Guest Reviews

Bassac Mekong Delta Cruises by Secret Retreats: "Wonderful experience"

Seeing the sunrise over the Mekong was an unforgettable experience. The food on board the boat is superb and we enjoyed the visit to local villages and seeing the floating market. Our guide, Annie, was excellent too.

Maison Polanka: "Our second home"

We just loved how they treat their guests like their own family. We stayed here for 4 days and loved it. Our room is so clean and the best part is that the food being served to us when we go back to the hotel after a long tiring day at the temple is tasty! Over all the place itself is magical. We loved the pool an the garden with a lot of flowers blooming.

Villa Song Saigon: "Amazing experience"

We have just finished 3 nights here at Villa Song before departing on a river cruise and we wish that it could have been longer. This is an old French colonial house right on the Saigon river. The rooms are beautiful as is the grand winding staircase. We arrived on a flight at 11 pm and we're quickly shown to our room which was very spacious with a great bed and bathroom. The next morning was a wonderful experience as I walked down the stairs and onto the foyer to reveal an amazing view of the restaurant and outdoor dining on the Saigon river. Food was great, staff were superb and overall a great experience. This hotel is in a quiet area in district 2 so is a fair way out of Saigon Central, but hotel car runs frequently during the day to Central Saigon and finishes at the Opera House. But anyway even though it's a huge bustling city the taxi fare is around $A10. A wonderful stay.

Tugu Bali: "Hotel with old charm"

"Hotel Tugu Bali is located on the shores of Canggu Beach at one of the most romantic places in the island. We stayed here a few nights over the Nyepi day, which is the Balinese day of silence and it was an incredible experience. The staff members have done everything to make this time pleasant for all the guests and we immediately felt like a part of a family. The mission of Tugu luxury art hotels is to bring back to life the art, soul and romance of Indonesia's long forgotten years. The hotel owner is an antique collector for many years and all the priceless pieces of Indonesian antiques and artworks are beautifully positioned around the hotel, blending perfectly with the hotel ambience. From the moment we arrived, we were pleasantly greeted by the hotel staff members. They send a car to pick us up from our previous hotel with delicious fruit baskets to enjoy during the ride. A lovely touch! So, from the moment we arrived to the hotel we knew that this would be an unforgettable experience. The hotel manager took us around the hotel and explained us about different antiques and all the special pieces that the hotel possess. At the lobby entrance you stumble upon an impressive wooden giant Garuda, which was carved from a 120-years-old tree. Around the grand lobby are tropical gardens with beautiful lotus ponds and small paths that leads to the resort villas. We stayed in spacious Rejang Suite, which was located on the upper floor of a charming Javanese house. The suite had dark timber interior and was decorated with different artworks. The room had a working area, separate shower and bathroom, a big carved four-poster bed, a terrace with a private spa area and a unique sunken bathtub with amazing views over the Indian Ocean. A dining concept at Hotel Tugu Bali is completely different than in any other hotel we have stayed at. You can choose to dine whenever and where ever you like. We usually had our breakfast in the lobby with lovely view of the garden. The breakfast was a la carte and the food was delicious. They also served the high tea with different sweets every day. In the evening we have planned a romantic dinner Picnik in Bed, but because it was raining, we had to move it from the beach to the 300-years-old Bale Sutra Temple. We felt like a royalty sitting at this big table where many, many years before the royal Balinese kings had their dinner served. Amazing! Hotel Tugu Bali is a special place, it gives you the real Bali feeling. So, if you are looking for an authentic and luxurious hotel in Bali, this is a place for you."

The Island Lodge: "Scherer"

"The Island Lodge is a marvellous place! An oasis in the middle of a special place almost a junge beside the river. The view is historic, peaceful and really unique. There is nothing to compare with the Island Lodge in the area! The owner Michel and his wife Francoise are exceptional hosts not because of a necessity but because of a natural true passion to receive their guests with warmth and friendliness. It is a really comfortable feeling after traveling down from the chaos and noise of Ho Chi Minh! Breakfast is á la carte, it is slow and easy going just like the Mekong. Dinner is more or less the same. Lots of choice and lots of taste and just so comfortable. One of the best parts of this residence has to be the interior design. Michel did almost everything himself and if he ever gives up the Hotel business he could certainly try his hand at ID!! He has taste and style which is very seldom in a hotel of this size. Usually boutique hotels get a little Kitsch over load. Not here the attention to detail is impressive and highly soothing just before a early afternoon nap! The pool is big and super practical! And make sure you go with Michel on a bike tour. Probably something that will stay with me for ever for all the right reasons! Don't bother looking at any other place if you want to stay a few days in the Delta "

Cuca: "World Class Dining with Exquisite Local Ingredients and Flavor!"

