Guest Reviews

Maison Polanka: "Our favourite place ever!"

We have never enjoyed a place to stay - anywhere we have travelled - more than Maison Polanka. This is like staying in someone's home - or the home you might dream about having one day. With large, beautiful gardens and an elegant swimming pool, but only a handful of rooms so it's very peaceful never feels crowded even with other guests around. We also had the best Cambodian food of our trip in their restaurant, which is really just a few tables outside by the pool, but outshone anywhere else we ate. Off menu, they were kind enough to make a special noodle soup (nom banh chok) one day for us for lunch - it was delicious and worth making a special request for (in advance). We stayed in the Khmer House as a treat, and it was beautiful and spacious, though I think anyone would be happy with any of the rooms they have. But the best part of Maison Polanka are the people who work there who are warm, welcoming and willing to help with everything, from tour planning, surprise afternoon cakes by the pool, and a wonderfully memorable trip to the Road 60 night market for a dinner of insects, stuffed frogs and other more familiar foods! Our thanks in particular to Cathy, Chan, and Vong! Don't bother looking anywhere else in Siem Reap, just stay here!

Chakrabongse Villas: "Just one word: unforgetable"

In your next trip to bangkok, don't look no further. It's a small paradise in the middle of this crazy tomorrow. An amazing view to the river with a friendly staff. Just a recommendation: if you would like to have a wonderful dinner by the river you need to book in advance.

The Village House: "Lovely Place, PEACEFUL!"

Booked for 1 Night for my propose day, is a great place especially you want to do nothing by just relaxing and enjoy the day..very friendly staff, romantic and quiet as well. surrounding are nice but a bit lack of light at night at the backyard. by the way, i have to give extra credit about the pool.

Rachamankha: "Such a lovely hotel"

The Rachamanka did not disappoint. From the moment I walked in, it was peace and tranquility. The staff was kind and eager to please. The room was spacious and beautifully appointed. The grounds were lovely. The restaurant was delicious! I couldn't have asked for a better stay in Chiang Mai.

Glenburn Tea Estate: "Shangri-La in Darjeeling"

We spent four wonderful days in this Shangri-La situated in the Himalayan Mountains, surrounded by tea gardens, hikes through the tea gardens and tiny villages, scenery to paint, and of course wonderful tea picked at the estate. Each evening a delightful family meal, meeting fun and interesting people, and wonderful food from a different region each evening. A little off the beaten path, but worth the little extra effort to get to paradise.

David’s Kitchen: "Best dining in Thailand! One of a kind"

This was by far one of the best meals we ate in Thailand! The cocktails were exceptional, and the food was delicious! More importantly, David was such an interesting man, and it was an absolute pleasure to meet him and hear his story! You will feel special from the moment you step in the place. THIS IS A MUST!

Villa Song Saigon: "Compact Asian Luxury.. Absolutely fantastic hotel"

"We booked the same day we were to arrive given our initial hesitation to have Vietnam as destination for our long weekend escapade. We were amazed at the efficiency by which we were accommodated. The suites were booked for the night but a smaller room was instead alloted for us. It was topnotch from the pristine furnitures and fixtures to the vibrant yet impressively balanced art works. The following day we were transferred to the freed up art villa suite with an astonishing den overlooking the saigon river. The breakfast was eat all you can ala carte and the boutique hotel again exceeded our expectations. Personally this is where we had our best ever coffee experience and you can feel there was passion behind the creation of the food they serve. The hotel helped us book with the river sunset cruise. With the weather getting in the way of seeing the sunset, our guide ""Luke"" took us instead to the floating Pagoda and to a coconut drop off point where we had fresh young coconut juice that tastes even more heavenly than the ones we have in our very own beloved Philippines. This was the highlight of the vietnamese cultural education aspect of our trip having been immersed with our superbly fluent local guide who's versed with of course the country's current issues and its vibrant history. The attentive hot staff were promptly alert and each was attentively catering to our every tiny need. If you're after a compact yet very privately intimate vietnamese atmosphere fused with a strong french structural vibe, then you'd certainly feel like you struck gold with Villa Song. It heartfully made our vietnam trip an unforgettable success."

Misool Eco Resort: "Wow"

This place was amazing. It's truly hard to describe the beauty of this place, and what they went through to make it available to the (discerning) masses. Everything was perfect, from the check-in, to the food, to the rooms, to the scuba-diving / snorkeling. I couldn't dive due to a lung issue, but trust me, I saw and experienced just as much. Even got to see some manta rays at the top of an underwater mountain. Calvin, who headed up the diving / snorkeling trips / PADI courses, and has a marine biology degree... very helpful and great instructor, with the added benefit that he's an actual scientist. Even gave a preso on his work with the manta rays. And I'd like to give a shout-out to my snorkeling guide (Nelson i.e. "Son") as well. He's a local, and used to live on a pearl farm... he dove down seemingly without effort 20-30 feet deep to search out cool things to see. I'm not even sure the guy needs scuba equipment. And the reefs in their 1000 km square "no take" zone were in amazing health (which is surprising given all the press about the decline of reefs in other parts of the world right now) - we saw tons of stuff. My favorites were the nudibranches - I saw about 5 or 6 kinds. We also saw a herd of "bumpheads" that apparently National Geographic was trying to get pics / videos of a few weeks before but couldn't find. The amount of biodiversity is truly astounding... the fish stocks and schools were absolutely amazing. Corals too. I also liked the "eco" theme of the resort - they really take it to heart. Our room had air conditioning, but it was only within the mosquito netting above our bed - I thought this was a clever and very energy efficient way to do it, because you really only want it at night when you're sleeping anyway. Also, they're trying to figure out how to do solar, just working through the details right now. One piece of advice: Just bring adequate cash to tip with (preferably IDR, but they can exchange USD or Australian $$ pretty easily) - and not because they expect tips (they don't) but you'll want to tip everyone when you're done, just because of how well they treat you.

Tugu Lombok: "Full of character and charm"

"What a unique and characterful hotel! The architecture and decor is completely authentic and brimming with stunning antiques and artefacts. The whole experience was so wonderfully relaxing - from the warm welcome and complimentary massage to the fresh seafood dinner on the beach! The sea was so calm - perfect to try out paddle boarding and kayaking. There was nothing to fault... friendly and helpful staff, delicious food, amazingly comfortable bed, stunning outdoor bath and private pool, spacious grounds and a beautiful white sandy beach for long walks. I would not hesitate to recommend The Tugu Lombok to anyone who is tired of large and impersonal hotels."

Reverie Siam: "Absolutely Amazing"

This is a hidden gem. Just had cocktails at sunset. Amazing! Staff is overly friendly. You feel like you're at a 5 star resort. If you want to feel like a king, stop by and check it out for a drink. And if you have the budget, stay here!