Pindaya Farm House: "Paradise!"
Thahara in Pindaya, Myanmar is the most wonderful B&B. The accommodations were spotless, the food excellent, the host and hostess were polite, kind and very attentive. I was very sick for about 24 hours and they made special food for me! Our host picked us up at the airport and provided transportation for our sightseeing. The setting for the B&B is in the country on a farm. Very quiet and peaceful. We are already planning our return trip. I would encourage everyone to consider a trip to this lovely property.Misool Eco Resort: "A True Island Paradise"
"There are plenty of Lengthy reviews here already so will keep this succinct. Just spent 10 Sublime days & 9 Exquisite Nights at Misool Eco Resort this September. Would have happily spent 10 more. This is a truly special place. I have not been to another resort anywhere that matches the genuine care, warmth and concern that all of the staff show for their guests. Mark and Sue, with their vast Island Resort experience, along with their humble unassuming nature bring a level of Empathetic service and understanding that is unmatched anywhere! I could list all of the other frontline staff by name and thank them individually, but I was equally impressed with all of them, as they were all totally genuine and helpful and an absolute delight to share the island with. This is not some pretentious 5 star resort in the Maldives, or Bora Bora that has spared no expense on all of the modern luxuries at the expense of its surroundings and the Native Peoples. It is a perfect, flawless uncut diamond built in perfect harmony and balance with it's mostly untouched surroundings, in a well considered, thoughtful and sustainable way. The resort manages to simultaneously give back to the local people whilst truly supporting and restoring its pristine surroundings to all of their original glory. If you are a diver, the abundance of Soft Corals and Marine Life on all of the surrounding reefs is overwhelming. If you are not a diver, a leisurely afternoon swim or snorkel on the house reef is just as impressive. You won't find another experience quite like staying Misool Eco Resort anywhere! If you are considering it, Do it! As soon as you have, you will want to go back for more."Flower Island: "Paradise Found!"
Flower Island Resort is amazing! This is the place to go if you want to unwind, read a book and snorkel. We were there right before Easter and although they were full, it still didn't seem busy. We enjoyed having our meals with another couple and had great fun with new friends at the bar. Thanks for a great stay! It's also a great place to be proposed to, we will be back!Cuisine Wat Damnak: "Fine dining at very good value for money"
So pleased I reserved this restaurant 90 days before we got there! It is so much in demand and I am not surprised. We chose the 6-course dinner accompanied by their recommended wine and with each course you look forward to the next one. Art on a plate and simply delicious. Just $31 for the 6-courses! Unheard of!!! Chef came round each table for our comments which we really did appreciate especially when the restaurant is so busy. The hostess was also very helpful and pleasant.Villa Song Saigon: "Incredible Stay"
"We greatly enjoyed everything about our stay at Villa Song. The hotel itself is beautiful, and the grounds and pool are immaculate. The private boat ride to the hotel was great fun, and the staff were fantastic. They knew us by name and accommodated our every request. The outdoor dining was some of the best dining of our entire trip. The food was superb - Vietnamese with modern flair, and very creative. We were impressed by every meal and drink. We came here to celebrate our honeymoon, and we felt like royalty the entire time. Cannot recommend enough! Stayed January 2017, traveled as a couple"The Village House: "A little taste of paradise"
"Changed my mind at the last minute and booked the village house rather than a hotel in the city. The best decision I have made in ages. Arranged a shuttle service from the airport as arrived in the evening and had no idea where I was going. After about a 40 minute drive turned off along an unlit track and thought 'where are we going, what have I booked?'... To cut a long story short, it is beautiful! The grounds, the hotel itself, bedrooms, the pool etc all exceeded my expectations a long way; especially for the money we paid. All the staff go out of their way from start to finish to make sure you are not only happy, but comfortable, feel secure, well rested, fed well and completely pampered! (...) Every member of staff we met were fabulous. We honestly felt like we made friends with all of them. They all took the time to chat with us, talk about the history of the village house and the Santubong mountains that you can see from the gardens.Any questions we had were answered. Any request we had were met. What more could you ask for? The only recommendation I have is put the staff 'tip' box by the bar. We wanted to give the staff some money and explained this to the manager. The box is in his office."Villa Song Saigon: "Highly recommended"
