4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "Simply amazing and unforgettable"

Review by: Melsy1 | Source: Trip Advisor
"We stayed in tent 6 north for 2 nights...we do have regrets about our stay. And that is basically the fact that we didn't stay longer. This place is beautiful. A friendly welcome on arrival as we then took a boat ride to the resort. Having just come from Phnom Penh the first thing that hits you is the calmness. A further friendly and informative welcome once we reached the resort. We arrived mid afternoon and took advantage of the wonderful food and sipped a couple of beers on the deck in front of our superb accommodation. The sheer size of the tents and the comfort factor and ammenities available are fantastic. I loved the fact you could unzip the tent to allow you to see the beautiful surroundings at all times. As well as allowing a subtle breeze. The fans provided help with the heat and humidity and the bed is large and comfortable. I love how EVERYTHING moves with the flow of boats passing or people walking on the walkways. Dinner choices are required in advance where you can choose the set menu of the day or simply pick what you like from the standard menu. Breakfast choices are also required in advance. The food is very tasty and the restaurant staff very polite and efficient. We enjoyed a trip to the waterfall. Our 2 guides and boat driver were very good and also great fun. Very interesting to hear how they now have jobs at the resort having been poachers. We arrived prior to anyone else and it was great. The water is warm to swim and the scenery gorgeous. Butterflies everywhere and of course the flowing falls. Fried rice cooked fresh on boar for lunch which was delicious. A thunderstorm started upon our return boat trip..I'm not good with lighting and I'll never forget the guides 'ducking' and 'cowaring' with each lightning strike...when I saw what damage the lightning strikes had caused to their coconut trees you'd understand why. Thankfully after watching the rain fall with such force into the river as we arrived back it stopped. We went on the free trip to see the fire flies. Stunning and so bizarre that they all congregate to one tree..it flashes like a Christmas tree...but it much more beautiful...and the stars...in such darkness the stars are so bright. We were off to Kep after here and were so glad to be given the choice of when we departed. 8am 10am or 12pm. We went with the later time so to optimise our time. Using this to take a leisurely breakfast and to take the kayaks out for a paddle round the island. We saw rhinoceros hornbills and archer fish. Highly recommend 4 rivers. Long may it stay exactly as it is"

Supanniga Home: "Nice stay in Khon Kaen"

Review by: Asian_Traveler_1980 | Source: Trip Advisor
We had the Velu Villa. It is a nice modern villa of 2 rooms. The garden of the Supanniga is very nice with a lot of squirrels (so nice) but too many mosquitoes (less nice)...the staff were friendly and breakfast good. We will go back there certainly.

Rahai’i Pangun: "One of the best trips we have ever done"

Review by: painter2808 | Source: TRip Advisor
"We had the most marvellous and memorable 4 day trip on the boat in October. The staff were absolutely superb. Only superlatives will do. We were so fortunate to have Putu who informed us without lecturing. He was so easy to get on with. We were very fortunate and my husband, daughter and I had the boat to ourselves because the other family booked on the boat wanted to do a private charter. We have been on beautiful boats on the backwaters in Kerala on several occasions and also on boats in Myanmar and Vietnam but this beats them all by a mile. The river was serene and we hardly saw any tourist boats only the locals going about their work. Seeing the orangutans and learning about them was one of the best things that we have done in a long time. They are such beautiful and intelligent animals and I now try not to buy any products which contain palm oil which is destroying their habitat. "

Tugu Lombok: "Urlaub"

Review by: Susanne S | Source: Trip Advisor
"Das Tugu Hotel ist ein Traum und ganz besonders für einen romantischen Urlaub zu empfehlen .In diesem Hotel stimmt alles!! Jeder Wunsch wird einem von den Augen abgelesen! Man fühlt sich wie in einer geborgen Familie, da es ein kleines ganz besonders liebevoll gepflegtes Hotel ist. Das Frühstück sensationell! Allerdings sehr einsam und abgelegen. Für Ruhesuchende Personen das perfekte Hotel. Stayed January 2017, traveled solo"

