Guest Reviews

Nimmu House: "best place to acclimatise and enjoy the natural beauty of Ladakh"

"http://blog.happy-tripping.com/2015/09/06/property-review-nimmu-house-ladakh/ Nimmu house is a beautiful place, replete with apricot and apple trees is just perfect to acclimatise to the high altitude either by traversing the journey to Ladakh on road ( from Srinagar or Manali) or to stay put for couple of days at a quite place, while soaking in the stark beauty of the wonder that is Ladakh. THE SETTING The location is perfect. Conveniently located 30 minutes from Leh (30 min from the airport) , the village of Nimmu is also close to the ,confluence (Sangam) of the Indus and Zanskar rivers and the monasteries of Lamayuru, Likir and Alchi (30 minutes – 1 hour drive). Nimmu is a charming little village where time has stood still, most people are farmers and happy with their simple lives. IMG_0133 Nimmu House is a noble house belonging to the cousin of Ladakh’s King from the early 90s, beautifully restored by a Frenchman Alex . During the property tour , our manager told us about the history and the supposed curse on the house due to which the occupants never bore any children, until the curse was dispelled by buddhist monks. Quite interesting! On offer are 5 spacious tents and 2 rooms in the house , with an open terrace for meals .We stayed in the tent, which had a stunning view of the landscape , comfy bed and modern bathroom . For city dwellers like us the best part is that the property is spread over orchards with hundreds of Apple and apricot trees and the rivulet running through . Lying on the large hammocks ,smelling the sweet scent of apricot and hearing the faint constant gurgling sounds of the stream makes you put all the sightseeing plans on hold. But really who needs to step out when you can experience the nature , warm Ladakhi hospitality in absolute peace and comfort of Nimmu house . IMG_3901_1 THE SERVICE There is no formal reception desk , but the staff is always available to make your stay comfortable. This place is serviced by one chef, one french manager and two local women. We received a very warm welcome by the French manager followed by 2 days of comfort and lot of personal attention. There is so much warmth in people that you forget about demanding any hospitality. We wanted to sample momos at one of the local restaurants on our evening walk and we were not carrying any money. To our pleasant surprise, a plate of steaming momos were served to us during dinner in Nimmu House, courtesy the local restaurant. Even as we were leaving , staff come out to see us off . It was almost like staying with family . THE FOOD Chef Mahesh cooked simple , delicious meals which were served on the open terraces as the weather was lovely. Breakfast had eggs, fruits and bread, as per preference. We loved the fresh apricot jams and juices. Lunch and dinner were 3 course set meals with starter (soup /salad), main course and desert. Sample this :- – Green Salad, Lasagna, Lemon Pie – Tomato Soup, Hakka Noodles, Philadelphia Cheese Cake – Gobi Soup, Paneer Masala/ Mutton Masala, Mud Cake All meals are simple and wholesome, using fresh produce from adjoining farms and stables. The food is largely tailored to suit the western palate as most guests are westerners. But they will keep your food preferences in mind and ensure that you leave the dining table with your tummy satisfied ! Lunch at Nimmu House Lunch at Nimmu House THE FACILITIES and Activities ON OFFER Nimmu House offers the following activities to make most of your stay there . Indoor: A library and game room , Guided tour of the house , stables or cooking classes . Outdoor: village tour , short guided hike , rafting on the Zanskar, guided tour of the monasteries of Basgo, Likir and Alchi. For us it was all soaking up the apple-scented air, lying on a hammock during daytime and hiking upto local gompas in the evening. View from the Gompa View from the Nimmu village Gompa WHAT STOLE THE SHOW? Amazing setting of orchards and Ladakh’s landscape with spacious tents. Best place to acclimatise , relax and learn about Ladakhi culture. It is a far cry from dusty lanes of Leh City and will give you exactly what you came for. IMG_3899 Now that you are convinced, lets bring you up to speed with the practicalities. Know more about Nimmu house Getting there The property is in Nimmu Village and 30 min drive from Leh Airport/ Leh City. Hole in your wallet Expect to pay around Rs 10,000 per night for the tent. Internet / Television There is no TV in the room and Wi-Fi signal is available on the terrace and house. What else – this is a family guesthouse , do not expect 24/7 room service or an elaborate ala carte menu. – Be prepared to relax and enjoy the simple life"

Supanniga Cruise: "Dinner Cruise"

