Guest Reviews

The River Resort: "Luxury by the Mighty Mekong"

We three seniors had two goals for this four day layover. One was a good rest after a busy two weeks. The second was to see sunset over the Mekong. We got our rest with fully appointed rooms with balconies overlooking the river, two infinity pools, seating under the trees for Happy Hour and a wonderful menu. Breakfast is included and it is excellent. The staff could not be more friendly and helpful. All arrangements were made for our four events, to Wat Phou, aromatherapy massages (with muscle), the sunset cruise, and a walk through the villages and temples on the island across the way in the cool of the morning. There were several families with young children, and other seniors enjoying being pampered, like us. This place is perfect for those two demographics.

Inle Heritage Stilt Houses: "Superb place , fantastic cause"

Inle Heritage hotel is one of the best boutique hotels in Myanmar. Not only offers superb accommodation (only six stilt bungalows for the guests) in a beautiful environment, but the owner offers every year free courses related to tourism industry to Burmese students from the area. The stuff was sweet and helpful , most of them graduates from hotel's academy. They also produce their own vegetables which they use in the restaurant. By staying here, you also contribute to local community. Highly recommended!

Neeleshwar Hermitage: "Stunning"

"We were quite surprised to one minute being surrounded by urban India then suddenly in this idyllic small resort type hotel on the Coast of the Arabian Sea. Fabulous clean beach, perfect facilities, Yoga Room, Spa, 2 restaurants our favourite being right in the beach and large infinity pool. The accommodation is self contained little cottages. Just perfect. "

Sukoon Houseboat: "Perfect luxurious houseboat, great service, food and location"

We booked the suite at the back of the boat which was very quiet. Babu the waiter was fantastic. The food was really great, had the best momos (even in Nepal/Tibet they are soggy and poor quality). The little motor boat to take us to and from the shore was perfect. Definitely take a little Shikara for an hour's boat ride. Take time to relax and enjoy the houseboat though. Good book and some Kashmiri tea, perfect.

Tugu Lombok: "The definition of hidden gem"

Hotel Tugu Lombok is absolutely the perfect place to relax and a must-do on your Indonesian vacation. The hotel has stunning panoramic views and amazing sunsets. The beach is serene and quiet (even the three or four children that were there when we were there were well behaved...). While swimming is tough since the shore line is very shallow and rock filled, the hotel provides free snorkel gear and water shoes that make a cool down trip to the water easy and fun. Each room is uniquely furnished with antiques from around Indonesia that gives the hotel a cool vibe you can't find anywhere else...and the rooms/suites are amazing!

Villa Mathis: "Gorgeous setting, great service"

My stay at Villa Mathis was a great experience, the setting is what I expected of Bali, the Villa was large, clean and comfortable. Excellent service, very accomodating as to my request for vegetarian dinners, actually one of the best I have had.

Villa Song Saigon: "Great stay"

Villa Song Saigon is an amazing hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, and the staff, rooms, food all make it a great stop for tourists or businesspeople that need to be in the city. Great value for the money and a wonderful experience.

Arumdalu: "Family Vacation"

"Overall, I think the resort was spot on. It had everything a family who enjoys traveling needs. Massive rooms that can fit up to around 5 people, though you need to have additional beds that can be provided by the resort. I can say this as I travelled with a huge family of 23. Not only the rooms, the culinary served there was also spectacular though it takes a while to prepare. It has it's own flavor and really has it's speciality for each meal. Though the food looks relatively small, it really changes your mind when you finish it as it makes your stomach full. The activities are also very enjoyable and most of them can be done by everyone. The resort provides kayaks, that can be used in the secluded beach, there are bicycles that can be used to ride along the road heading to a spot to hike, Batu Baginda. Though the route can be challenging for some people, once you reach the spot you can really enjoy the view and the whole trip was worth it. It takes around 2 hours to get there and back. (these activities needs an extra cost) It was late December when me and my family went there so luckily, they gave us a great new year experience by the beach. They had tents prepared for us and there were music to accompany us. But the best part of the event were the fireworks, they were spectacular as they were endless and massive."

Glenburn Tea Estate: "Jewel in the Crown"

"My Glenburn experience started in Calcutta where we met up with the owner Husna Tara and her colleagues for an incredibly informative and fun trip round that fascinatingly historical city. It was great to have local knowledge and to be treated to a special Bengali lunch at a private apartment followed by sunset boat trip down the river. A very personal experience quite unlike any other I have had. Then it was up to Glenburn. Yes, the journey is quite long but there is a lovely picnic en route with sandwiches and tea in bone china cups and so much to see on the way that time passes quickly and the final bumpy bit was not as bad as I had feared! Anyway, once you arrive at the beautiful location and are treated to a warm welcome and a cold drink while you get your breath the journey seems insignificant. The rooms are all different and all gorgeous with Indian cottons, lovely lighting, hand embroidered sheets and framed prints. I was shown to a huge suite in the Water Lilly bungalow where I could wallow in a deep bath in the enormous marble tiled ensuite....luxury indeed! Being at Glenburn is not like staying in a hotel, more like staying in the private home of a benevolent host who has thought of everything to make your stay special. From bed tea with homemade biscuits to breakfast on the lawn, lunch under the pomelo tree, drinks round the bonfire and friendly chatty dinners with other guests, it is all a treat. The walk to the river camp is steep but your reward is a fully staffed picnic awaiting you. It is fun just to roam around the tea estate seeing how the villagers live. Will and Faye the delightful onsite managers are willing to help in any way they can to ensure that every whim is catered for. Although there are several activities that can be enjoyed it is just lovely to relax on a lounger admiring the view, go pottering round the gardens, smelling the sweet peas, admiring all the neat vegetable beds and popping into the tempting gift shop! All in all I found the whole experience truly special and quite unique."

Arumdalu: "The best Belitung can offer"

On our first trip to Belitung, we stayed 2 nights in a hotel in the city before moving down to Arumdalu Private Resorts. We planned it in such a way that our trip ended in Arumdalu, hoping for a perfect finish to our long holiday. We were not disappointed. After an hour drive from the town centre, we arrived at the lush grounds of Arumdalu. All the staff were very friendly, helpful and accommodating. Our villa was beautiful; spacious, very clean and well provisioned with useful amenities. There is a private pool (with warm and very clean water - non chlorinated!) to every villa. The food in Sahang Restaurant was delicious. The menu offered limited selection of fusion food, yet all of them were amazing. We took turn to try all the different items on it, and love every single dish. The view from the restaurant which opened towards the beach was simply beautiful. The best part of Arumdalu must be the private beach. It was truly private as the property was surrounded by virgin and lush plantation. The pure white sands, enormous boulders backdrop and clear blue sky made Arumdalu the ultimate relaxation spot. Some of the activities offered include: batiking (there is a resident batik craftsman), canoeing, walks and hikes to the windmill and big boulders scattered along the beach. A note about the batiking: children can also try the process and be as creative as they can, while adults can even order customised batik at very reasonable prices. The price of the villa was, admittedly, quite expensive. However, it includes pick up and transfer to the airport (which can be considerably pricey in Belitung), generous breakfast portion (we had 4 portions for us and the kids everyday) and amazing experience in Belitung. Arumdalu is definitely non-mainstream and only for the discerning travellers. Highly recommended and hoping we could one day return!