Guest Reviews

Hotel Tugu Bali: "Vintage hotel with a charm"

What you get when you stay at a hotel owned by one of Indonesia’s biggest if not the biggest antique collector...is a decadent hotel decorated beautifully with vintage furnitures and antiques obviously all around. Lovely pool to enjoy in and the room was amazingly furnish showcasing Peranakan Heritage and culture. Evident in the snacks and tea provided as well. Like the lemongrass scented soaps.

Maduzi Hotel: "Amazing Room"

Maduzi is accessible, 5 minutes walk from asoke. The room is super spacious and bed was so comfortable. We had such a great rest every night. Panpuri products provided for bath was fantastic too. Gym facilities was good too.

Slow Villas and Spa: "Wonderful 10 days at Slow Villas"

"We had a two week holiday from work mid January 2017 and despite it being the rainy season decided to book 10 days on Gili Air - mainly because we got such great rates on flights from London to KL with Malaysian Airways. We stayed in KL for a night and then took budget airline Air Asia (highly recommended also!!) out to Indonesia. We'd been to Bali before but not ventured out to the Gilis. We flew from KL to Lombok and had a private taxi transfer from the airport to the 'port' (the journey in a taxi is about an hour and half). We then had a private speed boat take us to the port on Gili Air, which took about 10 mins. Then it's a ride in a cidone (horse and trap) to Slow Villas. So all in all a trip with lots of modes of transport but we thoroughly enjoyed all of it. Glad for the stop over in KL though. We did the same on the way back and not only do you need this for the flight times but we did appreciate the rest and we're generally people who are pretty comfortable with long haul. So, on to Slow Villas... it's a beautiful setting and the architecture/layout/design has been done perfectly. It's perfect tranquil yet everywhere on Gili Air is within walking distance. The nearest beach was about a 10 minute walk and then there are three beach bars/restaurants immediately on from there. Lots of people cycle and there are bikes to hire from reception. To be honest through we only used them once and were more than happy to walk everywhere - it compensated for the holiday (over) eating!! We love exploring and heading off for a wander around the island was all part of the experience. It's a fabulous island with loads of cool places to eat and drink. The villa and our garden was lovely. We were in villa 3. We would often spend the morning in the pool and sunbathing in our private garden and then headed off to the beach for to find somewhere new for lunch. Our favourite food wise was the Italian Dolce Mare (we went twice) but the best for lunch on the beach and cocktails at sunset was Island View Beach Bar and Bungalows, which is the closest to Slow. Breakfast at Slow is wonderful, just how the pictures show it to be. I fell in love with their dragon fruit juices (go to Pachamama for their legendary dragon fruit and peanut butter smoothie!) and muesli with yogurt. Avocados weren't always available which was a tiny downer as their Aussie breakfast with toast and avocado was yummy but hey you're on holiday on a tiny island in Indonesia and you have a day of sun and sand ahead of you, nothing is really a big problem! Don't expect a proper cooked English breakfast but their cooked tomato mix, like a ratatouille is delicious. We also had the Indonesian BBQ one evening. My word this was absolutely delicious. So much food between us and just stunning. Seriously worth staying in one evening for. The staff at Slow are all really kind and respectful. Some have brilliant English, others not so but unless your Indonesian is up to scratch then a level of patience shouldn't be too much of a hardship. It's so true that a smile goes a long way. We also went to the Slow Spa which has been done so nicely, it's tranquil and beautifully designed. We didn't visit any of the others on the island but it's easy to tell just by looking from the outside that Slow Spa is the most professional and up to the standards you'd expect at home. The room had everything we needed. We loved the outdoor bathroom. And as for that 'rainy' season - it didn't bother us at all. Yes it did rain and there were two or three days that we didn't sunbathe but we went off exploring and sitting in some really cool bars drinking green tea, exotic fruit juices and smoothies and watching the world go by. The sun is very intense so a few days respite was valuable. We still had lots of days joining nothing but laying on the beach and came back with a brilliant suntan! Plus there's nothing like watching a tropical storm roll in whilst you're on the beach with a Bintag in hand. We actually preferred that to the sunsets sometimes. Amazing sunsets here are just so common place!!!! We booked a snorkelling trip through Slow - just the two of us and two boatmen/guides. We saw turtles off Gili Meno and Gili T within minutes of jumping in the water. We've been lucky enough to see turtles before but never this many or this easily. The snorkelling trip was the highlight of our time. We had lunch on Gili Meno and had another two snorkelling stops on the way back. The sunken boat and metal structures off Meno (not sure exactly what it was) was the BEST snorkelling I've ever done in terms of seeing tropical fish. It was like a fish super highway. I could have stayed in the water there for hours and hours. So in summary Slow Villas is without a doubt the best accommodation on Gili Air. We're not backpackers and wanted some luxury. It's in a great, quiet location but still easy to get everywhere (really - no where is far on Gili Air). The staff and management are really helpful. There is so much choice in terms of eating out and at different budgets that you never get bored and there are lots of people to meet when you're out and about. We loved every moment. Terima kasih Julie, Kara and Martin. Stayed January 2017, traveled as a couple"

