Guest Reviews

MesaStila: "One of a kind experience"

"We stayed at MesaStila from 10/2/17-10/9/17. We had a wonderful experience. The property is truly magical. When we arrived, the coffee trees were blooming white, fragrant flowers. The property is wonderful, mixing reclaimed old Javanese homes with old Dutch colonial buildings. Here are some notes for fellow travelers: Weather: We were worried about the weather (beginning of rainy season). However, apparently, we were lucky with weather for this time of year. We stayed a total of about 7 days. Most days, it was sunny. Some of the days, it only rained for about 10 or 15 minutes at night. One day, it rained in the afternoon. The first few days it was in the 70s Fahrenheit. Other days, it got warmer but not unbearable. Maybe the 80s or low 90s Fahrenheit. It was truly the best weather we could have wanted. Room: We stayed in the Arum Villa. I would totally recommend it. There is a beautiful red dividing wall with carvings. The huge balcony overlooks the coffee trees. The bathroom has a big blue tile tub with doors that you open, so it's kind of like an open-air shower. There was a little walkway with a fountain and trees leading to our room. We were very happy with our villa. It felt private and like we were ""somewhere else."" Excursions: Some days we spent at the resort, which we recommend. At the resort, there is a beautiful pool, yoga classes, gamelan (music) performance, Javanese dance performance, fantastic spa, croquet, and walks through the coffee trees. We also did excursions. Here are some notes on the excursions: First, we went on the Borobodur Temple sunrise tour. We enjoyed it. It was a cloudy morning, which impacted the sunrise. The resort hires a tour guide, which was very helpful in learning about the temple. You also got to see other smaller temples in the area, drink luwak coffee at a local luwak coffee roaster, and visit a local family's traditional home. We also opted for the elephant ride. We enjoyed it, but it didn't make the excursion for us. Second, we did the bicycle ride that takes you through the rice paddies, to royal baths, and an option of a local waterfall. This was my boyfriend's favorite thing that we did in all of Indonesia. You need to be a little bit athletic to enjoy the bicycle ride, because you're literally biking on a few-inch-wide path between rice paddies. The rice paddies were beautifully tiered and green with the volcano/mountains in the background. Third, we went to the Pramaban Temple and Ramayana Ballet. This was my favorite excursion. It's a long drive (about 3 hours), but you get to go to the temple, a really cool, delicious restaurant, and the Ramayana Ballet. The restaurant was this dark lit, exotic restaurant with truly great food. The ballet was performed with the temple in the background and featured traditional dances and costumes. We went on a night with a full moon and it was really cool. Fourth, we went to the local railroad station museum. You get to see old colonial trains and station houses. You also get to go on a train ride through rice paddies on an old train. This was probably our least favorite excursion, but the others were so great that it's more of a perspective issue than anything negative about the old railway station museum. Also, we highly recommend the MesaStila spa. They truly make you feel special. Food/Drinks: From our experience, we basically relied upon MesaStila for our meals. We didn't have a rental car (driving there is craziness) and you're surrounded but very small villages, so MesaStila is the ""only restaurant in town,"" if you will. The breakfast buffet is amazing. We were very happy with cocktails and drinks. You must try the gin and tonic with spices and the mojito with brown sugar. The soups, fried rice, fried noodles, and tuna appetizer were also very good. Service: The staff were very lovely. Thanks so much to Lily (reception) and Deni (driver/tour guide)!!! Central Java Overall: We were enchanted by Indonesia. The people are so friendly. You see volcanoes, mountains, tiered green rice paddies, coconut and banana trees, lizards running everywhere, and ancient temples. Between the people and the landscape, the country is a wonderful way to spend a vacation."

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "A fantastic place to stay-"

"It was the best place we stayed in Cambodia. The tents were fantastic with at nice living room and a perfect bathroom. The staff was excellent and did all r´they could to make our stay memorable. The arrange fantastic tours with nice guides, The food was excellent, and they come arround to take our orders in advance, so the food is ready when we get to the restaurant,"

Tandjung Sari: "Wonderful old style Bali hotel"

We loved our week at the Tandjung Sari - barefoot luxury - that we didn't leave the hotel all week - except for a quick shop up the road at Biasa. And we're going back. Beautiful craftworks, hand made pavers and pool tiles, fresco style painted outdoor pavilion.

Reverie Siam: "The most wonderful hotel I have ever stayed in"

Jobwise I have stayed in some of the fanciest and most expensive hotels throughout the whole world. But this is one of the nicest, most charming, most wonderful places I have ever stayed in. The staff is simply perfect. They don´t breathe down your neck but are always taking care that you might feel even more comfortable. Stylewise this resort reminded me of Luang Prabang and the great architecture of Indochine. Every gramophone, every chair, every pillow has been picked out with perfect style-and I truly would not have blinked if Hercule Poirot himself would have been sitting in one of those inviting armchairs. Situated directly by the river, one has perfect privacy if wanted. The two pools are great to swim and sunbathe and we even had a picknick (we brought ourselves) in the pavilion. I found it very hard to leave but am sure to return. Oh- I forgot to say that the rooms are not only lovely with their big beds, the bathroom with its huge detached tub and all those perfect fittings let you travel back into time. This resort is not only wonderful-is has soul and true style.

