudibranches or other items of interest that might otherwise escape our attention.There are turtles, black-tip sharks, big bumphead parrotfish and Napoleon wrasse, large shoals of fusiliers and jacks alongside all the regulars, and we were especially blown away by the psychedelic colourful soft corals. We saw a lot of bigger fish than on snorkeling trips in other locations such as Maldives, Red Sea and Zanzibar, probably due to the fact that Misool has established a no-take zone and rigorously engages local communities about sustainable practices which have allowed marine life to flourish. In addition to these snorkelling boat-trips we spent many hours on the excellent, and extensive, house reef which is easily accessible from the various cottages. Accommodation is excellent, the bedroom in our Tabisasu Villa had a large comfortable bed, more than adequate shelf space, and a mosquito net which was set up every night while we were at dinner, although with air-con and two fans in the bedroom we hardly ever saw a mosquito. Tabisasu also has a spacious lounge room, with numerous plugpoints and a desk where you can check your Go-Pro footage and recharge for the next day. There are spare beds in the lounge if necessary, and even a day-bed on the deck, where you can spend your spare time gazing out onto the water and islands in the distance. Dolphins swim past, turtles pop up, and the water lapping away underneath soothes you to sleep at night. Tabisasu faces the sunrises and we would often be up early to snorkel the coral gardens in front of us before first breakfast. Misool offers a unique meal schedule with an early breakfast before first dive or snorkel then a 2nd breakfast from about 10.00 when you get back. Lunch at 13.00 is followed by a handy afternoon tea with cookies and snacks to keep you going until dinner at 19.00. Misool goes out of their way to accommodate individual diet requirements and as vegetarians we were very well catered for by the attentive and helpful staff. All the staff, from management to restaurant to boat teams to cleaners give personalised friendly attention to your needs, creating a fantastic relaxing ambience to go with the exquisite layout of cottages and facilities. The resort holds around forty visitors which means it does not feel crowded, there is enough space for interaction with others or privacy, as you prefer. The overall standards at Misool are first class, without touristy pretentiousness - even the word “resort” is perhaps an unfair categorization; it is essentially a place for snorkelers, divers and nature-lovers who care about the world, and marine life in particular. The Misool Foundation has a very credible programme of social engagement activities that reflect the highest integrity, and interested parties can obtain a good insight into Misool, its history and programmes through its informative website. Getting to Misool is rather arduous, there is a four-hour speedboat journey to follow the various long flights that get you to Sorong, but the admin team will assist with providing you options, based around 7, 9 or 12 day stays. For us, the overall costs were way above our normal travel budget but for such an enriching and inspiring experience, it was totally worth it."

Babe: "Food with a view"

This place is food divinity! The waiter offered me for trying the lamb chop. Uhmmm no words required, the lamb was very tasty!!! So juicy and tender. This place serves Japanese tapas with a mix of western Japanese. The food prepared here was something I had not seen elsewhere and was delicious. The staffs are very nice and the seafood are very fresh as some of their ingredients are flown in from Japan. I love the atmosphere where you dine next to the swimming pool. The dim lights, the seats and the magnificent view gives thus place two thumbs up.

Hotel Tugu Lombok: "The Most Beautiful Resort I’ve Ever Been"

"My last birthday, I wanted to go somewhere quiet and unique. So I opt for one of my favourite hotel group: Tugu in Lombok. Tugu hotels are known for their design and stories. The owner is known as one of Indonesia's biggest antiques collectors, and his collection is so big that whenever he build a hotel or a restaurant, the place will be filled with antiques with lots of stories. This is exactly what I got. Their Lobby is an antique house called Rumah Ampenan from the Dutch inquisition era, brought to Sire Beach for safekeeping. Their restaurant is called the Bale Kokok Pletok because its roof is shaped like a chicken - and it is made inspired by the tale of Dewi Sri. The whole resort is filled with stories and history of how the thing was made. And all the staff will happily share the stories with you. So they made my whole trip really memorable. Other than the design part, the whole place is super eco friendly yet still have modern convenience and great amenities. There are two main pools available, aside the ones in the villas. But you might find it hard to leave the beach because it is filled with white soft sands and quiet waves. We love everything about our trip at Hotel Tugu Lombok. Oh and the food is great too. Their policy is to have breakfast anywhere you want, and we chose to have it in our room on the first morning, and by the beach on the second one. Not just anywhere, but you can order anything you want too. AMAZING!"