"We arrived at the restaurant and welcomed by the vast green front yard. It was a beautiful open yard with tall coconut trees and definitely best spot to host an intimate dinner party. We made booking by phone just couple hours before and happy to find table since we heard it's usually full booked. The menu is served ala tapas, and most of them are very enticing just by reading the name and the ingredients. We decided to go with the Chef's Tasting Menu - which is a 9 dish course handpicked by Chef Kevin Cherkas as the best representative of Cuca's flavor. This was the best decision as first timer here! In the beginning of the course, we were given a cotton candy like with savory taste, served in a pretty ceramic pink paper bag. Here are the 9 dishes: 1. Cuban Corn 2. Roasted Pork Buns* 3. Smoked Butterfish - since I am pregnant and could not eat smoked fish, they happily replaced this with other menu, we chose Fried Chicken 4. Honey Baked Pumpkin Salad* 5. BBQ Octopus* 6. Rice Tempura Soft Shell Crab 7. Meat & Potatoes* 8. Bali Breakfast 9. Cocoa 99 The starred ones are our favorites with Meat & Potatoes the highlight of them all. The potatoes are so silky smooth with such flavorful beef short ribs underneath, definitely a winner. Overall, this was a wholesome dining experience, and to find it in Jimbaran, Bali was just exciting. We could easily compare the experience with those we had in Scandinavia, truly exquisite. The great thing about Cuca is also they use only ingredients from Indonesia! Chef Kevin Cherkas personally dropped by at each table to converse with guest and wow, we even got a great recommendation of Suckling Pig Rebo in Jimbaran that we haven't been before. (And it was really good!) Thank you Chef! Cuca is about to open in Jakarta by 2018, we'll be patiently waiting :) "

Sandat Glamping Tents: "Top of the Top!!!"

An exclusive location, relax, high quality service, privacy and italian cuisine. If you look for all this, accompanied by a good chat with owner, you have to live your experience at this resort in Ubud.

Locavore: "amazing restaurant"

"e went for a lunch 7 courses menu. food was delicious. every plate presented was a big wow and then hmmmmm! service is courteous and efficient. sometimes hard to understand the ingredients and feel waiters are just reciting the names without putting too much passion into it. but they get things done. the cocktail pairing is left a bit to be desired.. some are a bit too strong compared to the food. suggest to order wine/cocktails a la carte worth every cent and every minute of your time. if you happen to be in ubud and some budget to spare, go to locavore."

David’s Kitchen: "True definition of culinary experience in Chiang Mai"

"Spending the evening at David's Kitchen was a total experience. - Food was unbelievably heaven-ish: I had Wagyu Braised Beef Cheek, which as a special menu. - Ambience was impeccable. Nicely decorated. Classy taste of interior design. - Hospitality was top knotch. Conversation with David, Khun Prom and staffs were both entertaining and insightful. If I had more time, I would have loved to try out aperetivo in the Red Room, which will be soon be under renovation, I guess. Culinary experience in Chiang Mai can hardly get better, if at all!"

Sea Dance Resort: "FLAWLESS — one of the biggest highlights of our Thailand trip"

We visited Koh Samui at the very end of our 2-week Thailand trip &, specifically, Sea Dance Resort. Our stay was, honestly, flawless. It started with a very quaint, beautiful, well-cared for resort where we were warmly greeted upon arrival & given some nice juice drinks as a welcome. Then, we went to our bungalow/room which was so stinkin' cool! It's this round, stand-alone building with a king bed in the center, little desk & day bed along the wall (which our 8 year-old son slept in comfortably). Even better, the shower, toilet & vanity were connected & outdoors. It was really special & well-done. We happened to arrive on a Wednesday evening & every week they do a complimentary happy hour from 6-7 by the water & you have a terrific cocktail or glass or wine by the sea & a band plays. You socialize with the staff & we particularly enjoyed talking to Rory, who we soon learned owns the resort. He is SO kind & personable & caring about his guests, as is the entire staff (Faith, Helen, John, etc.), I was impressed that they learned/knew my & my families names immediately & there IS a casualness to everyone yet their service is spot-on. Little examples-- we were goofing around in the pool & when we came out fresh towels & glasses of water were on our chairs. On one hot day they brought around gin & tonic popsicles for the adults, juice popsicles for the kids. The breakfasts are excellent with an egg station, tons of fresh fruits & pastries, Asian foods, cereal, juices, espresso drinks & so on. There are kayaks & SUPs you can borrow & lots of beautiful places throughout the resort where you can sit on a bench & relax. The staff took a particular liking to my son & went above & beyond by allowing him to feed their koi fish, giving him little treats, etc. We encountered a couple from S Africa who said they could "travel anywhere" but they choose to come back to Koh Samui & more specifically Sea Dance again & again because of the staff & resort; that spoke volumes. I have traveled a lot & Sea Dance is in my Top 3, best hotel experiences, ever. Partly because of the wonderful resort, even moreso because of the people.