Guest Reviews

Glenburn Tea Estate: "Truly worth the back breaking journey"

"We travelled from Pelling to Glenburn and the journey to put it mildly is HORRENDOUS. ""Roads""""do not exist and one can feel the bumps in every corner of your body. The last 45mins to an hour is equally bad but the place more than makes up for the travel hazard. Faye and Will (the outgoing Managers) take great care of your every need and the service is extremely personalized. One is not rushed into doing anything, whether it be food timings or day trips. Ranjan Chhetri the local manager is gracious and feeds you with anecdotes of the surroundings.We stayed at the Rose Suite which is well appointed and has ALL creature comforts besides truly living up to its name!!! We ere also lucky to meet up with the estate manager Mr Hussain. He regaled us with stories of the region where he has spent more than 26yrs. The common dining area is a good meeting point fro all the guests but one also has an option to dine in your room with silver service. A must visit again place. Excellent collection of books and magazines to read. No television in the room is a great boon. Kindly try and do something about the road to and from the property."

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "Heaven on Earth"

We stayed 3 nights and arrived yesterday back in Phnom Penh and today I wish we were back in the tranquility of 4 Rivers. We have travelled all over Asia and met many wonderful people but the people at 4Rivers are absolutely the BEST. I wasn't sure about staying in a floating tent plus it was a 5 hour car ride but it was worth it and so glad to have this experience. The manager greeted us upon arrival and the moment I met her, I felt that we were with friends as that is how she and the entire staff make you feel.The tour guides were fantastic and they shared their personal lives with us and it was so great to actually see a member of the staff home and meet his family. The trip over to the village was fantastic as this is real life and they happily shared it with us. I could write a whole page about our wonderful experience but better yet....spend a few days with the most wonderful hosts. I also would like to thank the chef and entire kitchen staff for the fabulous food that they served us each day with was a 5 star cuisine

Glenburn Tea Estate: "A hidden gem not to be missed!"

A stay at the Glenburn tea estate is a truly unforgettable experience and we loved every minute of it. Whichever way you look from the delightful gardens or from either of the beautiful bungalows there is a wonderful vista, even when the mountains are shrouded in mist. Unfortunately for us, the weather was not at its best when we stayed in late March/early April, but we were lucky enough to be there for 5 nights and so we at least had 2 fabulous mornings when we were treated to the breathtaking views of the Kanchenjunga mountain range from the comfort of our room. Our room (Camelia) was fabulously spacious and beautifully decorated in English country house style with a lovely seating area, and French doors onto a small balcony with magnificent views. The bathroom was enormous with roll top bath and huge walk in shower. We did not see any of the other rooms but all other guests seemed just as impressed with theirs, and we gather the views are wonderful from each and every room. The food was delicious with an imaginative and varied menu and, despite initial reservations, we really rather enjoyed the communal dining in the evening. It was very interesting to meet such a variety of people from all over the world. I think perhaps my husband was a little bored on the last evening being the only man at a dining table full of rather verbose women! There was plenty to keep us amused during our 5 night stay with a visit to the tea factory, walks around the estate looking at the flowers, birds and butterflies, a lovely (though quite tiring) hike to the river camp with a tasty meal when we arrived, and a day trip into Darjeeling. We could have done a lot more but, after the hustle and bustle of Kolkata, and because the gardens were so idyllic, we relished in the opportunity to relax, reading, chatting, playing cards and drinking plenty of Glenburn First Flush tea! All of the staff were friendly, helpful and efficient, and hats off to the multi-talented Nilima and Luna for being such lovely and well-informed guides, but also for running the shop and helping with the organisation of the staff welfare programme, amongst a multitude of other skills. A very big thank you to Jemima, Holly and all the staff for a truly memorable and delightful stay........ We hope we will return one day.

Locavore: "Second time around, simply incredible again."

"We had tried Locovore a few years ago, sat st the kitchen and talked to the chefs while out 10+ courses came out. Loved it. Came back in December last year, we started as a 12, turned into 30, and they looked after us perfectly. Had some critiques on the crowd from Dubai, Hong Kong, London and Sydney. Full marks all around, and another meal that will sit as a life experience. Portions are not large, however they are incredibly ‘wow’. If you are used to American portions, eat first, for the rest, you will be ok. It is a must visit. It is one of the few restaurants in the world (that I have been lucky enough to try) that I would fly to a country to visit."

Locavore: "world class dining in Ubud, Bali"

This is an extraordinary French fusion cuisine restaurant. Everything is first class: food sourcing, preparation, presentation, taste.

Villa Song Saigon: "We saved the best till last"

"This was superb! Had a lovely suite (206) and the lay out was very impressive. Mini bar items were complimentary and there was an Apple TV supplementing the normal TV. We booked dinner for 8:00pm and were a little perturbed with the number of noisy children in the restaurant. The Executive Chef, Kevin Marchetti, stopped by to welcome us and wondered if we would be happier dining outside. We hesitated as we were nervous of insects as we would be sitting next to the riverside and he suggested we spray ourselves with insect repellant which he produced quite promptly. We accepted his suggestion and were very pleased that we did. The Menu came on an iPad and there was a photo of every choice which was very helpful and not tacky like some places we have eaten at. The meal was superb and it was a pleasant evening to be sitting outside. And no bites! The next day we took advantage of the boat shuttle into Saigon which was prompt and a pleasant experience. There was a wedding scheduled on our last day and it was laid out really nicely. As we were leaving, the Hotel were very accommodating and found comfy chairs where we could wait for our pick up taking us to the Airport. All in all, a superb experience."

The Hue House: "Nice restaurant"

"The Hue House Restaurant offers Hue and Vietnamese food, plus will be the only place which I have found in HCMC which has a great model of ""bun thit nuong"" (grilled pork, peanuts, noodles, sprouts and greens that's extremely well known within the south of the country). Food is genuine and portions are respectable. Staff is beneficial (to a fault) in ensuring you recognize the way to eat the meals properly (banh was ordered by me cuon there once, so the server insisted on coming 1 for me despite the protests of mine that i knew how you can do it!) The prices here are much more than reasonable. To match up against the adornment, quality of food and services, you are going to have an inexpensive price but five star service."

The Island Lodge: "Beautiful stay in MeKong"

"We were picked up in Saigon and driven for about 2 hours to this hotel. It was an amazingly beautiful spot to spend 2 days and relax and explore. Husband had a wonderful massage and the pool and lobby areas were gorgeous. The whole setting is very ""Indochine"" and so well done. The staff was very attentive and tried to help with all we could ask -- The breakfast which was included was delicious and we also had dinner there as there was no where else near by to go easily. We walked around near the hotel--but it is not near any other things that are places to see. We did do their bike/boat tour to Ben Tre which was wonderful. Our guide--from the hotel--was so nice and we took a boat to Ben Tre--then biked all over the island--stopping to see different fruits, ect... and visiting pagodas and locals on the way. Ben Tre is so nice, shaded and easy to navigate with the guide. We loved this place and the owner and staff were very hospitable! Room Tip: we had gorgeous room with balcony overlooking the pool and river"

Satri House: "Special & memorable"

"This hotel was absolutely fabulous in every way..wonderful colonial decor, each cranny full of authentic artefacts. Staff were lovely and attentive.. Food delicious We spent our 17 year anniversary there & they pulled out the stops to make it special. All in all one of our favourite hotels ever & will definitely go back."

The Village House: "LOVE IT!"

Very romantic and relaxing place. I love the ambience of that place. Staff was very friendly. The place is very isolated and hard to find in the first place. But overall everything was fine and i would love to visit again in the future :)