Satri House: "Excellent, charming, classy"

Review by: Rupert M | Source: Trip Advisor
Satri House is a tranquil, beautiful boutique hotel that oozes the charm of a property with a place in history - it has texture and character in a way that many other luxury hotel chain offerings at several times the price tag don't get close to. The staff are very friendly and the food had some real hits, as well. It is the rare breed that hits a sweet spot between price and feel, and so comes highly recommended from this humble traveler. (Protip - go across the street out back and eat at Manda de Laos, a fantastic new restaurant no one seems to know about)

Summertime Villa: "An oasis of seclusion"

Review by: SupriyaKan | Source: Trip Advisor
"Summertime Villa is an oasis of seclusion in one of the most touristy parts of Goa. I can't decide which was my favourite part of my time there... Mornings by the koi fish pond, which I could access from the room I was put up in. Or the afternoons lazing on the deck chair, watching the starlings take quick dips into the water. Or the evening swims in the infinity pool, with the sun setting into a horizon of palm trees. The rooms were cosy yet spacious, the meals were delicious, and the owners delightful company!"

Samanea Beach Resort: "Perfect for families"

Review by: Obie717 | Source: Trip Advisor
"We stayed with several friends at Samanea, most of them families with kids, who loved the setting and the experience at the hotel. The villas are probably the largest in Kep, with huge beds and sitting areas. The showers are a special experience, and the outside seating areas are comfortable in rain or sun. The pool area is excellent, with a great size suitable for both kids and adults. The view of the sea is stunning, with a huge pier that is great for photos and sunsets! There are so many places on the resort to relax, with the nice canopy of trees, pool area, and sea view. It is not walkable to Kep beach or the crab market, so definitely need some sort of tuk tuk or rental transportation. What we were stunned most by was the excellent service--accommodating all of our needs and always helpful with all of our requests. Definitely recommended for long stays in Kep!"

Villa Song: "Outstanding Hotel in Every Way!"

Review by: Amy T | Source: Trip Advisor
"Our experience with the Villa Song hotel has been excellent, with tremendous service and communication starting even before we arrived. From helping us to arrange car service from the airport, to recommending and reserving excursions, to accommodating changes in our travel plans, the service we have experienced has been top notch. When we missed our layover flight in Dubai we immediately let our friends at Villa Song know that we would be delayed a day. Even though we we only gave them a few hours notice they got back to us right away, to let us know that it wouldn’t be a problem. When we arrived at the hotel the staff couldn’t have been more welcoming and confirmed our excursions that evening. The Vespa ride in Saigon and the boat trip on the Mekong Delta were fantastic and reasonably priced. When we saw our room - the imperial suite - we immediately decided to cancel the next leg of our trip and extend our stay at Villa Song for an additional 3 nights. The staff were very accommodating and told us we could stay in the same room. Everything in the room is high end, very clean and the bed and bedding are exceptional. The spa Service is OFF THE CHARTS good. We had a couples hot stone massage and I had a facial. Again, the prices were excellent! The food has surpassed our expectations. Breakfast is complimentary - I would suggest the waffles, with green coconut chutney - delicious! Lunch and dinner were five stars. My only small suggestion is that the white wine could be a little colder. The food is phenomenal!! This is a place to come to eat even if you don’t stay here. Lastly, the service at Villa song is as good, if not better, than any of the 6/7 star hotels in the West. Everyone was ready to help ensure that our honeymoon would be unforgettable. We leave the day after tomorrow for the St Regis in Langkawi, Malaysia - and to be honest - we want to stay here! Special thank you’s to Ms. Truc, Mr. Toan and Freddy. Thanks to you for making our time here unforgettable!! "

Glenburn Tea Estate: "A little piece of heaven"

