Guest Reviews

Cuisine Wat Damnak: "Book in advance"

My annual visit to Siem Reap is not complete without coming here - Brilliant concept, always faithfully and energetically executed. The two tasting menus are always well thought out and balanced between sweet, sour, savoury, and spicy. An elegant and exciting way to be introduced to the flavours and ingredients of the region within the western template of a tasting menu, at frankly a brilliant price. During high season they book out so do book even before you fly, rather than when you get into town. Oh and they make a mean cocktail too :-)

Tugu Malang: "Tempo Doeloe feeling"

The hotel is a mixture of luxury and history. The rooms give a feel of the "good" (only for the Dutch) colonial old times, with the hand hammered baths. And the whole atmosphere is the hotel is friendly and service minded. The for is excellent and the hotel itself has a fantastic mix of antiquities within its walls (Chinese (most), Dutch and Indonesian. It was a pleasure going to the rooms with my 17 year old daughter and see her recognize drawings and pictures of Kublai Kahn and Sun Yat Sen. Great hotel.

Tugu Bali: "Simply Amazing"

"Absolutely loved this place. It was the first of 3 hotels we stayed at over 2 weeks in Bali and although the others were exceptional (e.g. Alila Uluwatu) Hotel Tugu holds a very special place in our hearts. The service was faultless - genuine and friendly from the very start, there were so many special moments, made all the more special by the fantastic team - whether it was someone running to give us a towel on the beach, or making our romantic dinner on the raised beds outside so special, or making sure our tea was how we like it. The food is great too - go for the Indonesian food (which makes up most of the menu). We liked wandering around the local area to find drinks and food but often ended up coming back to the hotel as the food was so good. They've also just recently opened a Japanese restaurant which was good too - especially for cocktails up on the balcony watching the world go by. Speaking of the local area, there's a great beach for chilling, surfing and walking along, some good shops set back from the beach, and a busy bar just across from the hotel entrance. We stayed in Le Mayeur suite which is a raised house on a lily pond. Huge rooms, private mini-pool, and semi-outdoor bath amongst everything else. You get to the suite via a couple of raised wooden walkways over the lilies. One of the walkways is private for the Le Mayeur suite and an excellent place to enjoy the delicious breakfasts. The whole hotel (including the room) is full of antiques, which makes for a very special feel. It was probably the most calming hotel we've every stayed in. Someone is building a block of flats next door - I hope it doesn't impact Hotel Tugu's calm and serenity too much as it really was perfect. I guess we'll find out next year when we return!"

Le Passe-Temps: "Little French Paradise"

"During out stay in a close lodging we came here regularly for family lunch and dining by the beach in this little paradise. Very nice food clearly ahead of anything around with variety. Green curry - my benchmark - is very well cooked. Delicious Paneng and TKK. Warm and friendly service. Kids friendly - can spend hours chasing hermit crabs next to you without bothering. Beach and horizon view at high tide is the cliche you are looking for, quietly sipping your chilled Chardonnay while waiting for your starter of fresh spring rolls, feet in the sand and sound of waves in the ears. Also spent Xmas Dinner. Nice buffet in family spirit in a welcoming atmosphere. For those who: - look for a nice lunch/dinner in Krabi far from the crowd. - have a sense of elite and exclusivity without superfluous sophistication. - are not afraid of being surrounded by (quiet and not too vocal) French. - don't mind a slight communautarian skew - are OK to pay more to get more. Still overall very reasonable."

Locavore: "Amazing lunch"

we really enjoyed the lunch. So amazing. And the service also great too. Wanna go again for dinner. It's so hard to book the time.

Villa Song Saigon: "2 nights wasn’t enough"

"Fabulous hotel, loved every minute. After a busy 2 weeks travelling south from Hanoi via Mekong Delta it was a real treat to finish our trip with 2 nights at Villa Song. It was extremely hot in Saigon compared to everywhere else so we used the hotel as a sanctuary to recuperate and enjoy. We got it right! The free shuttle boat into town was great and frequent, so the only trip we made was to the market to finish our gift and souvenir shopping, then spent the rest of the day by the pool. It was lovely also to sit by the river watching the 'traffic', with delicious food and friendly staff. Breakfast was served for most of the morning and was a fantastic way to start the day. The room was great (we had an extra bed put into a twin room) on the top storey - a bit of a climb without a lift but not a huge problem, it's not as though you had to carry your bags or anything! Absolutely top of the list for another trip to Saigon, and maybe next time I will be able to drag myself away from the oasis that is Villa Song and see a little bit of the city!"