Inle Princess Resort: "Remains charming"

"Love this hotel. Its unique and peaceful situation with lovely rooms/bungalows and its impressive and helpful staff makes this the ideal place to explore the lake and its surrounding villages and temples. One of the best places to stay in Myanmar. Food is good too. Breakfast and dinner looking over the inlet is as good as it gets. Our fourth stay here."

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "Amazing ,seculded art of the world"

"Unique part of our holiday - the team service, smiles and activities are exceptional The glam-tents accomdation provide a location that is remote and provides eceptional insight into a ruggedly beautiful art of Cambodia. We highly recommend a minimum night stay to breath in and be art of this secial environment - Cambodia has so much more to offer in terms of natural beauty and environment luxury and Uniqueness than Angor Wat"

Villa Song Saigon: "Amazing"

This is the best hotel I've ever stayed at. From the food to the great staff, I couldn't ask for a better experience. We were greeted by the manager and staff with the utmost charm and led to an incredible room. The pool and the restaurant were amazing as well. If you're looking for a place to stay that is quiet and beautiful, choose Villa Song.

Jing’s Residence: "Personal"

"It's a 5 star all around. Excellent: accommodations; staff; and food. Central location. Everything worth seeing is walkable. Accommodations induced pickup and delivery at the rail station. Provided good information on what to see and how best to see. Language communication no problem. A must stop on a China visit. Stayed March 2016, traveled as a couple "

KHWAN BEACH RESORT: "Incredible location! Modern villas, great service"

"Just left a four day stay here and I must say that it was an incredible experience. You get what you pay for with money here, the villas are impeccable, spacious, well presented and team at Khwan were exceptionally accommodating! The location is beach facing, and if your villa is not beach facing then it's only a 20 second walk to a very peaceful, quiet bay! The town itself is full of activity, in particular the Thursday night market and also Romans restaurant ( both highlights) you can hire a moped for 200 thb around the corner and then you have easy access to the whole island! The staff at Kwhan made it all the more special however. They were so kind, and on the final day when I was struggling to manage the journey inland to the next destination they were super helpful in getting me there and making sure I was taken care of. I genuinely appreciated it! Overall, I would recommend staying here! Tiny bit more expansive than most but you do get a lot more for your buck x "

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "Slice of Paradise"

"How I wished we had another night! This is a remarkable experience in the middle of the jungle. Don't be put off by the thought of a tent, this is luxury rather than camping. You can swim from your deck and borrow kayaks and fishing rods, or simply relax in the sunshine. We went on the sunset trip which was beautiful. The fireflies were an unexpected bonus. We also took the trip to Tatai Waterfall. That was great fun and we kayaked halfway back which was so peaceful. They provide lunch and towels. Just take sunscreen and a swimming costume or you could jump in like the locals fully clothed! On our second evening we drank cocktails on the main deck and watched the sun go down before dinner. The food is good- delicious homemade pineapple jam at breakfast. We also enjoyed the waffles which were more like American pancakes with fruit and ice cream. The portion was huge so one to share was plenty. Thank you to the staff for looking after us so well. This is really a unique experience you don't want to miss. Stayed February 2017, traveled as a couple"

Manukan Island Resort: "Wow"

Spent 3 days, 2 nights here. Started with a lovely greeting by very friendly staff. Great room with water views. Large room, good bathroom and nice verandah to sit on and watch the world go by. Try the walk up to sunset point - was cloudy when I went, but still nice. Food in restaurant is nice, dearer than mainland but still cheap compared to home. Good buffet breakfast. Lots of people on the island during the day with locals coming over, but they all leave late afternoon then it's all yours. Very relaxing, peaceful few days. Went on snorkeling trip to nearby islands from here too. Great. Would love to come back here.