"One of our Best Dinner cruise for long ...we live in Thailand for the last 30 years we love this Country My thai friends and advertisement from FB attracted us to choose celebrating our Birthdays and anniversary to experience Dinner cruise and we choose Supanniga Cruise it was well worth it.... The greetings was warm n welcoming invited us to Board while waiting for others... and they open the champagne in front of us and pour and served w/ smile ...we have place to enjoy the champagne while watching the sun go down.. The Service is excellent very professional the Crew are friendly and very polite The Boat was well designed i love the sofas w/ nice colorful cushions The Thai Food is very Delish...very authentic compared to other river cruise service, the portioning is way very generous and serving it while seating enjoying the view of River of the Kings and sipping your cocktails champagne or your wine!!! The experience is par excellent service, Food, and the ambiente but most of all the privacy is very intimate...We love it n we enjoyed it to the Max i can recommend to all My family and friends .. Infact cant wait to go back soonThank you Supanniga for the wonderful evening we enjoyed it so much ... Please keep up the good work Mr Jojo Khap khun kha Best Regards, Mrs Nita Fegan"

Supanniga Cruise: "Exquisite dinner and tour on the Chao Phraya !"

A must do and see when in Bangkok, charming cruise that will ride you close by the upmost historical places and monuments.

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "Beautiful"

"Hotel was surrounded by beautiful and impressive nature. The food was very good (in a such remote place I was not expecting this level). The manager and the staff was very friendly and helpful. They offer a boat tour to a very beautiful waterfall longer up the river. And if you want, you can take the kayak back. Worked very well with transfers from/to other hotels."

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "A Glimps of Time"

"The time we entered the Blue Mansion, we were embraced in the aroma of ancient times. I spent a whole evening visiting around the hotel and had a wonderful time enjoying the scenes. When it was getting dark gradually and the red lanterns were on, it seemed I had traveled back to the old times. It was a pleasant and satisfying trip to this hotel. Stayed February 2017, traveled with friends"

Glenburn Tea Estate: "Enchanting and Nostalgic Tea Estate with Majestic Views"

I had been trying to come to Glenburn for over 10 years and was afraid it would disappoint. It exceeded our expectations! The rooms are beautifully decorated and the entire estate has an old-world feel to it. It is situated in a majestic valley with views of Kanchenjunga. We took lovely walks each day. I especially appreciated the customer service and attention to detail. We had tea upon demand and amazing food. The prices might seem high, but considering that everything is included (food, excursions, transportation to/from the Bagdogra airport, etc.) the prices seem fair. I really loved the tea tour and thank Parveen (and Ranjan) for sharing their knowledge and making our stay so special. I also enjoyed meeting the other guests and having meals together -- it was a unique experience and we got to know many people on top of their game in different fields. We stayed four nights, which was ideal. I would love to return and highly recommend Glenburn Tea Estate for anyone looking for a picturesque getaway!

Chakrabongse Villas: "Off the Scale !"

We arrived in Bangkok with a few hours to discover the city and enjoy the hotel. Wow - there are not enough words except to say Thank you Paul Walker at Secret - Retreats - what a place and what an amazing hotel. This is not a hotel its an experience and without doubt the best place to stay in Bangkok ! A royal palace with a difference, ooozing style, charm and service you cannot ask for anything better ! Thank you xxx

Arumdalu: "Unforgettable memory"

"Arumdalu resort is very comfortable resort to stay with the big room and private swimming pool. We can enjoy the private beach for swimming , quite resort, have beautiful scenery and good services. We can enjoy delicious food too in arumdalu restaurant. The worst is only for the light in room, less light .. but they said that it is caused of eco friendly system.. also no signal in there ... over all we enjoyed stay there and will be back again... Thanks Arumdalu resort... Stayed December 2016, traveled with family"

Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris: "A fantastic family experience. Thank you Leopard Safaris!"

This was brilliant. It was just 2 nights out of a long trip for our family but definitely one of the absolute highlights. We are a family of 4 with a 13 year old girl and 17 year old boy and we all loved everything about the camp and the game drives. Jeeps were perfect for game viewing and small enough that it was just our family in the jeep with a driver and a guide. We went on 4 game drives and saw heaps - leopard on 2 occasions,crocs, lots of elephant, eagles and so much more. They took us to the uncrowded blocks of the reserve, so you weren't fighting against lots of other jeeps to get to see the animals. It felt very personal, and different. The camp and tents were fab - all the mod cons and very comfortable whilst still giving a feeling of being out in the bush. We had been worried about being a bit bored in the middle of the day but the the game drives take up a large part of the time and the day just flew by. The new swimming pool will be a great addition. All the guides were superb - a fantastic family experience. Thank you Leopard Safaris

Maison Polanka: "A paradize"

Just a word: perfect! An outstanding service, a beautiful place, an excellent food, what else? All is done so that every thing becomes easy (use the hotel's tuc tuc!). Massage is a must do.A place very hard to leave.