Guest Reviews

Tugu Bali: "Beauty in Bali"

"We had a lovely stay here in September, sadly of only 2 nights... We were greeted and welcomed so well when we arrived after a long journey and nothing was too much for the staff. This area of Canggu is near to Echo Beach and a part of Bali that we see has not been spoilt yet... We were told that Seminyak was the place to go but I disagee and would strongly advise this area as it is more pure and real Bali than Seminyak. Our Dedari suite room at the hotel was truly beautiful and an outdoor/indoor bathroom with fish pond! Only downside was that we thought the hotel was on the beach but it isn't although just a few steps away..."

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "A place dreamed come true"

"My first visit to this amazing place was 4 years ago and since then I have been fortunate to be back on two other occasions.  The first time was the perfect culmination of my trip to Cambodia and since that time 4 Rivers captivated me with all his charms: the environment, a unique place still intact in the country; the landscape, relaxing, lush and wonderful; the sound, of silence, peace and tranquility that surrounds it; the concept, luxury tents floating in a river in middle of the jungle; the service, attentive to every detail and need; the food, excellent and varied ... Can you ask for more? Try it, and maybe you can see the magic show of fireflies flashing in the night after an amazing nocturnal kayak ride. As I said before, I have been fortunate to be able to return more times to this awesome place and to show my best friends and family this hidden gem of Cambodia. All enjoyed the place and the lodge as I do. If you have the chance, do not doubt. Worth it. "

The River Resort: "haut de gamme"

"Le site est magnifique, lors de notre séjour (mi juillet) les jardiniers plantaient le riz dans les rizières, le jardin est super bien entretenu, les fleurs abondantes…. tout cela donne un cachet incroyable à l'hôtel et vous plonge immédiatement dans un petit cocon les bungalows sont luxueux , nous avons eu la chance d'avoir un bungalow vue sur le mekong alors que nous avions réservé un bungalow jardin et c'est vrai que la vue est époustouflante… on ne se lasse pas de regarder passer le fleuve (qui monte monte en cette saison) et les pêcheurs. Le bungalow est super équipé: 2 douches dont une en extérieur, literie d'excellente qualité, peignoirs, chaussons, parapluies, café, climatisation optimale, porte moustiquaire (parce que les insectes aussi se sentent bien ici)….. nos filles logeaient à l'étage et nous au rez de chaussée, il faut sortir et contourner à chaque fois le bâtiment pour rejoindre l'autre chambre.. un peu plus long pour nous mais ce qui prouve le côté intimiste de chaque chambre les piscines à débordements se trouvent le long du mekong… de nouveau cadre incroyable les prix sont plus élevés qu'ailleurs, mais le standing est également plus élevé sachez juste que l hôtel est un peu isolé si ce n'est le vieux champasak que nous avons fait en vélo (prêtés par l'hôtel), c'est donc un hôtel qui se démarque par son côté cocon, calme et sérénité. ceux qui cherchent l'animation tonitruante n'y trouveront donc pas leur goût"

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."

Reverie Siam: "Perfect in every way"

Don't often write a review BUT this resort deserves a really good report. It is elegant tastefully decorated gardens are delightful and restaurant excellent. Best hotel we have stayed in ever . Very French /Asian in style and it just works so well. Staff were wonderful to us and we were in the least expensive rooms. Shuttle to town when ever we wished and pick up at our convenience. On the river and looking up to the mountains at the White budda. Well worth a visit

The Island Lodge: "Vietnam"

"Excellent hôtel/ lodge. Emplacement magnifique au bord du Mékong. Calme absolu de la campagne. C’est paisible et envoûtant. Les promenades à vélo proposées dans les alentours sont extraordinaires. Il faut absolument se lever tôt (6h maxi) pour profiter de la vie des vietnamiens ( les marchés pas exemple) et ... de la fraîcheur. Au zénith, l’ombre au bord de la superbe piscine à débordement est très appréciable. Sunset sur le Mekong au bout du ponton privé .... Cuisine au top. La cuisine vietnamienne est peut être un tout petit peu trop occidentalisée. Petit déjeuner remarquable. L’ensemble est excellent et très haut de gamme pour l’endroit. Le personnel est adorable, souriant et efficace. Les hôtes sont charmants. Merci Michel pour les informations anecdotes et connaissances sur le delta. Si vous enchaînez depuis le lodge, privilégiez l’aéroport de CAN ToH qui est aussi loin que celui de Saigon, mais tout petit et ultra rapide pour l’embarquement. "

Jing’s Residence: "Old world charm in total comfort"

"This is a lovely hotel in the historic city of Pingyao. The owner has spared no expense to create a comfortable hotel but you definitely know that you are in China. It is located in the center of the small town so it is convenient for sightseeing and walking. The staff was personally trained by the owner and they are always attentive. It is a very special place. "

Rak Ko Jae Seoul: "Traveling back in time"

"Very beautiful traditional Hanok guesthouse. Staying here really is an unforgettable experience. Especially at night when the place is beautifully lit, it almost seems like a fairy tail. Sleeping on the 'ondol' heated floor with Korean-style bedding may not be for everyone (I personally had some trouble sleeping on the floor), but this sure is an experience not to be missed when in Seoul. I booked the Patio room which had a separate bathroom with a wooden tub. You can choose between Korean style breakfast or continental. Of course I went for the Korean style breakfast, which was excellent. Breakfast is brought to your room so you can enjoy it in the privacy of your own room. The owner of RakKoJae is very friendly and helpful. Moreover RakKoJae is situated right in the middle of the Bukchon Hanok Village and just a small walk away from both the Gyeongbok Palace and the Changdeokgung Palace. Staying at RakKoJae is rather expensive though."

Satri House: "Beautiful"

"We stayed at Satri Hotel for two nights for our 20th wedding anniversary. We left the kids at home and it was perfect. The staff were kind and helpful without being intrusive and our stay was wonderfully relaxing. The whole hotel is beautifully presented and tastefully decorated. Our room was a good size and had no TV which added to the old world atmosphere. The hotel is a bit out of town (about 10-15mins walk) but there are bikes you can borrow to get you there quicker. Because of this the hotel is peaceful and like an oasis. We would go back again."

The Island Lodge: "Everything you need plus more"

"We stayed here as part of the Les Rives Mekong Delta two day tour and found the Island Lodge a wonderful experience . On arrival we were greeted by Michel and given a refreshing welcome drink .Our room looked over the pool and the river and was decorated in an airy tropical relaxed style . There were guidebooks and magazines on the desk which I thought was a nice touch , although we didn't have time to read them ! After a swim in the gorgeous pool , where we found towels and sun hats thoughtfully laid out , we headed downstairs for dinner .The bar area was lovely and the staff very polite and efficient . Our dinner was beautiful ( we had chosen from the menu on check-in ) , every mouthful was delicious . A lovely Beaujolais complimented the food beautifully . Breakfast next morning was from the a la carte menu and we were told we could have as much as we wanted . I would recommend the Eggs Benedict ... Checkout was smooth and efficient , I would have loved to stay longer ! Being a guest at the Island Lodge was a relaxing experience from start to finish. . Thank you to Michel and staff - we'd love to return one day . Stayed January 2017, traveled as a couple"