Guest Reviews

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "An architectural, heritage & historical delight… a ‘must-do’ in Penang"

"In my subjective view, the Blue Mansion – Cheong Fatt Tze – stands alongside the Penarakan Museum as the two premier ‘must-do’ heritage attractions in George Town. Both are situated in historical buildings and are tangible testaments to the rich history and culture of the Straits Chinese in Penang. However note that there are differences between the two establishments. The Peranakan Museum is, as the name suggests, a museum; ie a depository of Peranakan artefacts. On the other hand, the Blue Mansion is predominantly a building of heritage and architectural significance, with a tremendously rich history relating to one of Penang’s most historical and influential identities – Cheong Fatt Tze. While there are artefacts on display, the focus of the attraction is the heritage building and its history. Additionally, the mansion operates as a boutique hotel and fusion restaurant. One of our aims is to return one day to experience staying as a guest. We met some in-house guests and their comments, on accommodation experience, were extremely positive. The Blue Mansion’s website lauds that the building is ‘a quintessential legacy of Penang’ and, having experienced it, it is well-deserving of that claim. It is an architectural delight that has won numerous international and local awards, and has been featured in movies, travel documentaries and publications. The heritage project was the vision and passion of local architect Laurence Loh along with his family and friends. To say I am exceedingly impressed with their herculean effort is to make an understatement. The Lohs should be congratulated for preserving a key component of Penang’s – and to a wider extent, Straits Chinese’s - history. On our recent tour, we were privileged have as tour guide, the vivacious Lin Lee Loh-Lim, who is the author of the book “The Blue Mansion: The Story of Mandarin Splendour Reborn”. It was a tour that we would have enjoyed given the enthralling building and interesting history, but she elevated our enjoyment by her lively and animated nature. It was superb. Lin Lee was kind enough to autograph a copy of the book (available in their shop) and it now resides in a position of pride alongside my other architectural books. Tour times: 11am, 2pm & 3:30pm Duration: 45 minutes Cost: RM17 (adults). RM8.50 (child under 12) There is something I wish they would consider and that is, allowing tour visitors to experience the building’s inner (but public) spaces for a few minutes after the guided tour – just 10 to 15 minutes perhaps. This will allow visitors to absorb and appreciate the building properly, which is not always possible when visitors are concentrating on the historical narrative during a guided tour. A visit to Penang will be lacking somewhat without a tour of Cheong Fatt Tze - The Blue Mansion. Highly recommended. Thanks for reading this review and my gratitude should you rate it as helpful. Life is short... go travelling and enjoy life today!"

Satri House: "A hidden gem in Luang Prabang"

"This is an outstanding small boutique hotel off beaten bath in LPQ. The devil is in the detail of every aspect of its modern colonial design aesthetic. I loved the wonderful restaurant offering both Cambodian and French cuisine (The gazpacho is amazing). And BTW, the Satri offers all the extras you'd expect; comfy beds, strong reliable WiFi, pool, free bikes, spa services, outstanding service. Stayed March 2017, traveled as a couple"

Les Maisons Wat Kor: "Paradisiac"

A warm and friendly hotel where you feel good, I occupied a room during a couple of days, the room was spacious and comfortable, the gardens were just amazing and the staff was smiling and thoughtful. I warmly recommend The Maisons Wat Kor

Locavore: "Still the best – even better than last time"

I tha been two years since my last visit - luckily the quality is even better now. The dishes are beautiful to look at, each has its distnict taste and the drink pairing is clever. Steady quality through the whole meal - 2 1/2 hours went by too soon.

Slow Villas and Spa: "Luxe, calme et volupté =)"

Superbes villas avec un staff incroyable. Au calme, à deux minutes de la plage avec un service sur mesure et des petits-déjeuners à tomber ! Le spa est niché dans un écrin de bambous et de lumière magnifique...À n'en pas douter, un lieu d'exception.

Mathis Retreat: "Le Must"

What happiness to have chosen this hotel for 3 nights in Ubud. I had heard so much noise in the city that I had decided to be a bit outside. Beautiful views of the rice fields. I stayed in a deluxe room. All rooms have views of the rice fields. Lots of charm in decoration. Warning only bathtub in the bathroom if He is apparently so go to the bungalow (shower and bath). A small dej to die. jams to die for .... The restaurant is excellent too. A very good chef director Karine fuss of these customers A short Paradis

The Hue House: "The huê"

Trước giờ mình thích ăn món Tây và món hoa nhưng ma hôm qua được bạn mình mời sinh nhật tại nhà hàng the Huế house thật lòng khi mới được mời mình nghĩ đồ Huế có j đâu để ăn và kiểu mô hình chắc cũng bình thường... thật bất ngờ ấn tượng đầu tiền bước vô mình k nghĩ trên lầu 10 của 1 toà nhà hết sức bình thường lại có 1 nhà hàng đậm chất Huế và có 1 cái view vô cùng đẹp , thoáng mát . Khi thức ăn đem lên mình bắt đầu ăn cũng bắt đầu có 1 suy nghĩ khác với những j tưởng tưởng lúc đầu .. bạn mình kêu 6 món là cao lầu, cuốn diếp , bánh xèo,sườn nướng a lưới, bò nướng sốt Huế và bánh bột lọc ... món nao ăn cũng Ok cũng vừa miệng đặc biệt mình thích nhất bánh xèo và bò nướng sốt Huế một cái nữa là nhà hàng này có mấy món nước chấm lạ lạ như sốt huế hay tương bần ... tóm lại thì với mình là mình thích ăn chắc chắn sẽ giới thiệu cho nhiều bạn bè và sẽ gé ăn ủng hộ quài ...ahihi ...(j mình thích là mình nói hơi nhiều ..!)

