Guest Reviews

Locavore: "Amazing"

"Quite a different experience of food made with local ingredients, but in a modern way. When you first enter, you can choose from the 5-course menu or 7-course menu, but don't be fooled - there are many more appetizers and desserts that they sneak into the menu. There was also a vegetarian menu, as well as some raw dishes. I don't eat raw stuff, so the waitress advised that I could substitute the items from the vegetarian menu, or other items from the 7 course menu. There is no a la carte menu. As each dish is presented, the waitress will explain briefly about the ingredients and how you are supposed to eat it. I think there are already many pictures of the dishes, so I don't have to go into them in detail. Sufficient to say, each dish is made of a complex and interesting symphony of flavours, so your tongue in for a major treat. The entire 5-course meal took 2 hours, so be sure to budget sufficient time for this experience. Service was friendly and attentive throughout. To book, you can go through the website, and be sure to book 2-3 months in advance to ensure that you can get a slot you want. The restaurant is usually fully booked. Also, if you do book - make sure that you do not get your booking wrong. They are serious about charging USD60 per person for no-shows."

YL Residence No.17: "Our wedding venue"

"This was our wedding venue for over 100 people last weekend. Pros: gorgeous location, good lawn to hold ceremony or reception, club house is big enough for contingency plan for 100 pax, good dance floor area and the rooms are lovely. You can sit out on the coconut lawn with your guests staying at the venue (we booked the whole place out over the weekend), it's very relaxing and the staff try their best to cater for your needs. Cons: communication leading up to and on the day of the wedding could be better. A few things went wrong (which had previously been discussed and agreed over emails and after a personal site visit made last August) such as glasses weren't pre filled for the first toast at our dinner, wine wasn't on the tables for guests to help themselves, the projector and audio during speeches broke and the team were very quick to jump in straight after dinner and clear everything out. The night before the wedding a unknown man came into my room at 4 am which was a bit odd - lucky I was in there to ward off any unwanted guests! The day after the wedding (Sunday) I was disappointed to see they had endorsed the next wedding structure to be set up right on the main lawn - we were checking out on the Monday and had just finished our farewell brunch so couldn't use the lawn even though we had booked all the rooms and paid ""location premium"" for exclusive use of the grounds. So it felt a bit sausage factory like - clearly it's a very popular venue! Overall I'd say it was a great wedding, very expensive but stunning location - you'll have to be patient with the emails and be prepared to invest a lot of time in going back and forth organising various members the YL Team and thinking of things that may be obvious - such as clearing the rubbish off the beach that YL overlooks."

Tugu Malang: "Life in the old time"

"When I arrived here, it felt like through back the time. The lobby feels like dutch with chinese interior in several point. All the employees wearing traditional uniform, looks so elegant, charming, and humble. This hotel build with fussion of Sundanese, Javanese, Chinese, and Dutch. There are several statues, painting, and several old stuffs so it feels like life in the museum. Stayed February 2017, traveled with friends"

Supanniga Eating Room: "Best Thai food in Thailand!"

I realize my title is a bold claim. This is the food capital of the world, after all. (OK maybe NYC). But the passion for quality here is simply remarkable. The cabbage with fish sauce dish, for example, is so simple and yet mind-blowingly delicious. I believe this chef has another restaurant in BKK and one in NYC - both of which also get unbelievable reviews.

Jing’s Residence: "Magical"

Beautiful hotel. Great food and service and amenities with the exception that there is no television and internet is slow. Property was impeccably restored and the staff is very helpful and courteous.

Glenburn Tea Estate: "Absolutely Fabulous"

"After travelling around for a few days it was wonderful to arrive at Glenburn to a very warm welcome from Faye, Will and Alex. The bumpy drive down adds to the excitement of your arrival at this beautiful working tea estate. Our room, Planters, was colonial luxury with a huge comfortable bed and a little sitting room off the back with stunning views of kanchenchunga when the clouds lifted. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff and the group guest dinners were great fun and a chance to make new friends and meet interesting people, although you can dine in private if you wish to do so. Breakfast was also delicious as was the tea and cake served in the afternoons. Snacks are available throughout the day but as the meals are so generous we could not have eaten another thing. A free laundry service was very welcome after our travels and it was great to continue on our trip with clean clothes and after a relaxing massage in the spa. A walk around the plantation is a must as it is not only scenic but informative. We were disapointed not to visit the local school supported by Glenburn but it was holidays for them so maybe next time as I would love to stay at Glenburn again. Room Tip: All rooms are beautiful."

Les Maisons d’Itac: "beautiful property and great staff"

The property is beautiful and the pictures don't really do it justice. It is extremely peaceful and a wonderful place to stay outside of Moalboal. The staff and the community are very welcoming. Overall, a terrific trip and we certainly look forward to our next visit.

David’s Kitchen: "A perfect Treat"

"My wife and I were looking for a nice date spot while in Chiang Mai. While we were having a blast eating street food all over Bangkok and Chiang Mai, it was time for a nice change of pace. Somehow we got into David's last minute and had one of the best dinners of our lives. From the moment you enter the driveway to the restaurant the staff was attentive, professional and engaging. Make a Reservation in advance! The food was fantastic and we got to meet David himself. We eat out a lot and have eaten at some of the best restaurants around the globe and David's Kitchen truly stacks up against the best. The 180 day aged beef tenderloin is one of the top 3 steaks we have eaten but everything we had was fantastic! After dinner there is a great little piano bar as part of the restaurant before the main dining room where we had some delicious cocktails and listened to music. David, his wife and their team have created an amazing little place and I would recommend it to anyone! Make a Reservation, I imagine most do not get as lucky as we did with getting in last minute!"

Neeleshwar Hermitage: "Idyllic Ayervedic break by the Arabian Sea"

This is a wonderful place to rejuvenate: attractive, comfortably furnished cottages, welcoming & helpful staff, excellent food prepared by highly skilled chef, superb treatments organised to address specific needs all set in a beautiful location. Excellent library. Great trips & events e.g Theyam, birdwatching, ashrams & temples.

Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris: "Leopard Dreamland"

"We had a wonderful pre-Christmas stay with Sarj, Sanjay, Damien and the team at the Yala site. Service was impeccable, food outstanding, and the accomodation a fair bit more luxurious than I remembered from camping trips in my youth! We stayed 3 nights, and had 6 drives. The first 2 were great - elephants. Spotted deer, colourful indigenous birds,etc - but no leopards. On the 3rd drive we got lucky, and from then on we hit the jackpot, with 7 different leopards in the last 4 drives! The staff were amazing, Sarj an absolute wealth of info (wildlife and photography), Damien full of stories to keep us entertained, and Sanjay ensuring that everything back at camp was shipshape. My expectations for Sri Lankan safaris were limited, having had some amazing trips in South Africa, but it massively exceeded expectations. My 12 year old son loved it, and we will return!"