Guest Reviews

Maison Polanka: "Amazing! A paradise!"

"This was my second visit to Madison Polanka and it did not disappoint. From the minute you walk through the gate, you are greeted with peace, tranquility and beauty. The staff greet you by name, go out of their way to be helpful in every way but are not intrusive. They are thoughtful to your every need. Whether it be a cold towel when you arrive back from town, a cup of tea after your massage or buying you goggles from town when you have forgotten yours. No request is too little. This is by far the best boutique hotel I have stayed at- ever! The food is above expectation. Breakfasts are served next to the pool and lunch and dinner are a'la carte. The fish amok is amazing. Free, well maintained bikes are available for a 15 minute cycle into town, which include water, locks and ponchos during the rainy season. There is also the Friends restaurant, Marum a 5 minute walk that has beautiful food and is a NGO project. The Khmer house is out of this world, and would definitely recommend for a special romantic getaway. The rooms inside the house are also all beautiful and would thoroughly recommend. I really can't say enough about this place. You must go! Special thanks to Cathy the manager and Lawrence."

Nam Bo Boutique Hotel: "Superb hitel"

Stayed here for 2 nights in a corner suite. These are the best as they have brilliant views with 3 sets of doors onto balconies. Absolutely fantastic hotel and very helpful staff. Our breakfast was served in the restaurant on the top floor, where we could sit outside. The quality of the food was excellent. Although it was extremely hot the staff found fans to cool us down. I would definitely recommend it and would gladly return.

Mathis Retreat: "Charming place"

"We stayed in one of the lovely cottages for three nights. The staff are very friendly and Karin introduced herself to us on our arrival. It's a very tranquil place to relax in. The pool area is wonderful and the room was very clean and comfortable. The breakfast was lovely and we enjoyed a delicious evening meal at the restaurant. The hotel is a good walk from Ubud so we hired a driver and a moped during our stay, which the staff arranged for us. We arranged a massage on the morning of departure which was the only disappointment of our stay. The massage room was nice but the gowns provided were old and grey and the massage felt a little rushed. The two therapists were also whispering to each other throughout the treatment which ruined the relaxation somewhat. Overall though a wonderful stay."

Le Du Wine Bar & Restaurant: "Amazing dinner with friends"

Very innovative. I'm impressed by the quality of their ingredients and ideas. This is the best modern Thai restaurant in Thailand. All dishes were executed with great confidence.

The Island Lodge: "Lovely lodge, beautiful grounds, easily accessible from Ho Chi Minh City"

The Island Lodge was perfect for our family holiday. The lodge has a great, handy location, we wanted a taste of the Mekong and did not have time to travel any further yet we felt tucked away in the greenery beside the river. It is a smaller boutique style family owned place with beautiful grounds, gardens and wonderfully friendly helpful staff. The food and the spa are very nice, we had a really enjoyable stay.

The Apsara Rive Droite: "Excellent boutique hotel"

"Excellent choice for a quiet, rural experience. Nice garden with a good swimming pool. Large well designed rooms in rustic Lao-colonial way and with a large balcony/terrace. Service is great and personal. Breakfast is with fresh fruits, coffee, fresh juice, wonderful warm breads and croissants, and a choice of different eggs. Transport to the other side is quite easy. Free boat service for drop-off and pick-up thar worked flawlessly during our week. There is a bamboo-bridge a few hundred meters away (5000 Kip / 0.65 USD). You have to scale/climb a few flight of stairs that are a bit rickety. Free bicycles to cross on a small bridge a bit further away. Tuktuk to town is 50 KKip / 6 USD. Watch the monks alms ceremony by the temple a few hundred meters to the right from the reception ar 6:15 am. Almost no tourists, so respect this holy cermony with minimal intrusion. Take the road to the left where you reach a temple with a wonderful view over the river. Only problem we had was the WiFi, but we got a separate modem that worked really well."

Rak Ko Jae Seoul: "Location, Location, Location"

We stayed at the Rakkojae Seoul, a traditional hanok style guest house in early October 2016 for 4 nights. Located between the eastern and western palaces in the Bukchon Village area of Seoul it really is perfectly located for visiting a part of Seoul that wasn't destroyed by the war. The neighborhood is interesting with many good restaurants and the guest house is old and charming. The Proprietor is helpful and welcoming. The Korean breakfast, served in our room, was excellent. My only caution for the traveler would be two things that the owners don't have much control over. First, Seoul has a problem with mosquitoes and since it was still quite warm in Seoul this fall, we battled very small mosquitoes in our room, despite very good screens. Could be we should have closed the shutters and turned on the A/C and we would have fared better. Additionally, keep in mind that this is a small establishment, so if others are jet lagged and forget it's 2 AM, you are probably going to be hearing your neighbors during the night. But, overall a great experience. And, when you think about it, if you want to stay in traditional housing, then you shouldn't be expecting it to feel like the Ritz Carleton.

Neeleshwar Hermitage: "A luxurious end to our two weeks travelling in south India"

We spent just two nights here to wind down after a very hectic two weeks. The staff are really lovely and the food great. One restaurant specialises in sea food but as we're vegetarians we ate only in the other one. I swam twice a day very early morning and at 6 30 pm when the pool and loungers were empty. We didn't want to use the pool or sunbathing area during the day - too hot and too busy. Breakfast taken in the open air facing the sea was great - we chose Indian food both times. The restaurant food both evenings was good but not spicy enough - even tho' we asked for fairly spicy. All the other guests were Westerners - apparently Indian families tend to stay later in the month after the school exam season is over. We borrowed the fairly rickety old bikes to cycle along the quiet village roads nearby and there's an extensive reading library to borrow books from. There's a resident tailor if you want to get any clothes made.To summarise - it's not real India and the wi-fi wasn't perfect but still worth five stars!

The Twelve Hotel: "Perfect Tranquility"

"Stayed here for 3 nights at the start of our SE 4 month adventure and we really could not have picked a better start. The location is quiet and peaceful which you really need in Bangkok .. and if you have not visited the city before you will not realise how much an oasis like this hotel is needed! The staff were great especially the owner Atty who really could not do enough for us. The rooms are beautiful and the whole hotel oozes style and tranquility. Fresh bread, eggs cooked to order and great coffee for breakfast just the icing on the cake. We walked up the BTS ( sky train ) most days . About 15 min walk but just 40 baht for two in a tuk tuk. Lots of very cool bars and restaurants a short tuk tuk away if you don’t want to walk! A great neighbourhood with a great mix of Thai people and some tourists. Loved it and know that this hotel is going to be hard to beat on the rest of this adventure!"

Cuisine Wat Damnak: "Dining experience not to be missed"

"The setting, food and service were top notch. If you are someone that wants to enjoy a unique and delicious meal this must be on your list in Siem Reap. I saw on their website that reservations must be made weeks in advance. There were 4 in our party. There were two tasting menus to choose from and 2 of us had one menu, 2 the other. The chef and his staff take great care in presenting beautiful, unique and wonderful dishes. The price point is so reasonable that as U.S. Citizens we were blown away for what is brought to the table. The owner reached out to me once the reservation was confirmed to ask about any food allergies.I found that to be very considerate and a testament to wanting to be certain that the menu offered to customers is not compromised . The owner greeted us warmly after we arrived and the chef came out to speak to us as well as others having dinner. The ride from our hotel in a tuktuk was fun as well. As I said earlier, the setting is lovely. We all loved the entire experience at Cuisine Wat Damnak. We did sit inside by the way which was comfortable and a personal preference, rather than outside with fans. That may or not be an option depending on when you make your reservation. I would not bring children here."