Tugu Bali: "An amazing oasis in the chaos of Bali"

We stayed in the ground floor room with a private pool. One of the highlights of the room is the amazing bathroom which opens up onto a beautiful koi pond. The staff are wonderful. They are very friendly and extremely accommodating. They all speak great english and they can arrange any tour, transport or dinner you request. We were surprised to find out that you can have your breakfast anytime before 5pm. This is a unique and extremely practical situation. Highly recommend this hotel. The gardens, the pool and the decor are sensory delights and you always feel like you are in a balinese paradise.

Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris: "Ethical safari company and wonderful staff; game safaris are a bonus! A++++"

"Summary: If you want a unique and special experience – come and stay here! Seeing a leopard is just a bonus! The safaris, the camp, and the team are brilliant. The company is ethical, environmentally-minded and the staff is knowledgeable, professional and passionate. You will not regret glamping, going on safari and generally having a brilliant time. I would recommend Noel Rodrigos Leopard Safaris to anyone and everyone! We went on a few safaris during our time in Yala but Leopard Safaris was so superior in every sense of the word! My only regret was not staying longer!!! I recently stayed with my husband and 8-year-old son. After a short drive from the pick area, we got received with a warm welcome and a cold towel. Well, Noel Roderigo’s Leopard Safaris, you had me at cold towel.... it continued to get better and better from there. We got a fresh coconut drink and then shown to our tent. The tent Hailing from Australia we are very used to camping. Often, we just throw down a swag or a very thin mattress on the ground. Glamping is the ultimate in camping – you get a real bed and awesome amenities. You get the excitement of camping with the creature comforts. It makes the entire experience so special. The fact that everything is ecological friendly makes this experience even more unique. The fact they have NO plastic made me so proud of them! What a wonderful thing to do and it just shows that Noel walks the talk of eco-tourism! I would say that getting the tent with the a/c is probably a good idea during hot times of the year. We got the unairconditioned tent and we did sweat a bit. Each ‘bedroom’ and the main area did have a small fan and you did get some air flowing through the tent too. If I had to have one criticism, it was the tent zips. I can see how this would be a hard thing to maintain. Sometimes when you closed the tent the zip would pop open. You could do it but you had to have a few goes. Cuisine Wow, just wow! The meals were some of the best we had during our 2.5 months in Sri Lanka. The chef also made a non-spicy variety for our super fussy son. Our son didn’t eat it but that is no reflection on his cooking ability, as our son doesn’t eat much other than bread! Following each meal, there was an interesting explanation of the ingredients or the meals. They were all traditional Sri Lankan meals and utterly delicious. If you do not cope with spice, as one of the other visitors didn’t, you might want to mention this. It was hot and spicy but that is the way we love it! Each meal was different and the selection interesting. The amount of food was generous. They also source all food locally. Each meal was set up at a different location within the camp and it was beautifully decorated each time. Our son absolutely loved making the string hoppers with the traditional press. You do need to realise you are eating under the stars, literally, and I had bugs come say hello. I am not sure why they decided I was the most exciting. But if you fear bugs, I would say maybe you need to go to a more sterile environment! The camp The entire camp was rustic, practical but also gorgeous. There were many areas just to relax and wind down. At night, it was utterly beautiful - You had small lights guiding you everywhere in the camp at night. The lounge/bar area was beyond beautiful during the day but at night, it was light up with candles and was perfect. We got some light snacks, again delicious and wound down with a wine or beer. Its a really nice way to relax prior to dinner. My husband did open the portable A/C unit in this area and did end up jumping about 10 feet into the air when a small brown snake sprung out of the unit at great speed! It was just exciting and great to see that nature was so chilled it popped in for a swim. It could be free and wild even in the camp! The snake was not dangerous. They were building a new addition - a pool! That will be an unreal addition! I can imagine how relaxing that will be. Ecological and ethically minded tourism Everything about Leopard Safaris is well thought out and has a purpose, yet looked awesome too! You can feel good about staying here. Often I feel a little sick when I see water in plastic bottles, here they stored in glass bottles in the camp and in metal bottles on game drives! What a novel idea! It really should be the NORM!! Electricity is from solar panels and a dual battery system in their safari