The Island Lodge: "A quaint oasis in the Mekong Delta"
We booked to stay at The Island Lodge for 4 nights in May 2016. After travelling through Vietnam from Hanoi and the North, and steadily heading south, we spent a couple of days in Saigon before going to the Mekong. Michel kindly arranged transfers for us from Saigon well before we left for our trip, and all went to plan. We drove down but you can get there by boat as well. It was just the perfect relax-a vous place after the hectic touring of cities. Our room overlooking the pool was excellent, and the staff were lovely, and tree so hard to please us, even though their English was not perfect- however much more perfect than our Vietnamese! It's a charming small resort, and we went on a personal tour with Michel on bikes along some amazing tracks we'd never find on our own, for around 3 hours, on the Ferry and through little villages with everyone saying hello along the way. It was a really unique and bespoke tour and Michel was the perfect host along the way. Food was great and we couldn't have been better looked after. If you are into small hotels which are well run, but offer something deferent to the big internationals, you'll love this place. It only has 12 rooms, so that'll give you an idea of how boutique it is.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: "Great place with a great view"
"We love this place, especially for breakfast or lunch or just a cup of coffee. Look out over the river and relax. We went here with my son of 6 months, they are very baby friendly. They provide a high chair and baby bowl. The staff is very helpful. The food is very good, we had breakfast there and that is great. Choice of different types of breakfast. For lunch we had fish and chips and a duck salad! Very good. Try it out!"Villa Song Saigon: "Villa Song,Saigon"
"Wow! What a great place to stay when visiting Saigon.Located along the Saigon River. We had a fantastic room over looking the river. The hotel has a restaurant with outside seating within a few feet of the river;a great place for breakfast as the sun comes up over Saigon. The staff was always willing to help(we were struggling with printing boarding passes)and always greeted you with a smile. 5 stars! Stayed March 2017, traveled as a couple"4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "Quite simply, wow"
This experience was worth the long car journey and really made the holiday to Cambodia special. We arrived on the 1st October and from the moment we stepped onto the complimentary boat the relaxation began. The luxury of the tents astounded us, I especially wasn't expecting such a decent water pressure from the shower, to be able to lie in bed and just look out onto the river was unique. Another surprise was the variety of fresh food available, the daily changing set menu was wonderful. We did both the fire fly and waterfall excursions, should the weather have been better we would have jumped at the sunset trip too, the waterfall was brilliant fun and exhilarating. However what really made the trip for me was the people and their stories. The activities coordinator had such interesting stories to tell, I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to his island, on the way back from the waterfall, where we met the locals and shared some fresh coconut. Seeing first hand how they live and discussing their hopes for their country was extremely thought provoking. Our last evening will be one I will never forget, from further discussions with staff about their views on the development of Cambodia, to our beautiful dinner over looking the water, I was already missing the resort when the staff all came out to play their guitars and sing for us, it was simply a fantastic experience, one I have not stopped raving about since returning. If you want to experience the hidden side of Cambodia or simply want to get away from it all for a while you really must stay here. Thank you all for making my holiday an unforgettable experience I truly do miss each of youSlow Villas and Spa: "Perfecta luna de miel"
"Si deseas tener privacidad y tranquilidad, este es tu hotel. No es lujoso (aunque no vi ninguno lujoso en la isla), pero es completamente lleno de detalles que saltan a la vista. Es alejado del ruido del centro de la isla y muy cerca al oeste para ver el sunset. Sólo se escucha el ruido de la mezquita. El desayuno es excelente, preparado con mucha dedicación y muy buena variedad. Hay que pedirlo desde el día anterior. Buena disponibilidad de bicicletas y de excelente calidad, hasta linternas de cabeza te prestan para salir en la noche."Locavore: "A wonderful experience."
"Fantastic fine dinning in the heart of Ubud. The seven courses plus matching drinks were excellent and delicious, as was the pre dinner 'snacks'. The highlights for me were 'into the sawah' and 'bubur sumsum'. The service was outstanding with each dish and drink fully explained by the waitress. My partner and I left full and very satisfied. The experience is not cheap by any means but certainly worth treating yourself when in Ubud or Bali."Villa Song Saigon: "Awesome Hotel"
"Awesome hotel 20 mins from the city and right on the river, but with a free shuttle to the city. Staff where fantastic very friendly, Restaurant was awesome for Breakfast and Dinner, great pool and the room was awesome very comfortable quiet great view of the river, ask for the Villa Song Suite no 26 was perfect.. Will go back again"Villa Song Saigon: "Villa Song"
We really loved this hotel, the location, the staff, the rooms and the food were all fantastic. The regular boat shuttle to the centre of the city along the river was also a real plus. Great stay, would go back and would recommend it to anyone.Supanniga Eating Room: "Good food"
Went there for dinner for the first time. Food was simple but delicious. Pleasant and comfortable setting. Attentive and helpful staff made the experience even more enjoyable. Certainly will return upon my next trip.
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