Guest Reviews

The Village House: "Mr and Mrs Smith style boutique hotel"

"Myself and a friend stayed at The Village House for one night a couple of weeks ago, and we both left saying that we could have stayed for much longer. If I go back to Borneo I intend to stay there for at least a week! The room was lovely and clean, modern, unpretentious and very comfortable. The bathroom was big, with a powerful shower. It was quiet and felt safe and secure. The hotel has a lovely pool, which has lots of nice plants and trees around it that give it a great deal of character. The restaurant and 'bar' area is around the pool, we ate both lunch and supper at the hotel as there is nowhere else around (I believe the closest restaurant is a 5km drive away), but eating at the hotel was the best decision anyway, as their food is some of the best we had over the course of the trip, which is high praise in Malaysia! The beach is about 2 minutes away from the hotel on foot, it is huge and quite striking with lots of trees and deadwood on the beach. The sea was extremely warm, it is quite shallow for a long way out, so perhaps not the best if you want a real dip. Sadly I was attacked by a jelly fish so my swim was abruptly ended. According to the hotel they are not that rare, but not dangerous, perhaps not the best place from swimming though! Overall I found it comfortable, the staff were lovely and helpful, and I would highly recommend its restaurant. If you are looking for somewhere with lots of bars and restaurants, however, this is not the area for you!"

Bassac Cruises: "Relaxing Mekong Delta cruise"

"Unfortunately, we only did a one night cruise on the Bassac 3. We really liked the cabins, the food, the staff - all was very harmonious. Our guide Annie came from the Mekong Delta and when you walk through a local village you pass her auntie's house. We had a great relaxing trip and would definitely recommend a cruise with a Bassac boat."

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "Contemporary luxury in a historic mansion"

"Checked into The (lovingly restored) Blue Mansion for a two-night stay in December 2016, my first visit despite having been past the building on previous trips to Penang. From the warm hospitality, comfortable beds, clean big rooms (lovely bathroom a big plus with me), antique furniture, breakfast in the courtyard to coming back to a dim sum basket of local 'kuih' (cakes / sweets) with a handwritten note every evening was a lovely touch - the whole experience was memorable and in my opinion, worth returning for. Pro tip: the hotel is conveniently located next to a food court serving local delights, and across Georgetown Wines for that cheeky vino or late night tapas - thank me later! The Mansion is also home to Indigo, a fine dining restaurant which I tried, enjoyed and highly recommend. For those wanting to learn about the mansion's history, guided tours by some very passionate locals run daily at 11.00am, 2.00pm and 3.30pm - definitely something to fit into your travel itinerary. All in all, a strong contender for a unique experience. Stayed December 2016, traveled with friends"

Tugu Bali: "Sleep in a museum: luxury retreat in traditional Balinese style"

"his lovely hotel is a great place to stay in Bali. The location is absolutely fabulous as Canggu is THE hotspot in Bali right now and Tugu Bali is situated in the epicentrum of this popular area. Seriously the best hotel location in Bali. Around the hotel you will find the most popular surf beaches and the crowd in this surfer villag is young and hip. There are great places to eat around, all hip and trendy. So is also the Japanese restaurant attached to the resort. Great food! The rooms are super spacious and extremely lovely. It was a lovely stay in the Dedari suite and the bed is king king king king size, so huge! There was a private pool with complete privacy in the garden. The bathroom is super cute as it has window that open over a fishpond: feels like taking a bath with koi fishes. The resort is super quiet and there are guards running around to make sure only guests walk around. Disappointed is the WiFi signal, which hardly works. The restaurant and lobby has a pretty ok connection, but in 2016 you want it in your room to work. This is definitely something the hotel should improve, especially in hip and modern Canggu. The breakfast can be served at all times during the day everywhere you wish, so you just order it a la carte and it will be served on the bed, in your garden or on the beach. Oh it is delicious!!!! Try out the lovely complimentary high tea, indulge yourself with local sweets. Such a great service as well! The staff is super nice and always willing to help you wherever you can. The 60min massage we took was ok. Good, just not the best ever!. All in all Tugu resort is one of my favorite places to stay in Bali. The friendly staff, the lovely quiet location, the spacious rooms, the delicious breakfast and so on... Def will go back!"

Tugu Malang: "Love this piece of Gem"

My second visit. Staff remembered and adressed me with my name. Arrived 5 mins to high tea but was accommodated. Rooms uniquely decorated. As the common room with peranakan-javanese style furnitures and paintings. ENJOYED SO MUCH....

Jing’s Residence: "Superb accommodation, sensational food and Imam is the best!"

