Guest Reviews

Villa Song Saigon: "Lovely little gem"

We travelled with our family. The hotel is a little oasis in an over crowded city. Its a boutique hotel on the river. It is away from the city and the hustle bustle. The hotel staff is very attentive. There is only one restaurant but the menu is quite vast and everything we tried was really good. The hotel is very good about directing you to nice restaurants in the area if you prefer to eat out.

Blackitch Artisan Kitchen: "Thai Degustation"

"We stumbled across this diamond in the rough after dodging a restaurant with a sick (coughing/sneezing) waitress and another with no fan or a/c working. After dodging these first world problems we wandered past the nightlife at the surrounding bars and noticed Blackitch. Artisan kitchens can be rather hit and miss but this location is quaint coupled with enticing reviews welcomed us in. Obviously we didn't reserve a spot prior to dining and after a brief discussion with the kitchen hands the sous chef encouraged us to dine. We were unsure what to expect with no menu or information about the experience other than a drinks list. The house made plum wine was superb over ice and my partner enjoyed the root beer (sarsparilla for those playing in Aus). We were delighted from the first dish of the degustation through to the dessert. The chef showed pride and pleasure with our dining experience adding to the evening. Yes the price is significantly more than what you may pay elsewhere however the quality and personalised service for both of us including drinks for circa 4,500BHT is reasonable in comparison to other degustation dinings. Our favourite dish was the duck blood sausage followed by the banana fritter dessert. Unfortunately the only pic I managed was that of an empty bowl as I devoured the bouquet of flavours shortly after each serving. Recommended for a couples night of fine dining."

Slow Villas and Spa: "Amazing stay in private pool villas"

"The peace in the peaceful Gili Air. We really enjoyed our time in the private pool, the breakfast ""at home"" and the attention to simple details (from the furniture to the kitchen appliances). It was the well-deserved relax after 2 weeks of rumbling around Bali, Lombok and the Gilis. Only remark, it is almost in the center of the island, you have to bike to get to the coast (bikes are avaiable for rent) and at night it is pretty dark."

Misool Eco Resort: "Umweltfreundliche, entlegene Taucherlodge in paradiesischer Umgebung"

"Andrew und Marit, heutige Besitzer der Misool Lodge, haben aus einer Vision eine Realität gemacht. Wo einst ein Camp von illegalen Haifischern stand wurde eine traumhafte Ökolodge geschaffen: nicht luxuriös im herkömmlichen Sinne, aber von höchstem Niveau: Hütten, Restaurant, Tauchbasis sind perfekt. Beim Bau wurden Treibholz und umgefallene Tropenbäume verwendet, das Riff wurde (im Gegensatz zu den meisten Malediven-Inseln) nicht angerührt. Inzwischen hat die ""no-take"" Zone eine Fläche von 220 km2, und eigene Patrouillen sorgen dafür, dass illegale Fischer gestellt (und manchmal auch verhaftet) werden. Die erstaunliche Erholung der Fischbestände (um bis zu 600%!) wird wissenschaftlich dokumentiert. Es wird viel für die umliegenden Dörfer gemacht, und über 100 Personen haben Arbeitsplätze bekommen. Die Hütte war geräumig, die Klimaanlage überflüssig da es nie wirklich heiß war. Es gab einige interessante Vorträge. Das Essen war leicht und schmackhaft, die Betreuung freundlich. Die Tauchbasis hatte für jede Hütte eine eigene ""work station"" mit mehreren Steckdosen, auf 4-6 Taucher kamen jeweils 2 Tauchguides. Die Tauchplätze waren meist nur 5-10 Minuten entfernt. Die Unterwasserwelt prachtvoll mit tausenden Fischarten und Korallen, meist etwas trüb durch Plankton. Ein Höhepunkt war Magic Mountain, eine Putzstation für zwei Mantaarten, die uns umkreisten. Das Preisniveau war sehr hoch, und wir mussten für Leihausrüstung, Tauchen, aber auch Internet, Wäsche und Getränke zusätzlich bezahlen. Aber es hat sich gelohnt! Ein Wermutstropfen war das durchwegs graue und teils regnerische Wetter im Januar. Stayed January 2017, traveled as a couple"

Manda De Laos: "Stunning location"

And great Laos food. We has their menu for 2 with two a la Carte dishes for the third fussy member of our party .... and they wanted to help us with ours! Try to go before it is dark to enjoy dusk falling

bali jiwa: "Coming home"

"This was our second stay in Bali Jiwa Villa and it already felt like coming home. The surrounding is breathtaking, the staff so very warm and welcoming and villa full of beauty. We enjoyed every minute. You can easily go to Ubud for shopping or dinner. Most of the time we had dinner in the villa, which was lovingly prepaired and utterly delicious. We definitely will be back."

