Guest Reviews

Golden Buddha Beach Resort: "Secluded paradise"

"The resort is a collection of bungalows and a clubhouse built along a pristine stretch of the Andaman coast, along with a more protected bay for swimming (there's a great beach bar on this end). If you're arriving by sea (and not by jeep from the pier) the boat drops you off in the bay, and you wade through the water onto the beach, which sets the tone for the stay. Most of the baans are open air, as is the clubhouse, and you wake up and fall asleep to the sound of waves, the wind, crickets (or whatever the local variant), lizards, birds, and monkeys. Likewise, although the west-facing beach doesn't have any lounge chairs or umbrellas, we were often the only people sitting on our towels under the shade of palm trees, watching scuttling crabs and the receding tide. It truly is designed to bring you as close to nature as possible without actually camping on the beach. The people at the resort are all lovely - Massi, Duang, and all the folks who worked in the clubhouse and the bar are professional and friendly. A special thanks to P'Wam, the head chef, who gave me a great cooking class. The food is uniformly delicious, fresh, and varied a lot from day to day. We were there for four days and didn't see the same dish twice at dinner. Breakfast is plentiful. Everything, from the food to the drinks, was fairly priced and great value considering how difficult it must be to provision the place. A few things that might be helpful to know before going: The waves on the long stretch of beach are quite wild and we didn't find it possible to swim, but it's great for strolls and lying around. If you're going in peak season with kids, don't count on being able to hang out at that beach with them. The bay side was quiet when we were there (in mid December, we felt we had the run of the place) but I can imagine it getting quite crowded around Christmas. The mosquitos and black flies are no joke. I showed up without any DEET and had to buy some immediately, and use it constantly, and even then I was bitten. If you tend to attract bites, plan on covering up and using DEET in the morning and evening. In retrospect I wish we had gone for a beachfront baan as they probably had fewer bugs than ours, which didn't get as much breeze. Our baan was beautifully maintained and felt very private, with an outdoor bathroom and decks. Note that the water is from a well and gives off a strong sulphurous odour, which keeps showers short and eco friendly. All in all, a truly special place that runs seamlessly despite its remoteness and the encroaching jungle and sea around it. We enjoyed our time there and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it or go back."

Villa Song Saigon: "gorgeous place to stay"

"we stayed in this lovely hotel for a long weelend whilst visiting hcmc. we absolutely loved it. the hotel manager took the time to meet us personally and welcome - though there was a wedding reception that first night, we did not at any time feel disturbed or a lack of service. to compensate for the inconvenience, we were offered dinner or a taxi ride to wherever we wanted to go for dinner. absolutely great. the hotel has an own shuttle service by blat to the city and this is awesome. the boat leaves in front of the hotel and drops u off in the middle of the city centre. great service. some might say its not close to the city centre, but with the boat shuttle, this hotel clearly makes up for it - but not only that - overall, i believe its the best place to unwind after a day in the hectic city of ho chi minh. "

Mrauk U Princess Resort: "Da non perdere"

"Visitare Mrauk è stato meraviglioso! Un po' laborioso da raggiungere (volo di un'ora e un quarto da Yangon fino a Sittwe e poi un'ora e mezza di barca veloce), ma ne vale assolutamente la pena! Da poco raggiunto dal turismo, è un posto ancora autentico e con un'atmosfera incredibile! Nei vari monasteri e pagode ci è spesso capitato che fossero i monaci o i turisti birmani a chiederci di fotografarci! Non c'era mai capitato nonostante i tantissimi viaggi! Il resort ha una bella atmosfera e il ristorante è ottimo. Particolare la piscina galleggiante nello stagno circondata da fiori di loto! Ottima anche la SPA: super massaggi! Molto grandi e confortevoli i cottages completamente in teak. Stayed December 2016, traveled as a couple"

Manda De Laos: "Excellent restaurant"

Excellent restaurant in a beautiful garden. The food (local Lao food) was excellent and the service was also very good. We ended going there in four of our six nights in Luang Prabang.

Rachamankha: "Haven of tranquility…"

We stayed here for 5 nights in July 2015, and can honestly say what a magical place it is. It’s in a brilliant location within the old town, and yet is so peaceful and tranquil. The layout of the hotel feels beautifully designed and considered. The service and staff and are very professional, helpful and friendly, in particularly Paul the manager. If you have chance to stay here then do - it really is unique and we couldn’t recommend it more!

