Guest Reviews

The Apsara Rive Droite: "Charming town and hotel"

"We really enjoyed our stay at the Apsara. It is a beautiful colonial building. We had a lovely room with a balcony overlooking the river. The staff were all very nice, and the food was really good. We spent New Years Eve there and ate dinner at the hotel. We loved Luang Prabang, it was one of my favorite places in S.E. Asia Stayed January 2017, traveled as a couple"

Les Maisons Wat Ko: "Beautiful grounds and great staff"

The grounds are simply beautiful! Incredibly peaceful and lush surroundings with an incomparable staff. It's a pretty small resort, so the staff were incredibly attentive. We had fried frangipani flowers as an appetizer, and loved them so much that they made us more!

Arumdalu: "Calming Escape from Urban Life"

"If you ever find yourself in a sea-tuation in need for a peaceful green retreat and a doze of Vitamin Sea, then the answer you're looking for is Arumdalu Private Resort in Belitung. My first-ever trip to Belitung and Arumdalu surpassed all my expectations of a private resort in a small developing island- less known than Bali. We stayed a total of three days and two nights. Absolutely ah-ma-zing! Throughout our stay, the staff members are all very friendly, extremely polite, and offer helpful services 24/7. On my very first night, we were having trouble with the wifi connection from our multiple devices. It was past midnight when I called the front desk for assistance. The receptionist assisted us for a long time over the phone and maintained his professionalism all throughout. We were very thankful for his patience and kindness. The whole facility is really gorgeous, with beautiful architectural details and greenery. Everything seems to be thoughtfully designed and managed for the sole purpose of comfort and privacy. This place offers absolute privacy (underlined and bolded.) On top of its general secluded location and the private beach, each villa is designed with complete privacy in mind: gated entrance, dense greenery as partitions between villas, and a personal swimming pool. There is also a sense of exclusivity through minimal interaction with the staff on daily basis. For instance, there is no specific timeframe for room cleaning service and the staff wouldn't knock on your door to clean up your space. Everything is only a phone call away. How convenient! Another highlight is ‘Sahang Beachfront’ restaurant. The restaurant evokes a strong cozy ambiance. The wooden glassed space with home-styled table decorations creates an extremely familiar intimacy. The veggies and fruits used as ingredients are organically grown and freshly picked from in their own garden. Bottom-line: the food here is worth the calories to satisfy your palate. Personal side note, as an architect that values design and craftsmanship as well as an avid believer of living a sustainable lifestyle, I feel an overwhelming sense of satisfaction staying in a resort that proactively shows and promotes its core values of their thoughtful quality design and eco-friendliness. Oh! Did I mention that I saw 6 dolphins by the shore while waiting for sunrise? Such a therapeutic comfort. Personally recommend Arumdalu to those seeking for a calming luxurious natural escape from urban life Stayed February 2017, traveled with family"

FLOWER ISLAND: "Tropical Island Paradise"

"My wife and I sent several wonderful days at Flower Island Resort. We made the special trip to see the Jewelmer Golden Pearl Farm on our second day. There we were shown how the oysters are propagated and grown. The crew there showed us the process of grafting oysters(where the bead is inserted in to the gonad) as while as the harvesting of the lustrous Golden Pearls. Our room was very comfortable traditional native hut with modern conveniences such as air conditioning and hot running water. We really enjoyed the wide variety of meals especially the pearl meat salad. There is a trail to a tower at the top of the island that gives you a 360 degree view. Another path takes you all the way around the island in about 35 minutes. "

Inle Princess Resor: "A longer stay"

"A visit to lake inle was a magical one ,and staying at the inle princess was the icing on the cake .The setting was so peaceful in a quiet backwater ,our room was fabulous we couldn't have asked for more ,it overlooked the lake which had numerous birds flitting about from bushes to reeds what a setting to watch sunrises and sunsets.We had everything we needed for a perfect stay even down to binoculars . The food was excellent and all organic you could taste the difference ,everything was locally produced the hotel had its own area for growing all types of produce . To our surprise the even had 2 cat lodges as they are trying to preserve the Burmese cat breed . Just for the final touch both myself and my husband were given a gift of a traditional Burmese bag Heaven"

David’s Kitchen: "So good in many ways!"

"Was so happy that I booked David's Kitchen for my mom's birthday. Everything was so great from the amazing menu, the delicious food, the ambiance, and the service. The menu was extensive but everything looked so good on it. I was sad that I was actually suffering from a stomach bug at the time because I wanted to eat everything. The lobster bisque is definitely ON POINT. I was weary to try because they're usually heavy and creamy and it was actually so light and even foamy at the top. A must try. The french onion soup doesn't have much cheese which I welcomed due to my circumstance, but would've preferred more if I was feeling better. The beef cheek is also a must try! Melt in your mouth. David himself also came to great us twice, our names were put on the table, and they also made arrangements for my mom's birthday. He even sent us a followup email afterwards. The attention to detail and personal touch was an appreciated surprise. The decor is also light and comfortable for a 'fancy' restaurant. It never felt stuffy in there and it had a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere. I highly recommend. A must go in Chiang Mai!"