Mathis Retreat: "Un seul mot…fabuleux"

"We fell in love with this intimate hotel with magnificent views of a rice field ... The rooms are spacious and very clean and are limited in number which gives its charme.a hotel. Breakfasts are hearty and fresh. We had dinner every night at the hotel restaurant and the Terracotta entire card is excellent. We recommend the tuna tataki input a killer! The Mathis offers a free shuttle to downtown. Very friendly staff and very caring. In the evening we are surrounded by the sound of crickets and frogs ... the morning woken by birds .. the dream :-) "

Inle Princess Resort: "Wonderfull days"

We hade two days at this amazing Hotel resort😘and we can recommand the Hotel. Beautiful spa and cottages verry nice food and friendly staff. We loved every minut. The lake and The resort are special and very ecological. Please preserve your beautiful nature and enviroment.

Tugu Bali: "Wonderful stay"

"My solo trip to Bali was probably the best trip of my life (this says a lot coming from someone who travels to foreign countries quite often) My stay at Tugu is absolutely perfect. I couldn't have asked for better treatment from the staff, they always made me feel like they were looking after me in an unobtrusive sort of way. The facilities were authentic Balinese style, treatments at the spa were delightful. I highly recommend Tugu to anyone! You'll love their afternoon tea. Stayed April 2017, traveled solo"

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "An architectural, heritage & historical delight… a ‘must-do’ in Penang"

"In my subjective view, the Blue Mansion – Cheong Fatt Tze – stands alongside the Penarakan Museum as the two premier ‘must-do’ heritage attractions in George Town. Both are situated in historical buildings and are tangible testaments to the rich history and culture of the Straits Chinese in Penang. However note that there are differences between the two establishments. The Peranakan Museum is, as the name suggests, a museum; ie a depository of Peranakan artefacts. On the other hand, the Blue Mansion is predominantly a building of heritage and architectural significance, with a tremendously rich history relating to one of Penang’s most historical and influential identities – Cheong Fatt Tze. While there are artefacts on display, the focus of the attraction is the heritage building and its history. Additionally, the mansion operates as a boutique hotel and fusion restaurant. One of our aims is to return one day to experience staying as a guest. We met some in-house guests and their comments, on accommodation experience, were extremely positive. The Blue Mansion’s website lauds that the building is ‘a quintessential legacy of Penang’ and, having experienced it, it is well-deserving of that claim. It is an architectural delight that has won numerous international and local awards, and has been featured in movies, travel documentaries and publications. The heritage project was the vision and passion of local architect Laurence Loh along with his family and friends. To say I am exceedingly impressed with their herculean effort is to make an understatement. The Lohs should be congratulated for preserving a key component of Penang’s – and to a wider extent, Straits Chinese’s - history. On our recent tour, we were privileged have as tour guide, the vivacious Lin Lee Loh-Lim, who is the author of the book “The Blue Mansion: The Story of Mandarin Splendour Reborn”. It was a tour that we would have enjoyed given the enthralling building and interesting history, but she elevated our enjoyment by her lively and animated nature. It was superb. Lin Lee was kind enough to autograph a copy of the book (available in their shop) and it now resides in a position of pride alongside my other architectural books. Tour times: 11am, 2pm & 3:30pm Duration: 45 minutes Cost: RM17 (adults). RM8.50 (child under 12) There is something I wish they would consider and that is, allowing tour visitors to experience the building’s inner (but public) spaces for a few minutes after the guided tour – just 10 to 15 minutes perhaps. This will allow visitors to absorb and appreciate the building properly, which is not always possible when visitors are concentrating on the historical narrative during a guided tour. A visit to Penang will be lacking somewhat without a tour of Cheong Fatt Tze - The Blue Mansion. Highly recommended. Thanks for reading this review and my gratitude should you rate it as helpful. Life is short... go travelling and enjoy life today!"