Guest Reviews

tugu lombok: "Magical place"

"I remember we arrived at Tugu around 9pm. While checking in two families arrived. They were on the same flight we were from Singapore. Looking all around I exclaimed ""What a beautiful place!""... And the guy next to me replied ""It's a magical place!"" That's what Tugu is. A magical place. It's not a luxury place, it may not be the best hotel you've ever been! But it may very well be an experience you will never forget. We enjoyed the Villa, the different places where we had dinners, the beach, the excursion to the Gili islands and overall we enjoyed the people. Thank you for let us fell so well! "

David’s Kitchen: "Lovely food and excellent service"

We had a really enjoyable meal last night as part of our honeymoon trip to Chiangmai. We ate off the set 4 course menu which was excellent value and the food was delicious. I really enjoyed the pumpkin soup in particular and my husband really enjoyed his duck main. The waiting staff were brilliant and all-in-all I would highly recommend. It is a little pricier than some other local eateries but definitely worth it in terms of food quality and the lovely ambience.

Neeleshwar Hermitage: "Unbelievably restful hotel"

The hotel is a small oasis of tranquility, beautiful rooms, great service, lovely beach and really attentive staff. The place is quite small and for a couple of days only 3 of the cottages were inhabited but even when 15 people were staying it was still calm and uncrowded. The pool is relatively large and there are plenty of beds there and in the garden. There is also a tailor on site and he copied a linen dress and a pair of linen trousers in less than a day perfectly

Villa Song Saigon: "One very happy customer"

What a pleasure to stay in your wonderful villa and the staff couldn't have been more helpful. A beautiful hotel which isn't too fussy with protocol which looks after your every need. The breakfast are a delight and the restaurant serves delicious food.

Manukan Island Resort: "10 idyllic days in paradise"

"Hillside villas: fantastic, bright, airy, separate bedroom and lounge, satellite tv incl movies, huge bathroom with waterfall tap over bath, good warm showers, lovely little touches like slippers, bathrobes, 2 complimentary waters, 2 cokes, and 2 sprites per day. For cheaper and no steps the beach suites are newly renovated, very nice, a couple of minutes walk from the private beach area, 5 minutes walk max from restaurant, view nice but is on edge of busy public beach. Wi-fi was assigned to each room and worked all the time for me. 27 rooms/villas total now. Beach: We stayed on private beach for 10 days - wow! Gorgeous, soft white sand and lovely warm sea, palm trees full of coconuts, views of the rainforest, sunsets, monitor lizard takes a nightly swim. The beach is cleaned immaculately daily. But the seabed does need to be cleaned more from odd bits of rubbish - we mentioned to Ben, the Manager, who is talking with Sabah Parks about it. It did NOT put us off sea swimming. Facilities: huge varied breakfast outside with fans, we had all meals outside with fans - perfect, even on the beach! 16 choices on the menu but Joey the chef made a different vegetarian menu for me every night, at a very good price, our maximum bills were 65MR pp for huge buffet , most meals were less than this, even with starters. We spent under £300 for the 10 nights on food and drink! A bargain. Alcohol expensive, as per Borneo. This is indicative of the personalised service at Manukan - everything is possible, just ask! Quiet bar, pool area very quiet but nice, small parties come for an evening meal from the mainland some nights. 3 piece acoustic & bass band serenade you every night too. Staff: EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE. Friendly, not intrusive, really care about all the clients and their happiness. Small and informal with very high standards of cleanliness and service. Thank you Ben, Welther, Joey, Sabre, Frederick, Yazid, Shima, Jessica, the new Mazilla, Nora, the band,.... The monitor lizards are safe and lovely to watch, hardly any spiders at all, but we used lots of deet against the mosquitoes (not too bad) and sand flies. There are mosquito plug-ins in the villa and a coil is lit at the evening turn-down service so you can continue to sit on the balcony at night. Things to do: we went on a day trip to Kota Kinabalu to see the City Mosque and do some shopping in one of the malls. Management and reception will arrange a boat at a good price 65 mr pp return (£13) or you can use the public one, slightly cheaper. It is only 10 minutes. From Manukan - There are watersports - thankfully they go offshore so it is not noisy, the sea-walking looked amazing, trips to other islands, snorkelling trips (there are not many fish jsut off the beach in comparison to the Maldives but other guests said the 3 island trip was good for fish). Cafe and shop run independently too if you need, but Manukan also sells the necessities, toiletries, drinks, crisps, beer in their shop too. A longer stay, 10 nights, allowed us to really appreciate this island. We had been to Sepilok Sanctuaries and also Turtle island before and were glad to have such peace in magical surroundings. Our memories will last forever. Do not hesitate to ask questions. Jayne and Mark"

Villa Song Saigon: "A luxurious and peaceful escape from the bustle of the city"

"Our first two nights in Vietnam were spent at Villa Song. This was the most idyllic way to kickstart our holiday. The location beside the river is specatular. We had the suite on the top floor with the little parlour. Our two girls slept in the parlour which worked perfectly - leaving us in the four poster bed. This is a very romantic, charming hotel - the furnishings and fittings are beautiful. But the key for us was that it is away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The first day we were collected by tour company Les Rives to take us by boat to the Chi Chi Tunnels – this was perfect because they could simply collect us and drop us back at the hotel’s private pier. The restaurant is fabulous – a beautiful al fresco location for dinner and breakfast. "

TIGER MOUNTAIN POKHARA LODGE: "rejuvinating natural splendour"

