Guest Reviews

Cuisine Wat Damnak: "French class comes to Khmer cooking"

We had a wonderful night at Cuisine Wat Damnak. The owner greeted us personally at the door and we had a brief conversation in Khmer. The food was exquisite and there was a choice of two degustation menus. In truth it was hard to choose because they were both so good. Great quality food and great value. Highly recommended.

Villa Song: "You Have to Stay HERE!!"

"Apologies for the late review but I had to get around to writing a little something about this wonderful hotel. We stayed her in July for five nights. We arrived at about 9.45pm after a seven and a half hour flight feeling a bit 'blah' only to be told that the kitchen had remained open for us to order dinner. How cool was that? So our first night was spent by the river, looking over at Ho Chi Minh, thinking ' we make the right choice here'! Our entire stay was really faultless. Friendly staff, lovely food and fabulous pool staff made our first stop off in Vietnam a 100% success. We arranged our private tours to Chu Chi Tunnels and a day trip around the city through the hotel and they were super choices. I remember now, on this cold dark November evening in Dublin, how lucky we were to have visited the wonderful, lively, exciting city of Ho Chi Minh and if your lucky to plan a trip there, stay at the Villa Song, its absolutely perfect. Thank you to everyone there for making our stay so lovely,"

Sanak Retreat Bali: "Amazing Sanak Retreat!"

"Amazing stay at Sanak Retreat! We loved every minute! The Retreat is beautiful, the villas very comfortable, the decoration is outstanding and it looks like ""time stand still""! The service, the food and the attention to all our needs were fantastic! The Spa was amazing and the 3 hours walking tour was very nice and an educative activity. We leave in Bali and it was a great getaway with the family. Hardly recommend for a few days relaxation. Thank you Sanak Team! We will be back! Stayed March 2017, traveled with family"

Rahai’i Pangun: "One of the best trips we have ever done"

"We had the most marvellous and memorable 4 day trip on the boat in October. The staff were absolutely superb. Only superlatives will do. We were so fortunate to have Putu who informed us without lecturing. He was so easy to get on with. We were very fortunate and my husband, daughter and I had the boat to ourselves because the other family booked on the boat wanted to do a private charter. We have been on beautiful boats on the backwaters in Kerala on several occasions and also on boats in Myanmar and Vietnam but this beats them all by a mile. The river was serene and we hardly saw any tourist boats only the locals going about their work. Seeing the orangutans and learning about them was one of the best things that we have done in a long time. They are such beautiful and intelligent animals and I now try not to buy any products which contain palm oil which is destroying their habitat. "

MesaStila: "A peaceful sanctuary"

"MesaStila Resort and Spa is very serene and quiet; it is lovely for a getaway to do some writing, reading and relaxing. Our room (Aroum Villa) also had an outdoor day bed area which had the view of Mt Andong which was terrific. The room came with a bath tub which was nice to soak in and just while the time away. The room also had all the necessary amenities to make it a comfortable stay. The staff also made our bed and refilled the water twice a day. We also had complimentary fruits, and desserts in the evening. I would definitely recommend this to friends who are intending to have a short getaway, and I must say the staff at the resort made the stay very comfortable; they were attentive to our needs, and made us feel at home. We had a cycling trip to Candi Umbul and Grabag market, and our guide Nur made the experience very worthwhile. We also had a Sunrise tour at Borobodur and it was breathtaking. The tour guide, Latiff, provided many insights into the culture and philosophy of the Buddhists, and shared information about Indonesia as well. My friend and I didn't manage to try the Hammond spa (which was award-winning) and we would love to do so when we next visit MesaStila. One minor quip I had was how the menu was the same for the 4 days we were there; if there could be more variety, it would have made the resort experience perfect. My friend and I particularly liked the Indonesia dishes (at dinner) and the breakfast menu - A recommended dish would be the Nasi Goreng (fried rice). You can choose either red or white rice for the said dish, and we had the red rice option; I must say, it was a pleasant surprise! I particularly liked the muesli at breakfast - the breakfast was hearty and kept us filled for the day. I can go on about how lovely our experience at MesaStila was, but I'm afraid my words would not do justice to it; you would just have to experience it. They have thought out activities to keep their guests occupied (as the resort is situated rather far away from the city area) and have gone the extra mile to make the experience unforgettable for their guests. Lastly, I would recommend having tea at the Club House; it is calming and relaxing and the pastries went well with their wide selection of teas (and coffee). I truly had a reinvigorating time at the resort; I invite you to experience the same."