Review by: lindylou601 | Source: Trip Advisor
A return visit did not disappoint, although under different management, it was still a wonderful place to relax, where you are looked after most royally. The rooms are beautifully furnished with very comfortable beds, and pretty bedding. The staff are all very helpful and attentive, and several seem to have multi- functional roles. We had a really interesting tour of the tea-factory, even though the factory was not working at the time. Unfortunately owing to the complete strike in the Darjeeling area in the previous 3 months, resulted in the loss of this year's crop. The strike had also meant that the gardens surrounding the bungalows were not so immaculate, but I am sure this will be remedied soon. The.views of Kanchenjunga ( 3rd highest mountain in the world,) are stupendous if the weather conditions are right. We had a lovely guided walk down to the river, and then along river bank to bridge that crosses into Sikkim ( you are not allowed into Sikkim without a permit). We were then treated to a wonderful picnic by the river before getting a lift back up to Glenburn in one of the estate vehicles. Would definitely like to return for another little piece of heaven!

Dewakan: "Pride of Malaysia: A culinary journey that reflects Malaysia’s heritage"

Review by: Crystal C | Source: Trip Advisor
"We went for the full works - a 10-course dinner at RM207 per person, and we were not disappointed in the least! Although there are 10 courses described in the menu, we were served a number of finger foods to munch on before the first appetizers were served. , such as fried fish fritters that taste like the traditional East Coast snack, keropok lekor and were shaped like long, elegant twigs that were thought were merely decorative items at first. The starters included a refreshing razor clam salad, the razor clams being a staple of many local seafood restaurants, but given a twist as was served with shaved ice flavoured with a medley of savoury local tastes and colours that made it look more like a dessert at first - only to be pleasantly surprised by the savory, exotic flavours blended together in an icy bite. The next few courses were equally outstanding, taking us through the kind of preparation techniques you would only find in the fanciest restaurants, from flavour-infused foam, to purees and emulsions, meat cooked confit-style, and even to salted egg yolks harded, pressed into thin slices, and broken into brittle pieces... and yet using the humblest of flavours, vegetables and ingredients that remind any Malaysian that grew up in this country of grandma's cooking. Another stand out dish was the Forbidden Porridge, which had almost-raw slivers of ox tongue served on soft, sticky black glutinous rice and accompanied by a mushroom and wild vegetable broth that they boil in a coffee syphon, with the whole vegetables, roots and all, thrown into the mix, for an incredibly heady flavour that becomes especially intense when you pour it over the ox tongue and black rice and mix all of it together. The desserts are equally impressive, from the meringues to the ganache to the ice cream made from delicious, Southeast Asian local flavours. Again, just as the razor-clam blended dessert inspiration (in the form of shaved ice sprinkled with coloured syrups) in a savory dish, the desserts push the boundaries by using savory flavours eg. pulut (glutinous rice) in a sweet ice cream. It's an experience that starts off confusing, then pleasantly surprising, and then ends in an incredibly satisfying way. Service was great, especially impressive as they are manned by a staff made mostly of students-in-training. If you love fine dining, exquisite cooking methods, and aromatic Southeast Asian flavours, Dewakan is THE restaurant to visit in Malaysia. In one sitting, this is possibly THE most varied and comprehensive tasting of the Malaysian food culture prepared with the finest culinary techniques by a team of professional chefs."
1 17 18 19 20 21 569

instagram youtube linkedin blog tiktok

Travel Asia with Secret Retreats

Secret Retreats is a curated community of independent boutique hotel, villas, yachts and river boats keen to share their Asian Homes with travelers, sustainably and responsibly. Conservation of the environment, culture and traditions of Asia is of paramount importance to all in Secret Retreats. A community of like-minded hospitality professionals, we offer our guests authentic travel experiences that go beyond typical offerings to unveil the essence of Asia. Supporting the Asia based hoteliers and hospitality professionals and providing incredible holidays in Asia and tailor-made Asia travel itineraries direct to public ad travel agents.
Get inspired and make savings!
By booking direct with Secret Retreats and enjoy peace of mind from our full on the ground support. Contact our concierge and plan then book your Asia holiday now!