jeeps. When they are driving it will recharge a battery, how cool is that?! I looked around and everywhere was “reduce, reuse and recycle”. You drink from jars, the basins are upcycled from pots, the fences and bridges are from fallen branches etc. etc.I could go on and on about these examples. As I said before, there is no plastic anywhere! You even had a sink that filtered the tooth paste you spat into the small basin! Our son also got to plant a tree in the camp. It was a lovely touch and great to teach kids about carbon footprint in a practical sense. Plus in the future, you can come visit ‘your’ tree. The company also funds a number of environmental and community programs. Just prior to our safari I was reading about them giving aid to those affected by the 2017 floods - transporting supplies. Again, they walk the talk! It is so refreshing to see! We did have one somewhat unnerving experience. The farmer next door used a VERY loud firework to scare away the elephants 4 or 5 times. We had a mobile to call the team but I think maybe they should have called us to say, “don’t worry the world is not ending”. It was so loud! Plus, I could hear the elephant breaking the trees and I am unsure how close it got but the farmer needed to set off way too many to scare the elephant away. It added to the excitement but I am not sure how great that is for the elephants. We got told it was an unusual occurrence though, as the fence near the camp had been broken a few days earlier. Safaris As I said, the safaris are just the bonus! Even though the leopard did elude us, I know we were very close a number of times. It didn't matter though (well I did want to see one!) but we saw countless other animals and birds, and we had an utterly wonderful experience. A highlight was a crocodile trying to climb a tree to get away from an angry buffalo! The Jeep – was very comfortable, drink bottles, cold drinks in an Esky, snacks, guide books and binoculars. It was well maintained and comfortable. Our Naturalist/Guide – Saamera He is a wonderful person and guide. He is so passionate about wildlife conservation and it really showed. He is very engaging and has excellent English. He is well versed and well educated about wildlife. I really enjoyed talking to him at length about conservation during our meals. He has the world’s most sensitive ears and was constantly on the lookout for signs of leopards and all other wildlife. It was great that he also didn’t talk all the time. Silence is golden at times. He had the mix right. If we asked a question, he answered with knowledgeable answers. Again, comparing to other “guides” we met who clearly made up the answers. The driver – Praneeth He was such a great driver. Actually, he was amazing! He drove at a reliable speed and it was comfortable. I felt like he could have a lot to offer in terms of guiding too, he clearly knew his stuff. He heard so many noises and looked for tracks, and knew all the cues. Other jeeps you can just see screaming around the place with no purpose. The team Saamera and Praneeth worked together and would discuss where to go next if they heard a noise that meant leopards were near. You could tell they liked working together. I feel bad I do not know everyone’s name but everyone was great! I guess my only criticism is – where are the chicks at? Maybe they are a distraction? Haha. Either way! I think having some females around the camp would be great! All that said, I would have loved to have met the “Master” himself, Noel! In his absence, his team does a great job. Conclusion We did a 1-night safari with 2 game drives and I really wish we did 2 nights. 1 night was just not enough! I cannot wait to return to see the leopards that did elude us! We were so close several times hearing many warning calls. I would love to return one day soon and even try out the Wilpattu glamping location you offer. I already know the level of care, service, and diligence will be sensational. Thank you, Noel, Saamera and the entire Leopard Safaris team! You are head and shoulder above 99% of the other operators out there. Please do not ever change your spots!"

Muang La Lodge: "Tourisme"

"Confidential address Wonderful hotel: Refined tasteful Integrating perfectly into the landscape -Restauration- Rooms Massage Pool -Bains hot spring water: Perfect for a place so far away from towns and villages 👍Bravo👌 For discreet home and friendly and professional ultra efficient "Mathilde" young woman: young and already experienced a 5 star far from the base of tourism. "

Tugu Lombok: "A really special place"

"This hotel is unique in its' blend of Asian antiques, classical and modern design, creative use of the old while maintaining the highest level of comfort and modern amenities. The staff is over the top. They will make you feel welcome and will help you achieve almost anything your heart desires. And they make you feel that they sincerely care about you and your enjoying their hotel/island/culture. I developed an external ear infection from swimming and the manager literally hooked me up with a pharmacy and helped me get medicine for it within minutes of hearing of my problem. You will not forget your stay here, ever."