Villa Song Saigon: "Elegant throughout"

We stayed at the villa song hotel for two nights. It's a beautiful boutique hotel with tasteful decorations and outfits. We enjoyed the pool area very much. Service was excellent and staff were attentive. Breakfast was okay. The pho we had was too soft though but the food quality is still pretty nice overall. The only thing is we won't recommend it if you travel with elderly and young children. We got in at 3am with two young kids; they cried for bath and people next door were banging on the divided door complaining about our noise which we had hard time to control. One other minor complaint is the smell of the hotel. The sewage system of the pool area isn't designed well enough that from time to time there's off putting smell coming from the fence area. If they could fix that, the place is really a gem for couples!

Sea Dance Resort: "A beautiful retreat – I want to go back!"

We spent 6 nights at Sea Dance and I honestly could have stayed longer. We had a warm welcome and our deluxe bungalow was spotlessly clean and a good size. We had a quirky bathroom which was attached to the outside of the bungalow which we loved and again spotless. The staff were so welcoming and were all great to have a chat to. It was my birthday and they surprised me with a special breakfast and flowers in my room, its a touch like that you won't find in a bigger resort. The food was exceptional, buffet breakfast and plenty of choices for the evening. We enjoyed the beach too it was very peaceful. You can hire scooters near by to get around. The hotel also has live music, cocktail nights and buffets which were really nice too.

SEEDS Restaurant & Lounge: "Sowing Superior Seeds"

Recommended by American foodies, we hoped to be wowed and were not disappointed. Lucia and Felix serve startling delicious food with subtle beautiful flavors. They started us with a tuna amuse bouche which sat on a bed of ground raw ginger and a lemony infusion elegantly plated with miniature greens and dollops of lemon crema. Friends enjoyed the crispy Mille feuille tuna and gazpacho both delicate and layered with subtle flavor. Salmon was glazed and crispy skinned with the promised hint of Asian flavor with a lemon cream swoosh and lightly steamed baby carrots and green onion. The sea bass on eggplant with a side of tiny roasted potatoes and garlic and rosemary. Nice cocktail selection and lovely wines. An extraordinary tasteful modern beautiful building inside and out siting in Inya Lake. A must gastronomically for any self respecting food snob. Also they are training a new worker population in the art of serving beautiful food attentively and correctly. An important contribution to Myanmar and Yangon as well as using so many products and materials made in this amazing country.

Misool Eco Resort: "Beautiful, Remote, Charming and Friendly. Just paradise Really"

"If you like scuba diving, peaceful tranquility, a crystal clear turquoise ocean, friendly unpretentious service, beautiful unpolluted pristine beaches and holidays are a priority that you don't mind spending a bit of cash extra on, then Misool would be a great choice. If you have small children, like hectic nightlife or need to work within a tight budget then Misool may not be the place to stay. For the four of us ( we travelled as two couples) it was heaven on earth! We are keeen scuba divers and have dived in many places across the globe but Misool really is the jewel in the crown. We opted for the unlimited dive package which is definitely worth it if you plan to dive a lot which we did. On offer every day are 4 dives - a pre-breakfast dive, post breakfast dive, afternoon dive and dusk/night dive. If that is still not enough you can dive on the house reef any time. Some dive sites are definitely better than others, but that said nearly all dive sights are significantly better than most dives that we have done elsewhere. We were there in February and the visibility was great. We also had a fair bit of rain but that in no way detracted from our holiday. Marfel, our dive guide was excellent and really looked after us. We were in an incredibly remote location with no access to medical facilities if we had had any sort of emergency but felt safe all the time due to the high standards of safety and equipment that we had. The resort itself is so beautiful, words do not really do it justice. Neither do the pictures on the web site. You have to see it for yourself to appreciate it. The service is also excellent. The staff are so friendly and will do anything for you. So are there any downsides? Well yes there a couple.Firstly getting there. It depends where you are travelling from obviously, but I would say that for most tourists it is going to be a real hike. From Dubai (which is one of the most accessible places in the world) it still took us 3 flights and a 5 hour boat journey. On the way there the boat journey wasn't too bad becuase we were the first on the boat and got the air conditioned seats at the front. On the way back we had a few staff members travelling back as well as the guests and we were stuck at the back - very cramped, with no air conditioning which was pretty uncomfortable for a long trip. Secondly, whilst the whole resort is spacious, beautuful and in some ways luxurious it is on a small island miles from anywhere. In lots of ways this is a bonus but it does mean that the air conditioning does not work as well (or sometimes at all) as it would in places where you would pay this amount of money. It may seem incredibly expensive but then you do need to factor in that absolutely everything, including water needs to be imported. Also quite a bit of money (I don't know how much) goes to conservation projects. One final point - I would not recommend the meet and greet service at the airport. It is quite expensive and a total waste of money. We had to wait nearly an hour in sweltering heat on the pavement for our guide to turn up and when he did, he did not seem to provide any added value service at all. We would have been better queing at the check in for 20 minutes ourselves and paying to get into the lounge for a fraction of the price paid. We did alert Misool to this and they are looking in to trying to change providers. Overall, I cannot fault Misool Eco Resort. This was probably the best holiday I have ever had and I would go back to Misool again tomorrow if I could. Thank you to the Misool team for making our stay so special ! "