Guest Reviews

SANAK RETREAT BALI: "INCREDIBLE"

"We stayed at Sanak in early January of 2015. Unfortunately it's taken me this long to review them! After arriving on a particularly rainy afternoon, we were greeted by the lovely staff in their bar/reception area. I was blown away by the incredible view that lay before me. The hotel is nestled right on top of farmed rice paddies so provided an amazing taste of the real Bali. The food was particularly impressive. The menu has a French/Balinese fusion twist; and every meal they served us was amazing quality. It's truly a perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of Kuta. I was a little worried about becoming ""bored"" due to the quite, but the constant massages, yoga and laying by the pool quickly calmed those nerves. One of the people in the group I stayed with even got the chance to work the rice fields with the locals, yet again adding to the authenticity! Couldn't recommend the place any more highly. Loved it! "

Golden Buddha Beach Resort: "Great Stay!"

"We stayed at Golden Buddha Beach Resort for 3 Nights. The resort is surrounded by great nature and a beautiful, amazing Beach. It‘s very quiet except for all the great animal sound. Wild life nature The staff was very nice and super helpful with everything. Some sun beds on the big beach would have been nice since not every Bungalow is Beach front . Food was ok, small plates. If you need a Break from Thai food the beachbar serves Great Pizza. We definitely recommend this resort!"

Jing’s Residence: "Pingyao’s Best Hotel"

The best location in old Pingyao. The hotel is a quiet oasis in the heart of Pingyao. It's rooms are well appointed and very clean and tidy. The hotel facilities are well laid out with a lovely restaurant, bar, spa and quiet reading areas. Its sensitive use of the ancient architecture is a pleasure to relax in, either inside or outside in one of the quiet courtyards. The staff are always there when you need help, but never intrusive or overly attentive. The style is friendly and welcoming. I will recommend this wonderful boutique hotel to all my friends.

Satri House: "Perfect in every way"

"Spent 4 days here exploring the lovely city of Luang Prabang. After a hectic 2 weeks in Vietnam this was a welcome oasis. From the moment you enter the property you feel a world away from the noise outside. Close by there is a temple so you can hear the soft chanting off and on throughout the day. The staff are attentive and helpful, the pool is lovely and the breakfast was excellent and the rooms gorgeous and comfortable. A 10 minute walk to the night market and chaos of downtown. We were lucky to be there for the beautiful full moon and end of lent celebration. What a sensory treat. We highly recommend!!"

The Island Lodge: "Mekong trip or Saigon escape? This is your place"

"When you arrive on the small road you may wonder if you got lost, in fact you just found a secret gem! Beautiful surroundings (pool and river on one side, gorgeous garden on the other side) Tasteful design and decoration everywhere around Lovely and helpful team Nice mix of Vietnamese and French food Large choice of activities/tours to visit the area by boat, bike or scooter. We will definitely be back for the Mekong and for the Hotel!"

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!"

The Island Lodge: "A dream spot in the Mekong Delta"

"Are you looking for a 6 star hotel in the Mekong Delta? You just found it! Nothing needs improvement. From the first minute we arrived a the hotel till the very last moment all was a dream of a hotel. Service excellent, rooms amassing, restaurant outstanding.... Nothing else to say. A must see and enjoy hotel!!!!"

Chakrabongse Villas: "A real oasis – beautiful and worth every cent"

"Chakrabongse Villas is a really luxurious boutique hotel. We were guests here for 3 nights in April, and we wanted for nothing. We were offered a welcome cocktail when we arrived late in the evening, and our villa was traditional Thai style, and it was well appointed, clean and cool. We had a lovely private balcony overlooking the garden, with fresh flowers, pool towels, daybeds and shade aplenty. Having large villas, lovely gardens and only a handful of villas, we hardly ever saw another guest! We enjoyed the pool and the activity on the river, which we were on the banks of. Grounds are very private, with locked gates. Staff are unobtrusive but efficient, and the clamour, heat and bustle of Bangkok stops at the gates, and you enter a true oasis of calm and luxury. The riverside restaurant is also lovely and we enjoyed a delicious breakfast there each morning, with exquisite service, lovely food, and tourism advice as required. We took their longtail boat tour through the canals one afternoon, and thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was reasonably priced, too. One night we ate at the restaurant for dinner, and really, we were treated like royalty. A treat for the soul, and lovely, simple set menu, deliciously prepared. It was my husband's birthday one day, and they gave him a lovely gift. Add all of this together, and you have an exemplary service provider. Expensive but as i say, well worth it. Congratulations Chakrabongse crew, keep up the good work! Stayed April 2017, traveled as a couple"

Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris: "The most amazing experience"

"O h my goodness! These people know about customer service! Not only the nicest people running this but really smart too. Knew everything about the wildlife so it was a great learning experience and so interesting. The level of detail they have gone into to make this a truly exceptional experience is unbelievable. The food is probably the best I've had in Sri Lanka and that's saying something! The accommodation is clean and so well designed. We were lucky enough to be staying in the beautiful master bedroom tent which is truly exquisite. Showering under the stars in complete privacy and safety is something I will remember forever. Our two teenage sons found this to be an awesome experience and as we know, teenagers can be a tough crowd to please! Sadly, we didn't see any leopards on either of the two drives but we did see plenty of other interesting wildlife. Others we met had seen some leopards on their drives so we were just unlucky and that can't be helped. None the less it was the highlight of our trip to Sri Lanka without question."

Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris: "The Highlight of our SL trip"

"We are 3 couples, 2 expats and 1 couple first time Australians to SL on a 21 day round trip. This is the 2nd time that I have used the 3day/2 night safari option. the 1st being in 2012 when the camp was actually located inside the park. To demonstrate the importance of this incredible experience, I should mention that the whole trip was based around the availability at the camp and to ensure that it did not coincide with a local holiday when hordes of holiday makers descend on the park. Well enough of the preamble, just how am I going to describe the most fantastic and memorable event? Every aspect of the safari is well planned and executed with precision. The service from all the staff is impeccable, the food absolutely delicious, varied and plentiful, The knowledge of our guides Delanka and Noel himself are unsurpassed and we saw every animal type in the park including 2 sightings of a Leopard mother and her 3 9 month old cubs. Of course these sightings can't be guaranteed but your chances are immensely improved if you put your faith in such a proven outfit. Noel Rodrigo's Leopard Safaris is an organization committed to preserving, sustaining and improving the natural environment that they and others operate in and you can only hope that they succeed as there are many obstacles to be overcome. I encourage anybody who is contemplating visiting Yala to use this organization. I am hopeful of returning in 2 years time with a much larger group and will certainly be using their services again."