Villa Song Saigon: "Perfect Hotel for our Saigon Experience"

"We loved this hotel from the moment we arrived and it really set the scene for our fantastic stay in Saigon. It is a really beautiful hotel in a peaceful, quiet location away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It sits on the Saigon river and offers a free speed-boat shuttle service up to District 1 and the main tourist areas. The staff were very friendly and efficient and always ready to help or answer any questions. Our room was tasteful and the beds were extremely comfortable, and the free complimentary mini bar was appreciated. It should be mentioned that there is no lift at this hotel so if you don’t want to climb stairs I suggest you request a ground floor room. The choice of breakfast from the a la carte menu was fabulous and could be taken at any time during the day which worked well for us. Even though we were a party of 4 the staff arranged the tables by the river so that we could all sit together. The fabulous swimming pool was very inviting and offered a beautiful haven to relax in the sunshine. I can highly recommend this hotel and would definitely stay there again. "

Samanea Beach Resort: "top class"

wonderful piece of paradise in the delightful kep. yes, it's further out of town and a bit of a schlep to get in to the crab market, but it's worth it for the tranquility of the location and the beauty of the private beach and jetty. you can watch crab fishing and wildlife from your sun lounger and the grounds are superbly kept. junior suite was well worth the splurge for our honeymoon- the outdoor bathroom was magical. professional and unobtrusive service to top it off, and a great value happy hour. we will be back!

Reverie Siam: "Just gorgeous"

My husband and I stayed here for six nights for our honeymoon. The garden and hotel grounds are gorgeous, the villa was incredibly comfortable, quiet and luxurious, and the service was outstanding. The food and drinks at the restaurant were also excellent. It was so good we cancelled our next venue and stayed for extra nights! It is a little out of town but there is a free shuttle into and out of town on demand which only takes five minutes. Will be coming back!

Inle Princess Resort: "Wunderschönes Hotel"

Wir waren im August als Paar dort und die Erfahrung war wirklich großartig. Die Lage ist wunderschön, die Anlage topgepflegt und das Personal extrem freundlich. Das Restaurant ist gut, aber nicht Spitze und etwas überteuert. Sonst alles top!

Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris: "THE highlight of our trip and one of the most unique experiences we have had to date"

"We recently spent a night at Noel Rodrigo's Leopard Safaris, and the entire experience left us awestruck and amazed. To place things in context, this is an actual campsite that is located next to a national park full of leopards, elephants, crocodiles, deer, wild boar and other forms of wildlife. If you're looking for a sanitised, 5-star luxury resort with all the modern conveniences that accompany such indulgences, this is not for you. If you have a sense of adventure and wish to be close to nature, however, you will find that Noel Rodrigo's has everything you will ever need. Our host and wildlife guide for our stay was Pradeeth. He is extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the wildlife in the park. He was also responsible for ensuring that our stay was comfortable and that all our needs were being met. From the moment we set foot in the camp until we left, we were made to feel like royalty. Pradeeth was supported by a team of discreet but attentive staff. We didn't manage to catch their names or speak very much to them, but this team of employees are the ones responsible for ensuring that everything in the camp runs like clockwork, and a big shout out goes to them. We were also introduced to Sajith who, much to his chagrin, has been promoted to management and no longer takes drives into the park as often as he used to. He did manage to sneak a drive in with us in the afternoon, thankfully. Sajith and Pradeeth are extremely knowledgeable about the park and it was awesome having them by our side during the drives, pointing out things we would otherwise miss. From the distinct call of a distressed deer sensing the presence of a leopard (those calls gave us an indication of where to head towards) to the paw tracks left by a passing porcupine, they made the park come alive to us, and made us attentive to even the smallest of things. Despite being a campsite, and sleeping in actual tents (think: glamping), Noel Rodrigo's had everything we needed. The accommodation was comfortable and the tents came fully equipped with safe deposit boxes, cupboards, flushing toilets and hot showers (on demand)! There is no air-conditioning, but all rooms are equipped with fans, and it does get cool in the evenings. Besides the wildlife and game drives (more on that later), the other highlight of the stay was the food. We were treated to scrumptious spreads every single meal. Beer, wine and gin & tonics were also readily available at NO extra cost. Everything was covered and there were no hidden costs. We dined al fresco every meal - literally out in the open, under the spreading canopy of a huge tree. Dinner was served under the stars, and the dining area was lit by hurricane lamps and candles. It was really special. The game drives were awesome. It could be because we were there during the off-season, but we mostly felt that we had the entire park to ourselves. We were fortunate enough to see 2 leopards during our first, afternoon drive. Pradeeth insisted that we woke up at 4:45am for our second, morning drive so that we could be the first to enter the park. This sacrifice paid off as we spotted another leopard that morning, and it was no further than 10 metres from us! Besides leopards, we also spotted elephants, deer, wild boars, peacocks, jungle fowl, mongoose (mongeese?), hares, kingfishers, crocodiles, hornbills, storks.... I could go on and on. The other thing that set Noel Rodrigo's apart was its emphasis on eco-tourism. We had the honour of being the first two visitors to take part in their new tree planting campaign (ask them about it). We were invited to plant a tree at the camp at the end of our visit in order to reduce our carbon footprint. It was a special gesture, and made us feel that we had invested a part of ourselves at the camp. We promised to return to see our wood apple tree. It also shows how the folks at Noel Rodrigo's genuinely care about the environment and nature. For this reason alone, you should consider Noel Rodrigo's over all the other safari options at Yala. We will be back soon. And until then, we sincerely hope that Noel Rodrigo's continues the good work it is doing over in Yala."

The Island Lodge: "Excellent location, great food, fantastic staff"

"We just stayed in the Island Lodge for a night and we only regret one thing: that we didn't stay a bit longer. The location is simply gorgeous, but we especially enjoyed the special feel this family owned hotel has. Compared to some of the other luxurious hotels and resorts in Vietnam, you really feel at home at the Island Lodge. This is all thanks to Francoise and Michel and their fantastic team. We also had a great dinner here at very reasonable prices. Finally, the massages we got were by far the best we had during our stay in Vietnam. We can only recommend this place if you are around Saigon. Escape the busy city life and come to relax here for a few nights. You will not regret it. As for us: we will be back!"