Satri House: "A gem of Laos"

My wife picked this hotel. I was very impressed with this choice. It was unbelievably comfortable. Staff were friendly and accommodating. Since we stayed more than a week here, we changed room twice to get different feel. Money was well spent.

SEEDS Restaurant & Lounge: "The Founders of Seeds have created a utopia!"

"We were invited to Seeds on behalf of the extremely generous, creative, artistic & kind owners, Lucia and Felix Eppiser, as a gift for their staff in that we were sharing conscious movement workshops to build team morale, body awareness & self esteem. This alone should tell you what an amazing couple they are - the very fact that they create workshops and events like this for their staff, treating them like beloved family and wanting the best for them to experience! For many of the staff, they may never have the opportunity to be with a professional dancer multiple times over a week and in such a fun, joyful, team building way. I also heard from the staff that the owners gift many types of trainings to them, team building experiences and fun activities. How wonderful! Lucia and Felix care so much about the well being of their staff, and this care is reflected in the way the staff presents themselves, how they serve, how they interact with the guests and with each other. The ambiance is absolutely wonderful, efficient, and incredibly courteous. We even saw that when it was their off days, the staff were still coming to the restaurant or meeting up with one another. And one of the highlights was to hear the staff’s ‘boy band’ sing a really great song to us as a celebration thank you during one of our meals - they sound like professionals!!! And they were so happy!! This is the kind of talent, artistry, community and joy that Lucia and Felix support within their restaurant family, and it is reflected everywhere. The ambiance of the restaurant is also aesthetically beautiful. And when you hear the stories about how the table cloths were made, how the drapes were woven, how the plates were commissioned, how the cups and bowls were selected, how the murals were done on the walls, where the lamps come from, etc - you will again see how much care the owners have taken to not only create a beautiful restaurant with meaning, but most importantly - to include the local artistry of the Myanmar community — so much has been hand crafted by the locals, and to me, this was an astonishing surprise. It is easy to simply buy in bulk from premade factories, but Lucia and Felix have taken the time to select the best and to support the local craftsmanship. Now the food... oh my... it is insanely delicious!! We couldn’t stop eating! And we are challenging diners in that we are vegan, gluten free... and Felix specially created 7 course meals day after day for us that were absolutely delicious, as well as so beautiful! The culinary artistry of Felix is one of a kind. The care in which the food is displayed, how the local ingredients are transformed into unique gourmet dishes - and the gluten free bread (the best I have ever had!) — all was exquisite! You will really feel that you have stepped into a private oasis, a hidden utopia, when you enter Seeds. The wall of bamboo on the outside gives a feeling of going into a secret garden that is far away from the hustle and bustle of Yangon. The lake view is superb, and just wait until the dry season when you can sit lakeside or even have the VIP in the bamboo bird’s nest (I believe it is the most unique structure at Seeds!). Whether you are with business, on a date, having a marriage reception, or with your family - your experience will be fantastic. We really look forward to returning to Seeds again in the near future!"

The Tiger’s Eye: "Excellent unique food made with passion and great care + Fantastic service"

"After being recommended to attend the restaurant, I was impressed at the outset with the customer service from my phone communications with Timothy (chef) and Nick (manager). As a vegetarian with the exception of chicken, I wasn't impressed with the dinner menu, but after being lured there for dinner I was amazed with the food I ate. It was the first posh restaurant I have experienced in my life where the small quantities of food actually filled me up, making the price great value for money. I also loved how non-exciting menu descriptions resulted in explosions of flavour in my mouth making it a very unique eating experience. I had a starter, main and dessert. The carefulness in thought of what to have in each dish was very evident from the moment each dish I received came with a detailed explanation of what was in it. Myself and my guests were equally surprised with how great everything tasted, particularly when we were reluctant to try non traditional desserts. Each dish we ordered came in a different designed plate, contributing to the clear message that all aspects of the dining experience have been carefully thought. Similarly, the drinks also exceeded expectations. I loved the smoothies and my guests, who requested cocktails to be conjured up based on their preferred tastes, loved what they received. Each drink we ordered came in a different vessel, adding to the excitement of experiencing the unknown. I'm told the dinner menu will change each week, making this a place to visit regularly if it is within one's budget. I also went for brunch a few days later and enjoyed their pancakes. If you love North American pancakes, then it is a dish worth checking out. If I had to give any criticism, it would be to provide a greater selection of vegetarian and chicken dishes for the dinner menu. But, overall, I'm really really glad I went here despite my initial reluctance, and I know my guests had an amazing time too."