Glenburn Tea Estate: "A hidden gem not to be missed"

Review by: KatieSillett | Source: Trip Advisor
A stay at the Glenburn tea estate is a truly unforgettable experience and we loved every minute of it. Whichever way you look from the delightful gardens or from either of the beautiful bungalows there is a wonderful vista, even when the mountains are shrouded in mist. Unfortunately for us, the weather was not at its best when we stayed in late March/early April, but we were lucky enough to be there for 5 nights and so we at least had 2 fabulous mornings when we were treated to the breathtaking views of the Kanchenjunga mountain range from the comfort of our room. Our room (Camelia) was fabulously spacious and beautifully decorated in English country house style with a lovely seating area, and French doors onto a small balcony with magnificent views. The bathroom was enormous with roll top bath and huge walk in shower. We did not see any of the other rooms but all other guests seemed just as impressed with theirs, and we gather the views are wonderful from each and every room. The food was delicious with an imaginative and varied menu and, despite initial reservations, we really rather enjoyed the communal dining in the evening. It was very interesting to meet such a variety of people from all over the world. I think perhaps my husband was a little bored on the last evening being the only man at a dining table full of rather verbose women! There was plenty to keep us amused during our 5 night stay with a visit to the tea factory, walks around the estate looking at the flowers, birds and butterflies, a lovely (though quite tiring) hike to the river camp with a tasty meal when we arrived, and a day trip into Darjeeling. We could have done a lot more but, after the hustle and bustle of Kolkata, and because the gardens were so idyllic, we relished in the opportunity to relax, reading, chatting, playing cards and drinking plenty of Glenburn First Flush tea! All of the staff were friendly, helpful and efficient, and hats off to the multi-talented Nilima and Luna for being such lovely and well-informed guides, but also for running the shop and helping with the organisation of the staff welfare programme, amongst a multitude of other skills. A very big thank you to Jemima, Holly and all the staff for a truly memorable and delightful stay........ We hope we will return one day.

Mathis Retreat: "Holiday"

Review by: Marc m | Source: Trip Advisor
A really Fantastic Place for couples! Its quiet and very very Romantic. A Pool placed in the Ricefields and Bungalows with a countryside view. The Bungalows Are high Standard and the Stuff is Well trained. Ubud was the nicest Place on our Trip. Deffenetly coming back to this Great Boutique Hotel!

Villa Song Saigon: "Loved it"

Review by: joudranwebb | Source: Trip Advisor
"Wow! We had a wonderful stay at the Villa Song and we enjoyed every minute of it. Villa Song is a boutique hotel with nice garden, lovely pool and a small gym. The hotel has great location on Saigon River away from the bustle of the city center. The boat service to town makes things much easier. All the staff were extremely helpful and friendly. The restaurant is right on the riverand the food was excellent, breakfast was included and could be had any time during the day. We would highly recommend this hotel and would definitely stay there again."

Labyrinth: "A uniquely Singaporean experience"

Review by: Derek E | Source: Trip Advisor
Each dish had a story of its own. Presentation was on-point and taste was amazing. Great

Cabochon Hotel & Residence: "First Class Hotel in BKK"

Review by: Loris V | Source: tripadvisor.com
We stayed at the Cabochon for a total of 7 nights and our stay was fantastic. The rooms were very spacious, the staff was incredibly attentive and friendly and the breakfast was fantastic. I highly recommend this hotel, especially as it's well connected to the BTS line and you can get anywhere very quickly.

JING’S RESIDENCE: "Great Property!"

Review by: A TripAdvisor Member | Source: tripadvisor.com
The highlight of our trip to Pingyao was experiencing Jing's Residence. The accommodations, staff, food, and service were 5 star all the way. Mr. Hadianas, the General Manager, and his excellent staff made you feel like one of the family. It is the ONLY place to consider when staying in Pingyao. Experience authentic old world charm while luxuriating in modern conveniences and amenities. A truly wonderful property. I highly recommend it.

