Guest Reviews

Mathis Retreat: "Excellent Boutique Hotel"

"Me and my girlfriend (both 25 y/o from London) stayed at the Mathis Retreat for 5 nights. We thought it was fantastic and was everything we were looking for from our first visit to Bali. Room: We stayed in room 1, this was one of the bungalows and it was beautiful. (As in, we got that tingly feeling of excitement when we walked in!). The decor was tasteful, the room was cool and spacious and amenities such as shampoo and tea were provided. Food: The restaurant on site was fantastic. Breakfast is from a menu where you choose the things that you want, then they are cooked and brought to you. There is a good range of food and as we tried everything (more than once) we can confidently say it was all delicious. However, breakfast paled in comparison to just how great dinner was - arguably some of the nicest food we had during our 3 week stay. It is more expensive than most other places but is worth it particularly considering the environment and setting (see below). There is a great range of Indonesian and westernized food. Setting/Environment: If rice fields and nature is your jam then this place will certainly deliver. Sitting at the restaurant/in the pool and overlooking the fields is spectacular and on arrival will certainly give that wow factor. Truly the photos on TA do not do it justice. Staff: Everyone is lovely, it really is as simple as that. Even when waking the receptionist at 2:15 am (climbing Batur) he came out with a smile and did everything he could to help. Special shout out goes to Karen the manager who clearly makes an effort to talk to all the guests and provide insight into what can be done in Ubud and how to do everything you want to. Tours/Guides: We tried to do as much as we could for our stay in Ubud and think 5 days was the perfect amount of time. However, this was utilizing the guides provided by Karen who were superb and we would highly recommend using them as oppose to navigating the place yourself. In particular, we were very humbled by an opportunity to visit one of the guides homes and see how him, his family and their community live (they had a blacksmith, weaver and fighting chickens!). This was an eye opener into just how different life is for most locals in Bali and how tourism has changed things. Our guides name was 'Susa Wayan' get him if you can! Conclusion: Mathis Retreat was great and we can't really fault it. Staff made it clear they were there to help for any issue and would definitely go back if in that part of the world again. One final point - we paid 350k for the journey to the airport in kuta. Don't pay anymore than that (and you can probably get it cheaper!)"

Sandat Glamping Tents: "Amazing experience"

Our first glamping experience and it was amazing! I love how they are eco friendly and surrounded by nature. We loved the private pool and the big tents, they also don't get hot inside as they have the fans and it's really comfortable. Lovely staff, very welcoming :)

Amata Lanna: "Absolute Perfection"

Beautiful and peaceful hotel and property for a relaxing coupes retreat. Daily buffet Breakfast was very good and the staff helpful and friendly. Fell in love with this place the second we got there and we will be back on our next visit to Chiang Mai!!

Tugu Bali: "Beautiful, Peaceful in Canggu"

Loved Tugu Hotel. Amazing staff, wonderful location. The hotel sits right next to the beach in Canggu. It neighbors Canggu's most popular hang out, The Lawn. The area is full if amazing restaurants, bars and hangouts.The hotel offers a tea, coffee, and cake every day from 4:30 - 6:30pm. I totally recommend this place to anyone looking to surf as well. The hotel sits on a big surfing beach! A+++ on location for this place.

Anopura Resort: "Five stars isn’t enough!"

"We were completely blown away by Anopura. If I could give it ten stars it would be too few. There has been great care and skill in the design and furnishing. It's tasteful and comfortable, and Ishwar and the team are superb. They have looking after people well down to a fine art - caring but not fawning. Latika, the loveliest dog in the world broke the ice. Inside a couple of hours we were involved in an international boules tournament involving the other 2 guests, and Ishwar and Dennis. The food was amazing whether it was Indian or European - we had a beautiful cheese shuffle and an amazing salad for lunch within 20 minutes of Ishwar making the suggestion. Go for a walk round the village in the evening and take up the offer of a visit to a ruined local hunting lodge. I won't spoil the surprises. We were there 3 nights and the whole took on a dreamlike quality. The air was clean, the temperature perfect, and the unheated pool invigorating. If it was easier to get there I'd never go anywhere else. As we were leaving Latika just lay there with a sad face instead of rushing up with tail wagging. She seemed very sad to see us leaving. But she wasn't half as sad as we were."

David’s Kitchen: "Good food good Ambience"

A lovely surprise in Chiang Mai. Good food and service and a great night out. French cuisine served in a semi formal setting. Personal attention to detail is impressive.

Sukoon Houseboat: "Beautiful, relaxing and top notch in every way"

Our whole crew stayed here whilst filming a documentary for ITV and we adored it. Such a beautiful boat, and set in gorgeous surroundings. Altaf and his staff were charming and attentive, and we would have loved to have stayed ALOT longer!

Hotel Tugu Lombok: "Exceptional, stunning paradise"

A beautiful hotel. Friendly, welcoming staff where nothing was to much trouble. Excellent location with in easy reach of the Gili islands either by private boat or a quick drive to Bangsal harbour. Fantastic facilities. A real paradise. A definite must! Just wonderful

Glenburn Tea Estate: "Magical Shangri-La up in the clouds"

"The views from all around both properties were breath-taking and we enjoyed some of the recommended walks you can do around the grounds, especially being treated to a delicious lunch down at the river. The food was great throughout the 4 days, sitting outside for breakfast and lunches is a treat (as long as the flies are not out in force) and dinners were similarly a great experience where you get to chat with other guests in a relaxed, communial manner, though private dining is always available, which we did take advantage of one night, when we were too fatigued to make small talk. Great variation of food also - with a different food 'theme' given for different nights - i.e. Indian, Tibetan, etc. The room we had (Singuella Suite - spelt incorrectly I'm sure) was huge, had some lovely period furniture and was decorated to a high, if a little mumsy, standard. Great bathroom and loads of hot water too. Sadly our visit to Darjeeling town was not the best due to it being really overcast, so I would suggest anyone stays here at least 3 nights to make the most of their time here. The road is what everyone else has written about it - bumpy and nerve jangling, but it is what it is - certainly we felt it seemed worse on the way down than up....also it seemed to get slightly more tolerable the more you did that journey, but it's no deciding factor over whether you should go to this place - it is really special, the views are simply stunning and the bonus of getting all your laundry done here for free was a great boon for us as we had 4 weeks worth of laundry to give them from our previous travels in India. The manager Jemima was lovely too - friendly, welcoming, easy to talk to with a great convivial manner. The shop was a nice, unexpected visit, but needed a bit more diversity in merchandise....again it got all a bit mumsy and twee after a while. The only other small criticism would be some of the employees English is very, very limited, which resulted in some wrong orders and misunderstandings - nothing major, but this is a pricey place to stay at and some guests might expect the service to be highly sharpened to reflect the fee. Still, if you can do go, I felt 4 nights was just the right amount of time to spend here....had a beautiful time which I will not forget. Room Tip: The newer bunglaow - for sure"

Villa Song Saigon: "A haven in Saigon"

A great quiet riverside property in district 3 only a short boat ride (complimentary) to the centre. Great attentive service and great food all round. Breakfast was inclusive a la carte and available all day which we thought was a really nice touch. We really liked our room (206) with its terrace and views. We would definately recommend and stay here again.