"At this point in your travels this is the perfect place to be. Whether you've just completed your travels over to begin a trek or are in the middle of your journey you're probably ready for some clean air, beautiful views and sophisticated but understated pampering. The lodge itself sits astride a mountain ridge outside Pokhara allowing views to the north (Himalyas) and south (Pokhara). If your expecting ""bling"" (flat screens etc) forget it. If your expexting a proper mountain lodge then this is it. Beautiful architecture, natural building materials, total comfort, privacy and unbelievable scenery. I stayed for 3 days and never tired of the food, on the contrary I was left wondering what's next. Every meal has a local or continental version impeccably prepared and served. The chef and many of the staff have been at the lodge since it opened and have the food, beverage and service dialled in. I know this might sound a little ridiculous but I spent 3.5 weeks travelling India and Nepal and this was my favorited place to spend a few days. I guess it was just the perfect place at the right time. Next year we are hoping to do a 2 week trek, this is where we plan to start and end, I can' wait. "

Maison Polanka: "Stay here for wonderful personal service. Deserving of a 7/5 rating not merely 5/5"

"I will start with the summary: tranquil garden, great room, excellent F+B, attention to detail, but the wonderful staff is what made our stay in Siem Reap a truly memorable one (in addition to the the magnificent ruins, of course). The small touches such the chilled towels in the car and upon our return to Maison after each of our trips were truly appreciated. They provided a mobile phone with Maison's number preloaded in directory, another thoughtful and helpful detail. We found the staff not merely polite and helpful but genuinely concerned about our well-being. Maison arranged tuk-tuk rides for our trips into the center of town and the drivers were courteous. Our car/van driver was friendly and informative on the ride back to the airport, making us feel welcome in Cambodia even as we were about to depart. We cannot remember all the names of all who took care of us but special thanks to to Kathy and Sorpana (?) at reception for all their attention to us. Of course, we cannot say enough about Francis. From the initial email exchanges to our actual stay he remained on top of everything. We appreciated his meeting us at the airport on our late night arrival, something we did not expect. Initially I had considered one of the larger hotels but chose to look for a boutique hotel instead. I chose Maison based on both excellent reviews and the compelling back story as told on the hotel webpage. Several email communications with Francis were promptly answered; he readily addressed concerns about airport transfers (a hotel van is available; recommended as tuk-tuks and taxis may not know the hotel or its location) transport to the town center (tuk-tuks that the hotel apparently has an arrangement with and will wait for you at your destination in town). Maison Polanka is located on the east side of the Siem Reap river in a quiet secluded neighborhood (the nearby Po Lang Ka pagoda is what presumably gave name to the road and hotel), about 9km away from the airport and 2.5km from the markets in downtown Siem Reap. The Angkor National Museum is the closest site of interest within very easy walking distance less than 1km from Maison. Of course, Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom are much further away 6.5km and 11km respectively. We rode the hotel van for our tour of the temples and took tuk-tuks to town. The hotel grounds are meticulously maintained, heavily wooded and thus shaded. There were flowering plants everywhere including orchids and butterflies were flitting around from bloom to bloom. There were just a few rooms. The largest accommodation was the Khmer House, a stand-alone building. We had booked the the Yellow Room in the ""Maison"" which also housed the Green, Orange, and Purple Rooms. Francis told us that Maison could accommodate at most 15 guests and that the entire hotel has been booked in the past for family reunions. Check-in was smooth; we had the first of many culled and scented wet face towels to freshen us up. We were also given glasses of chilled fruit juice while we waited to complete check-in. We were then led to the Maison building and askedo leave our shoes at the bottom of the stairs. The Yellow Room lived up to what the hotel website promised, as did the entire property. The decor was rustic with sophisticated touches. A small plate of sliced fresh fruit had been left on the desk for us to enjoy. The amenities were as listed on their website. The bathroom was actually on a higher level with a short flight of stairs curving up from the far corner of the room. We had no issues with the stairs but it could get wet and slippery. Having traveled with my elderly parents I have become more acutely aware of the need for secure handholds; a single handrail at the corner where the stairs make a left turn on the way up would a world of difference. The bathroom was spacious. The shower stall was large and even had a small tile bench along the wall. I do not recall how textured the floor tiles were but I did not see a rubberized bath mat with suction cups that other hotels sometimes offer. Again, a small handrail at the level of the threshold of the shower would help steady anyone stepping out of the shower. Not that the the edge of the shower was raised very high, just a couple of inches perhaps. The bed was comfortable and we slept well on both the nights during our stay. There was a narrow balcony that we never ventured out on. We had our meals at the ""Sala"", the open-sided communal area by the pool that served as lobby, living room and dining room. What I had initially thought was the reception desk turned out to do double duty as a bar. There was an adjacent area with couches and armchairs clearly meant as a lounging area for those not interested in relaxing by the pool. As one might expect for a kitchen serving such a small number of guests the menu was not extensive but our meals were well-prepared and delicious. The young ladies serving us were attentive but not hovering over us. We had our not had dinner by the time of our late arrival but I had made arrangements with Francis beforehand and, once we had freshened up, dinner was quickly prepared for us. Should our travels ever take us back to Siem Reap we will definitely be staying at Maison Polanka again."

Tandjung Sari: "A Slice of Heaven"

"Our second stay at Tandjung Sari was as wonderful as the first. We were looked after in every way by the beautiful staff at this special Hotel. Our room was perfect, with a comfortable bed and an outdoor shower that is just devine. Breakfast each morning was very good with enough options to have something different each day. If you are looking for a place to unwind, relax and be completely spoiled then this is the place for you. Tandjung Sari is so much more than a hotel., it is a home away from home full of loving friends just waiting to take care of you. We will be back!"

Arumdalu: "An Amazing Place"

Love the beach, love the service. Food gets a little expensive compared to outside. However they plant everything, from pepper to vegetables. Love the hydroponic system. Do go for the island hopping tour. it's a blast!