Guest Reviews

MesaStila: "Tranquility"

"Tranquil and relaxing this retreat has everything you need for a break from the ordinary. My husband and I just returned from a four fabulous nights at MesaStila, its low season so not very many other guests but all the facilities were available and we were kindly upgraded to an Arum Villa. A large breakfast each morning filled us till tea time, both of which are included in the room price. Dinners were a very good selection of both asian and western foods but i'd highly recommend sticking with the Javanese dishes that the chef, Arya Kusumaatmaja, prepares so excellently. each day has an assortment of activities that are included such as , yoga, coffee plantation tour, martial arts, etc. and there are many optional tours you can book. The staff were all very friendly and professional, the village tour we took with one of the staff( I'm sorry I don't have his name to hand) was fantastic, he was very knowledgeable and brought us to several small cottage industries that are well 'off the beaten track'. I've already recommended this place to my expat friends who travel extensively throughout asia and I look forward to going back again someday "

Sukoon Houseboat: "Perfect place to unwind"

I visited the Sukoon houseboat during the current difficulties. We had been hesitant to go but decided to go for it and I am really glad we did as we had an amazing time. We were collected from the airport and taken straight to the houseboat: the streets were deserted and there was a soldier presence but once you get to Dal Lake, which is quite a way from the old city, everything was brilliant. The boat is beautiful and the staff are amazing. The food is fantastic. We went out on a shikara ride on the lake, visited gardens and went walking in the hills near the lake: our guide was excellent. There were a few things we couldn't do because of the difficulties but this didn't impact on the overall enjoyment of the trip. The lake is just as beautiful as I had imagined. We really enjoyed ourselves and I would highly recommend it.

Pindaya Farm House: "Very good"

Our 2-day stay at the Pindaya Farm House (formerly Thahara Pindaya) was really wonderful. The hosts, Aye Aye, Ko Yangon and their staff took very good care of us. Our room was very nice, the food home cooked and very tasty, and the sightseeing recommendations very helpful. We visited of course the famous Pindaya Caves, but after we had come back from the about 1.5 hrs easy trek (round trip) to the green tea plantations on the same mountain (we recommend the trek!). Shan paper making was another very nice stop. Our hosts took us to a weaver in a local village, away from the tourist area, simple but kind of a hidden gem. Thank you very much to our hosts and Aye Aye's sister for the wonderful stay we had at their guest house.

Yandabo Home: "Hidden Gem in the middle of nowhere"

"What a delight to come to this little hidden gem along the Ayeyarwaddy river traveling by boat from Mandalay to Pagan. Yandabo hpme consists of 12 small houses directly by the river side made out of the finest material traditional yet extremely modern. The villas are very spacious with high ceilings and a wonderful large bathroom with a rain shower. The amenities at l'Occitane a delightful surprise. The food is local and very good. The staff will take you on a tour the nearby villages one totally immersed in making pottery the other on the other side of the river farmers with a population of 4500 water buffaloes. The people are lovely and very friendly the area is truly authentic and not only single tourist in sight. I highly recommend this place as a stop along the route it beats Yangon and Mandalay by far. The only thing I could add would be a lounge area with some sofas by the river side so one could sit and relax whilst sipping some local tea"

Mathis Retreat: "Big nice room and pool by rice fields"

Very nice boutique hotel in Ubud. The room is very nice, clean, and the bed very comfortable. The swimming pool by the rice field is a superb way to chill in the afternoon. Free shuttle to Ubud center is a plus:)

Dewakan: "Amazing experience – does justice to local produce!"

"What an amazing experience, we were blown away by the flavours - almost exploding in our mouths at every bite. The last time I experienced something similar was in Heston Blumenthal's Dinner restaurant in London, so I would say this is pretty close! We were amazed at what they could do with locally sourced ingredients and they truly did justice to Malaysian flavours. Kudos to the team there. Highly recommended to try at least once!"

Satri House: "Beautiful"

"When planning a visit to Luang Prabang you can get a little blown away by the accommodation on offer, there are many beautiful properties to consider all offering their own style. After much thought we plumped for here and stayed in a Satri House Suite. The original historic house in which we stayed was delightful. A lovely bathroom, huge bedroom with a very comfortable mattress and a separate sitting room area. The rest of the little complex of rooms are well set out in the grounds and not at all crowded, everything has been very tastefully done and to a ver high standard. The location is away from the main centre a little, a normal paced walk probably not more than 30mins to the far end of the town, we enjoyed walking into the centre, traffic is not a problem at all, and to be honest we appreciated the little district where the hotel is located, very pleasant streets around. We also used the complimentary bikes to have a little venture further to edges of town. A little Lao whiskey nightcap with a quick read of the local paper became a pleasant regular evening stop. Walking around town with a keen eye on the other places we considered, Villa Santi, Busari, 3 Nagas etc amongst many more we firmly decided we had made the right choice and not once did I have a regret of our choice. We did not eat a main meal here, but breakfast was more than adequate, the home jams delicious. If I had a tiny gripe it would be that the staff, which in every other way were delightful and really attentive could pay a little more attention to used towels around the pool, thats not much as the only grumble of any kind though. Beautiful place, I understand this is pretty much the main heritage hotel in the city, I am not surprised."

The Cabochon Hotel: "Excellent"

Love this hotel. I had My Valentine at this hotel. Great service , friendly staff. Big swimming pool, Very intimitet place. Travel back to 1920 en enjoy. When You walk away from the hotel youre back in the crazy city Bamgkok .

Mume: "definitely creative and top 10 Taipei"

"It is hard to understand how the restaurant could be rated anything less than 5 stars. The food is definitely creatively presented, ingredients atypical and the flavours wonderful. This all leads to great tasting food in a classy yet casual environment. My favorite was the beef short ribs and the Mume salade terrific. The night before I ate at Le Blanc, which is the sister restaurant for steak frites and lobster. Mume is about double or triple the price of Le Blanc and the food is not necessarily that much better, however Mume is for a more special occasion. Definitely recommend and you are paying full price."

The Apsara Rive Droite: "Lovely quiet place in Luang Prabang"

We chose to stay at the Apsara Rive Droite because it is close to the old town of Luang Prabang (without being in it) and on the banks of the river. The hotel is small but has everything you need: charming + helpful staff, swimming pool, delicious breakfast, a boat to take you across the river to the old town, bicycles and lots of recommendations of things to do. We had a great stay and would recommend anyone going to Luang Prabang for a few days to stay here.