Guest Reviews

Maduzi Hotel: "Beautiful, serene hotel with lovely attention to detail"

"We were pointed towards 'small luxury hotels of the world' and found this little charmer. By comparison to a lot of the other hotels on the site, it was relatively inexpensive at just under £100 for the night. The welcome was lovely, a genuine welcome drink from a selection (including alcohol - yay) and a strict rule of no tipping. The lobby is beautifully appointed with great attention to detail, from the sumptuous sofas to the endless array of Asian teapots. The room itself is gorgeous, with a GINORMOUS bed which could easily sleep around 27 good friends, a fabulous infinity jacuzzi bath and separate large dressing area and luggage storage. I would HIGHLY recommend this place and likely stay again. Stayed April 2017"

Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge: "A very special place"

It's not often that I come across a place like Tiger Mountain which has such a rich history, character and genuine warmth. The staff led by Marcus is first class - almost all of them have been with the lodge from the start (nearly 20 years) so there is a sense of real family and connection. A colleague of mine who has lived in Kathmandu for the past 20 years recommended this gem to me and i can see why. Escaping the chaos of Kathmandu to the quiet hills and being surrounded by beauty, clean air and the option of relaxed strolls through the local village or an afternoon reading a book with tea while facing the mountains - it was perfect! But most of the all, the people made it special. Thank you Marcus and team for making my stay so memorable and for connecting me to such lovely and interesting guests - like Carol below whose birthday i celebrated on my first night there. I will be back very soon.

The Apsara Rive Droite: "Excellent for a very reasonable price"

"I am a creature of habits so I return to places I like. It was great to see The Apsara still going strong. It has been spruce up a big, not that it needed to (aircon in my favourite room, number 7, changed and quieter). This is a truly boutique hotel, located in the heard of the UNESCO designated area and a short walk to everything. Staff is excellent, but as expected in Lao, English can be challenging, which is part of the charm. Any issues in respect of reservation, tours are sorted out by Loun, the experienced and knowledgeable front office manager. Rooms are enormous and have a very Indochina feeling to them. Breakfast is lovely. An excellent and well know restaurant with a lovely bar is located here. A truly delight to return. Stayed October 2016, traveled solo"

Locavore: "Stunning food and flawless service!"

As professional chef and lover of all types of food, I was pleasantly surprised at the outstanding quality of the food, presentation and service at Locavore. Each dish was beautiful and delicious and sitting at the chefs counter made it even better as we could see the food being made and watch the silent precision behind the scenes. This meal is in my top three restaurant meals ( alongside The French Laundry, Napa Valley and Eden Hill, Seattle) of all time! I liked that the degustation size is small, as I left full but not overly heavy. In addition to the 5 course degustation we ordered we received no less than 6 amuse bouche and a whole tray of petit fours for dessert. The cocktails were awesome. This is a must do in Ubud! Thank you Locavore, I am inspired! Leela Brett

Babe: "A dinner to remember, but you want to get ready for the damage (the bill)"

"We've spent just two days in KL and this restaurant has become one of the most memorable experience for us. The view was unbelievable and we were lucky enough to get a ""front row"". The personnel is just beyond expectations - polite, classy, service hearts indeed. The chef is just fantastic, he presented his own quisine: zapas - japanese sushi. His dishes are like a symphony - he took us from literally a splash in a mouth, to intense flavors and then experimental ice cream dish...and the dessert...we've ordered french fries with truffle on top of the offered set. We also loved the selection of sake, absolutely loved it. Yes, we paid quite a big bill, but it was worth it! Also, if you a celebrating an anniverary - go ahead, surprise your significant other. A show at a table next to us left me speachless...)"

The Island Lodge: "Such a luxury shelter 2 hours from Saigon"

"Seeing some good comments on this hôtel, we changed our plans to go for this boutique hotel to spend 2 days there. The rooms have a total view on the Mekong , the pool and the restaurant also. You will live with the river while you are there. Owners dedicated all their time to create this harbor and will spend time to make you feel at home. Restaurant is at the top end of what you will find in the best hotels here in Vietnam, with a slight French touch. The ratio quality /price is high and I recommend without hesitation."