Tugu Lombok: "Holiday"

"Se stayed for four nights in this wonderful hotel. The food, the spa, the snorkeling was really nice.,We had a Baghavat Gita room and it was like being back in time. We took the hotel boat for a snorkeling day and saw a turtle. You can choose to have dinner where you like and we chose the beach. We also went to the waterfall and would highly recommend it. "

Glenburn Tea Estate: "Dreamlike"

"Enchanting - beyond excellent. Wonderful staff and food; special thanks to George Ranjan and Luna. Only slight disappointment was that the mountains were obscured by mist for most of the time, unusually for November."

Satri House: "Sparkling Satri"

"Simply sparkling. We thoroughly enjoyed our 3 night stay. The stylish setting is just beautiful with lush greenery and pools - both swimming and decorative - galore, in complete tranquility. Tastefully and elegantly traditionally furnished, good sized bedroom, comfortable bed, endless free water, reliable wifi and little tasty treats. We didn't eat here except for breakfast (packet muesli is not in keeping with the high standards), so can't comment on the restaurant. Only tiny improvements to suggest are to have hot water, as well as cold, in the separate toilet and better extraction to prevent the bathroom steaming up. Nevertheless this is close to perfection and we would not hesitate to return. Stayed January 2017, traveled as a couple"

Rice & Zen Boutique Resort: "Perfect Koh Samui Family Trip"

"Wonderful unpretentious small resort, nicely embedded in lots of plants and palm trees. You will be greeted with a very warm welcome and personalized service. They will do all their best to make your vacation special. Food menu is really huge for a small resort and small restaurant, but they surprised me with great quality fresh thai and european dishes. And we are certainly not the least picky regarding food quality. On the menu you will find great thai kitchen to lobster or wagyu burger. For our kids we made sometimes special requests which were all handled perfectly. Some vegetables/herbs etc are organically grown in their garden. Even if you don't stay in the resort, be sure to visit the restaurant. Cocktails are of great quality, lots of gins with fever tree tonic are available. We also did a cooking class with Toy, their chef, and were grateful for the time and effort she put into explaining all the details of thai cooking. The cooking took place outside with a view onto the pool and beach, which was a nice detail! Our two bedroom pool villa had all required amenities and was very clean and decorated with love. There is also a spa, but in the end we didn't have time to try it out. Airport transfers were organized by the resort and were perfectly on time with luggage service etc. If you don't need a huge and maybe crowded resort like the W, Four Season, but prefer a more authentic familiar service, this is the place to go. In the end I can only highly recommend the resort. We will certainly go back one day! Stayed April 2017, traveled with family"

The Island Lodge: "A haven of peace in the Mekong Delta OK"

"This is a beautifully conceived boutique resort of 12 rooms, whose hosts and staff couldn't be more accommodating, warm and gracious. It is right on the Mekong River just 1-1/2 hours from the bustle and chaos of Saigon. Michel, the French owner and creative force behind this idyllic lodge, and his wife, Francoise, go above and beyond to cater to your every need. It is managed in a professional and gracious manner. The lodge arranged our transport from Saigon and back to the airport which went without a hitch. In fact I left my cellphone in the car. The driver found it; there wasn't enough time to retrieve it before my flight, but the lodge assured me they would get it to me and I received it at my next destination well packaged and Michel refused our offers to reimburse them for the postage and handling, saying it was their pleasure. What a lovely gesture. Fabulous pool overlooking the river, wonderful open dining room, tastefully decorated to a high standard. Rooms are beautiful, comfortable and beautifully situated. Ours was in the garden (we chose to have a bathtub rather than the river view) and the setting among the ponds, water lillies, little bridges was perfect. We took a half day trip on the river, designed for tourists, but our guide was knowledgeable and interesting and even the kitschy coconut candy making, ride on a Vietnamese rowboat down.a small tree canopied canal, paddled by two Vietnamese women (occasionally men), honey tea service was fun and educational. (No pressure to buy anything). I had two massage sessions (one an herbal with balls) and both were fabulous -- and very reasonably priced. Couldn't ask for a nicer couple of days. Stayed April 2017, traveled as a couple"