"Jing's Residence is sensational in every respect. Imam who is the resident manager is a wonderful fellow who greets you in a personal and intimate manner every time you see him.....he makes you think that you are the only person/people staying there and he is there just for you.....and yes he also possesses a great sense of humour. Upon check in you are provided with all the information that you need and are served a cool ginger tea with dates.....what a great way to be welcomed. Nothing is too much for him or his team! Breakfast was scrumptious with their cappuccino nice and hot. Dinner was 1st class, we chose two dishes with rice and the duck with seasonal fruit (duck is my favourite) was actually bettered by the chicken with preserved ginger. We finished up with their handmade apple turnover which is a house delicacy and was outrageously good! The afternoon tea ceremony is not to be missed, it's served upstairs in the lounge area and the little tray of delicacies that are served with your choice of tea were yummy. Dates, bananas, apricots, a free mini bar with chocolate, soft drinks, beer, orange juice that was replenished everyday and the toiletries provided are a nice touch. The little gift left the night before was a surprise and then the addition of red Chinese tags on your luggage is a good reminder of your visit to this beautiful restored courtyard property. We had Imam and three of the team come out and wave us goodbye.....sigh I will miss staying there, it's a long way from Australia to China for a long weekend! https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g325575-d1536016-r376919666-Jing_s_Residence-Pingyao_County_Shanxi.html#"

Rachamankha: "A true oasis in the old city"

"A beautiful hotel, going into the hotel grounds means truly leaving the city behind, in a lot of ways it is a world of its own, so peaceful. The pool is wonderful, pictures don't do it justice. The staff are so friendly and provide excellent service. Breakfast was amazing. We had diner at the restaurant one night (we did want to experience something of the outside Chiang Mia on the other nights!) and it was wonderful and excellent value for a restaurant of this quality. I would definitely be wanting to say here again if we get back to Chiang Mia. At first we found it difficult to find our way walking to central Chiang Mia given the entrance is off what seems like a series of lanes. We found the best was to walk across one road and into what is the back entrance of the largest temple in Chiang Mia. Walking through the temple grounds and out the front entrance helped get our bearings for the location of the hotel. The hotel is a fair way from the night markets (about a 30~40 minute walk) although transport is cheap and easy to find if you don't want to walk, of course the hotel can book a taxi, or go the front of the temple or out to the cannel to find a way tuk tuk."

Muang La Lodge: "A stunning gem in a remote location"

"This unheralded, stunning resort is a great reward for the traveller who is prepared to undertake a relatively long road journey. Though arduous, that journey is not without some great experiences and vistas. Guided trips would be essential to help reveal the highlights along the way. Planning an extra night stay might appeal to those seeking even more pampering after their endeavours. The swimming pool is wonderful. The hot spring baths and massage service offer other opportunities for indulgence. The accommodation is beautiful and well designed.The beds are sumptuous. The river views are majestic. The restaurant provides fantastic meals, particularly the set five course dinner. The variety of tasty ethnic and local dishes each night was unique. Breakfast was excellent and personalized. The provision of gluten free pancakes demonstrated not only skills at improvisation but also determination to ensure guest satisfaction. For me it was a real bonus and very touching. The walk to the nearby village was great but knowing precisely where and how to access the exciting bamboo raft ferry back across the creek is recommended. The service was superb at all levels within the stablishment."

Villa Song Saigon: "Oasis in Saigon"

The quiet and classic getaway away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The rooms which went from a nice boutique style upscale luxury standard to a luxurious design and feel with beautiful furniture, original artwork, and excellent service

Golden Buddha Beach Resort: "Paradise for our family vacation in Thailand"

"We stayed at the Golden Buddha in April for 3 nights and my only regret is we weren't there for our entire 2 week vacation. In planning our trip I was non-committal to any one place concerned we would be stuck somewhere that didn't turn out as we expected, but had I only known. Our family of 5, kids aged 13, 11 and 9, stayed in the Baan Lucy which was beachfront and the perfect distance to the clubhouse and the bay. The house was lovely but when we come back, which we are definitely doing, I may look at one of the larger houses that had a bit more sitting/lounging area. We loved staying on the beach with the sunset and the breeze, but the back houses looked lovely as well. The arrival is something our family will never forget. Golden Buddha is not easy to get to and after a 3 hour drive from Phuket and a 90 minute ride on a pretty rough long tail, we pulled into paradise. The bay is great for kids of all ages as well as the grown ups. Pizza bar, kayaks, stand up paddle boards, swimming. It is a great way to spend the day. The beach is also beautiful and swimming is very nice- soft soft sand and great shelling. The food is over the top- very local and authentic but also sophisticated. There are a ton of families at the resort, for good reason, but could possibly be overwhelming for a couple on their honeymoon, although the clubhouse has an upstairs that was more dedicated to adults. Really a top notch resort in an unbelievable location. Almost hate sharing as it seems like a hidden gem in Thailand. Such a great experience after spending time in Bangkok, Railay Beach and Phuket. Stayed April 2017, traveled with family"