"We arrived at Villa Song after two weeks of non-stop sight-seeing in Laos and Vietnam and we were dirty and knackered by the time we got here. Saigon is a bit of a strange place as there really isn't much to see in the centre and the one trip we did down to the Mekong Delta in the car (5 hour round trip) to a floating market (and strange tourist trap village) was not worth it. I think at the time I would have marked more harshly but the benefit of a bit of hindsight and comparing the hotel to all the other 9 stops we did, has given me a chance to mark it more favorably! Location: I really cannot see why anyone would want to stay in the centre of Saigon. This hotel is in the expat district on the banks of the Mekong in a much nicer area - usually there is a shuttle boat into the centre (which I would have liked to take from their pier) however it's not running at the moment as the city authorities are re-furbing the main pier in the city centre. There is a shuttle bus but we didn't bother taking it. As someone else has said, there is a noisy bar (with terrible food - don't eat there) across the way. It was only noisy on the final morning we were there, but the hotel could do with sorting this out so guests are not disturbed. Room: We arrived about 11am and our designated room wasn't ready. The receptionist asked if we would like to see a different room (they're all different which is a really nice touch) so she showed us room 6 at the back, which has a secret staircase up to it and also the room we were supposed to have which they were in the process of cleaning. That room had a larger balcony but in the end I picked the room at the back by the pool and I didn't regret it. F&B: Breakfast is a la carte - TBH I personally prefer a buffet as I find the food is cold (especially eggs) by the time it arrived with us, and the staff had some difficulties understanding our order. We also ate lunch and we had a top pho - the menu isn't that extensive but the food was highly quality. The hotel provides a list of recommended restaurants in the expat area, which we ate at and I agree, they are good! There is a supermarket up the road (about 15 mins walk away) so if you want to bring back some additional beers to put in the fridge, they didn't seem to mind. On the road towards the supermarket we also found a great French deli with cheese & meats and an Italian pop-up place run by two Italians. These are on the right as you walk towards the British high-school. There is also a craft beer place with a really good local restaurant in the same street - about 20 minutes away (you should be able to find it on the TA map of the area). Facilities: the pool area was lovely. We had one full day round the pool and it was super quiet - if only the weather had been better (but that's not the hotel's fault). I had been intending to book something in the spa but in the end I just didn't have the energy for it, so can't comment on anything else. Finally a couple of points for improvement: - It would be great if the room came with a proper guest book - there were bits of info scattered about the hotel room. Surely a guest book can be sorted with very little organisation? - Please use less packaging on your laundry items. We were two weeks in when we stayed and needed to wash a lot of clothes - everything came back individually wrapped in cardboard and plastic - there was mountains of waste. Not eco and very expensive! It took us ages to put all the laundry away and the bin was over-flowing all over the place with all the packaging. Overall - great hotel, great location. I would stay again..."VILLA SONG SAIGON: "Elegant hotel on the Saigon River"
"We started our vacation in Vietnam in this elegant hotel. It looks and feels like British colonial times. We ate our breakfasts on the banks of the Saigon river and had delicious food there. Our room was on the third floor and there are no elevators. We never carried our suitcases - the service was wonderful. We were looking for a place to eat and the staff told us where locally they went to eat and we had a delicious lunch there. We took their water taxi into the city and it was a treat to ride on the river in that way. The pool there is lovely and staff are around to take care of your every need. We couldn't have had a better start to a fabulous two weeks in Vietnam. "Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge: "To stay to write a book"
A wonderful place, at the foot of Annapourna in the Himalayas. How to forget it? The atmosphere is of absolute relaxation, 45 minutes (car or van) from the charming town of Pokhara. In this lodge the purity of the world's most impressive mountains breathe. Snowy summits eternally contrast with the more than enjoyable place microclimate. To stay to write a book. Accommodation includes full board, which allows share with other guests tables and dining terrace. Attention is dedicated and permanent. clean air, which widens the spirit breathes.Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris: "A bucket list adventure"
My husband and I stayed at Noel Rodrigo's Yala camp for 2 nights with our 2 daughter's aged 5 and 8. We all had a fabulous time! It really was a highlight of our travels around Sri Lanka. The camp site has a modern design, the tents make the experience more like "glamping" but without loosing the rustic and basic appeal. All of the staff were very knowledgable, accomodating and friendly. Our daughter's could freely explore, run and play freely in the Sri Lankan outdoors while my husband and I could read, relax and enjoy a a drink after our exciting Safari expeditions. The chef on our camp was amazing. The food we ate on the camp was colourful, fresh and so delicious. We were lucky enough to experience an abundance of wild life on our safari's including a lengthy leopard sighing. It was truly fantastic! I cannot recommend this experience, the staff and the quality of Noel Rodrigo's Leopard Safaris high enough.Travel Asia with Secret Retreats
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