Misool Eco Resort: "Best Diving Ever….. Misool exceeded my high expectations"

Review by: Lisa M | Source: Trip Advisor
"I visited Misool in February 2016 for an 11 night stay. Usually after a long stay on a small island I am ready to leave, but with Misool I would have happily stayed another 2 weeks. everything about the resort was perfect. I would call it rustic luxury. We stayed with friends in the only 2 bedroom water villa. The very extensive outside decking over the water offered a lot of space and I think we enjoyed it more than having 2 separate villas side by side. The position meant that we got lots of shade all day, if you want to sunbathe on the villa decking you would be better in one near the dive centre. The diving was simply exquisite and very well managed. Lot of sharks and Mantas.. and smaller critters too. Our dive guide Marfel was superb. When i go back I will definitely ask to dive with him again. Because of the remoteness of the island you have to expect that the food and drink choices may be limited if you are expecting a long a la carte menu (although the quality was always excellent) and the electricity supply was a little erratic and blew a couple of our Mac and iPad chargers. which was frustrating and expensive. We paid for a meet and greet service at Jakarta airport which tuned up almost 45 minted late, left us waiting outside in the rain and humidity, and then spent 5 minutes with us doing very little, so overall a waste of money. These small niggles in no way detracted from what was a truly outstanding experience and I cannot wait to go back."

Supanniga Luxury Bangkok River Cruises: "Amazing!"

Review by: Alex B | Source: Trip Advisor
Champagne cruise on the sunset was just amazing! The weather was not that good as we wanted to but we said to ourselfs “it’s just a rain, let’s drink champagne!” and have enjoyed this experience very much. Absolutely everything: staff, service, boat, champagne, snacks were perfect! This is very posh! Highly recommend!

Villa Song Saigon: "Great location, fantastic food"

Review by: michiel g | Source: Trip Advisor
"Nice boutique hotel with nice rooms and in a quiet neighbourhood. 30 minutes from city center and 40 minutes from airport. Taxi to city around 150,000 VND. Great spot at the Saigon river with an excellent restaurant. The staff is very dedicated and service minded! The food was excellent and we had dinner there every evening. The breakfast is a la carte which is great as it has more standing than a buffet. Swimming pool excellent with nice beds. Fitness room nice and clean. However, they should add a bicycle as that is missing. Two items for improvement 1) is that the beds are relatively small for large people and 2) the neighbours were relatively noisy early in the morning one day. Overall strong recommendation with an excellent rating!"

Dewakan: "Three Stars or 3 Hats….. in our books"

Review by: Ines A | Source: Trip Advisor
"""The obvious is that which is never seen until someone expresses it simply"" - Kahlil Gibran. This perfectly sums up what Darren Teoh and his team at Dewakan are doing. I profess guilty to being surrounded with these wonderful ingredients and yet be clueless as to their potential. Darren is taking these humble ingredients, injecting playful creativity and reintroducing them into the fore where they belong. Here one can expect to have boundaries challenged, pushed and yet moulded into familiarity. In this off the beaten path kitchen, flavours and textures are being routinely forged. Whilst I appreciate that everyone has their own personal opinion of good food, I suggest preconceptions be left at the door. This is my second visit to Dewakan and once again I leave in awe of mother natures bounty in the hands of a true maestro. "
instagram youtube linkedin blog tiktok

Travel Asia with Secret Retreats

Secret Retreats is a curated community of independent boutique hotel, villas, yachts and river boats keen to share their Asian Homes with travelers, sustainably and responsibly. Conservation of the environment, culture and traditions of Asia is of paramount importance to all in Secret Retreats. A community of like-minded hospitality professionals, we offer our guests authentic travel experiences that go beyond typical offerings to unveil the essence of Asia. Supporting the Asia based hoteliers and hospitality professionals and providing incredible holidays in Asia and tailor-made Asia travel itineraries direct to public ad travel agents.
Get inspired and make savings!
By booking direct with Secret Retreats and enjoy peace of mind from our full on the ground support. Contact our concierge and plan then book your Asia holiday now!