Bassac Cruises: "Entente cordiale"

"This was a beautiful one night cruise at the end of our trip to the Mekong Delta. We transferred from Cai Be jetty by small boat to Bassac I where we were introduced to the boat in perfect English by Thuc. Our cabin was as expected small but cosy with a double bed and aircon and the luggage quickly became invisible under the bed. After a drink, our fellow passengers arrived 4 French, 2 Swiss (French speaking) and 2 English. Everyone got on very well and there was much laughter with respective groups trying out their English and French speaking! The food was good throughout. The service was great and the ambience on this wonderful wooden boat was relaxing. Trips off the boat x 2 were very interesting and fun and made the more so by Thuc! We would highly recommend this trip for rest and relaxation and plenty of watching the world go by as you cruise the Mekong."

Rachamankha: "Peaceful and Serene haven in the old walled city"

As soon as you enter the hotel grounds you can see that this is a beautifully maintained hotel and it is like stepping into a different world from the hot and busy walled city. We stayed for 2 nights and enjoyed the quiet peaceful child free atmosphere, the spacious pool (although unattended so you have to take your own water down from your room) which at times we had completely to ourselves. Breakfast was freshly prepared from the kitchen for any hot items with a small buffet of cereals, breads, fruit etc. in the air conditioned restaurant - excellent real leaf teas and fresh juices. As others have said the hotel is perfectly maintained with lovely antique furniture. For us the wifi worked well and apart from no conditioner amongst the Molton Brown toiletries it couldn't be faulted - would stay here again in an instant.

Locavore: "AMA…wait for it…ZING"

"I have reached 50 years old and I can honestly say that this was the best meal I’ve had in my life full of travel and restaurants all over the world. I walked in on my way back from the Monkey Forest, hot and tired, just intending to grab a quick bite and drink. I’m not sure why but I was offered the tasting menu - I said yes, unaware of the price but ready for an adventure. I ordered 5 courses between the regular and vegetarian choices. To my surprise, 7 beautifully presented amuse bouche courses came first - each exciting and delicious. Then a new chef came out with each course to explain it to me. Exceptional service! And the tastes made my mouth soooo happy. To my surprise there were 2 more amuse bouche dishes before dessert arrived. After almost 2 hours, I thought it would never end and I wanted it to never end!!! The last surprise was an entire flight of chocolates and jasmine tea. All of the food was meticulously prepared and incredibly delicious. Lunch cost about $90 CND, which is the priciest lunch I’ve ever had but WORTH EVERY PENNY!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOCAVORE Make a reservation!!!"

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "A few days to chill"

"Well... I could say I hated the place... to keep u all away... so I can keep it all to myself.... I just loved it... So historic, original, wonderful staff, huge rooms all fully restored in modern luxury and the whole place with old/antique furniture... I was in my element... elegant, traditional. Fantastic food, ( the dining room ceiling looks ridiculous) but the rest is just gorgeous... It is the middle of downtown GT (George Town), lots of transport options, and walking to discover the rest of GT is easy... The staff are wonderful... I just loved it I would not take kids there... destroy the atmosphere.... but I am sure kids would be welcome.... if necessary A very, very special place... If u are into history and love the old... you will, like I love the place... do go....."

Dewakan: "Well paced degustation menu, creative"

My husband and I took an American guest to Dewakan. We chose the 11 course tasting menu. I was looking forwards to being delighted, and we were not disappointed. The restaurant is quiet, and comfortable and we were able to enjoy each course and exchange views on the myriad of tastes exploding in our mouths. I especially loved the Yoghurt & Roselle, which I thought was so well done since each taste emerged one after another. The explanation given by the maitre d' on the ingredients and how to eat each dish added to the enjoyment of the evening. It was easy to converse, given the wonderful presentation. I did not care too much for the duck, which although delicious, was a little rich for my preference. The red snapper was very good, and a little less saltiness may have brought it up to the level of sublime. Anyway, we had a wonderful evening and enjoyed the experience tremendously!