NOEL RODRIGO’S LEOPARD SAFARIS: "Incredible Experience"

"We visited the Leopard Safari February 2015 while on a long overseas trip to SE Asia-- hence I am posting this a year later! It was a remarkable experience. The camp itself was a pleasure to stay in-the tents and beds comfortable and spotless--a remarkable feat given the rain and mud. We were travelling with a four year old who explored every path and the staff were marvelous help keeping her amused-they were genuine and attentive which we appreciated! The food was memorable and we felt completely catered to--my husband and I prefer food on the spicy side and the chefs certainly delivered! Now for the wildlife: we were extremely lucky--saw leopards every second time we went out (we went out a total of 5 or 6 times) so we would recommend staying at least two nights--we stayed three because we wanted to increase our chances of seeing leopards. In one encounter, we tracked a leopard as it moved around a large watering hole and the guide accurately predicted where it would emerge and you could actually see the animals reacting (giving their warning calls) to the hidden leopard as it moved around the small lake. It was like living a National Geographic episode! The guides are clearly leopard enthusiasts but the number of exotic (to us) birds, reptiles and small game they identified for us made each trip out an experience to remember. The icing on the cake was seeing young leopards playing together only about a car length away from us! The guide generously shared all his high res photos with us; our camp seemed to be in a prime location to access the park; our tour appeared more intimate than others we saw and our guides seemed to be highly respected by the other drivers (who shared tips and sightings freely with us). This really is a first class experience and we would and have recommended Noel's Leopard Safari to anyone travelling to Sri Lanka. "

Inle Heritage Stilt Houses: "Hôtel Parfait"

"Excellent hôtel-concept. En effet, outre les 6 bungalows, on y trouve aussi une école hôtelière, un espace sur la culture intha et la faune/flore du lac, un parc à chats birmans dont le but est de réintroduire l'espèce dans son pays d'origine. Les chambres sont donc des bungalows sur pilotis en bois. Très bien décorés, modernes et sobres mais dans un style assez local. Très belle salle d'eau avec quelques bambous décoratifs du plus bel effet. Terrasse donnant sur le plan d'eau, magnifique au couché du soleil. La chambre est vaste et la literie est vraiment très bonne, ce qui n'est pas toujours le cas en Birmanie. Il y a aussi de l'eau en suffisance et dans des bouteilles en verre remplies chaque jours, ce qui évite la surconsommation de bouteille en pet. Un safe, le seul vrai que l'on ait vu dans le pays, mais sans doute dans l'endroit où c'est le moins utile. Le personnel, principalement issu de l'école, est aux petits soins et est vraiment dévoué et se fait un plaisir de présenter les différentes parties de la structure. Deux petits bémols: premièrement le bruit des pirogues de tôt le matin à tard le soir (village tout proche et canal important menant au lac Sankar) mais c'est le cas pour tous les hôtels flottant du lac Inlé). Deuxièmement, c'est vraiment dommage qu'il n'y ait pas un spa dans ce magnifique hôtel. C'est peut-être la dernière chose avant la perfection! Ne serait-ce qu'un petit coin massage avec vue sur la superbe végétation lacustre. Attention par contre, il vaut mieux prévoir son arrivée voire même ses activités pour le séjour un peu à l'avance (même si l'hôtel peut le faire sans problème). En effet il faut compter 1h de pirogue (+1h pour que le piroguier puisse rentrer). Donc pensez à arriver assez tôt, 15h30 dernier délai depuis Nyaungshwe, et oubliez tout de suite une arrivée nocturne. Finalement, le soir, pas le choix il faut manger au restaurant de l'hôtel. Ce n'est cependant pas un défaut puisque celui-ci est vraiment de très bonne qualité."

Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge: "Rural eco-lodge with stunning views"

We stayed here for a couple of nights in October 2015. It was the ideal relaxation before embarking on a trek in the Annapurna region. The lodge aims to be very eco-friendly and produces much of its own food in the grounds. Escorted walks are possible; we went on a short 2-hour one and gained an insight into Nepalese rural life. We stayed in our own bungalow, and took meals and drinks in the main building, which has a bar and restaurant. The food was excellent! Our lunches were Nepalese and dinner more European in style, and the breakfasts were huge! We enjoyed sun-downers and snacks in the evening in the bar, and during power cuts it was romantically candle-lit! We were woken early with coffee at our room to view the sunrise over the Fishtail mountain - a fabulous sight! Attentive and friendly staff made our visit perfect.

The Island Lodge: "Wonderful Mekong holiday"

Wonderful Mekong escape just two hours from Saigon. A totally different world watching the boats go by, bicycling on Unicorn island on our own or in nearby Ben Tre province through cacao and coconut farms, a short boat ride away, arranged through the hotel. Michel and Francoise are delightful hosts, as was the manager, Emi. Resort is somewhat pricey for Vietnam standards, but worth it. Rooms are spacious, beautifully decorated, and either have river views or are garden bungalows, both with terraces. Pool and jacuzzi are nice and food is delicious. At least the duck, beef carpaccio, seafood soup, gazpacho... All the breads and pastries are homemade. Wine prices are reasonable by the glass or bottle, and corkage fee if bring own is 200,000.