Le Du Wine Bar & Restaurant: "Worth seeking out"

Glad we found this! We stumbled onto Le Du on our way to another restaurant where we had reservations. It looked so interesting we made a reservation for the following night. Choose options for each of the four courses. Each is creative and well prepared. A modern take on more tradtional thai ingrediants with a french influence. Each dish is complex and the server carefully explains what is being served and how it was prepared. They offer wine flights, go for it. Each wine was perfect with the food that it accompanied. Hard to have made better wine selections. A generous pour of all four wines (four courses) unlike many wine flights. Easy walk from skytrain staion Chong Nosi. My ONLY critisism is that for the thrid course they only have one option that does not have a surcharge. It was fantastic, but would have liked at least one more no sur charge choice.

Villa Mathis: "Toujours aussi magique!"

8 eme séjour à la Villa Mathis...! Toujours aussi agréable et laisse toujours un sentiment de privilège. Nouvelles petites touches de deco... Parfait pour clôturer les vacances dans la sérénité de ce décors enchanteur...!

Villa Song Saigon: "A gem in HCMC"

Wow! What can I say. This hotel is testament to the power of social media and Trip Advisor. A perfect place to stay in HCMC that I probably would otherwise never have known about to book. The hotel was previously the home of a wealthy local family and has been converted into a boutique hotel and renovated. It has the charm of Raffles, has one of my favourite architectures (French colonial), has a perfect location right on the river and offers all modern facilities. They served my favorite breakfast every day (bircher museli and eggs benedict) and the bircher was trendily served in its component parts so I could create my perfect cereal. Access to a private boat to get to the centre of the city seemed extravagant and for my children (aged 4, 7 and 10) was like an extra excursion that they looked forward to every day. A true gem and highly recommended!

Hotel Tugu Bali: "Highly commend"

"So impressed with our stay in Tugu Bali. The villa was a delight to be staying in with all its Balinese history in its decor and surroundings. First class in interior layout and cleaning services. The staff were friendly and so attentive including to the demands of an exploring toddler. Our meals were delicious and choices seemed unlimited. Japanese restaurant menu def worth exploring. The Gardens and waterways were a delight to wander around. Would highly recommend for a relaxing stay, where the mixture of calming ambience and historical treasures added to such an enjoyable atmosphere. Only minutes walk from beaches. Many thanks for memorable stay that is highly recommended to all ages."

Tugu Malang: "Wonderful Heritage Hotel"

"This is a 5 star hotel and more on the expensive side. We stayed here two nights and were very content. The reason we decided to stay here was because they have a room that the first president of Indonesia, Sukarno, used to stay in. You can see his room on request. They also have a lot of historical indonesian objects on display like a full gamelan set which you also get to play, an original tea room with complimtary teatime and snacks, breakfast was included and you have the choice between continental breakfast and indonesian breakfast (both are excellent). Our room was pristine with crisp linen sheets and has ac. The shower and toilet is outside and feels very exotic with all the plants. On your arrival you get a complinentary drink and fruit. The staff is very friendly and help you with anything you need. What we especially liked about the hotel was that all the packaging wasn't plastic. They used natural material. We would definetely stay here again if we could."

MesaStila: "A trip to Paradise"

"Have just returned from a holiday to Indonesia that started with a fabulous 7 nights at Mesa Stila. Walking onto the verandah of our beautiful house every morning, with a cup of coffee made from the beans grown on the estate and seeing the spectacular view of volcanoes and hearing the sounds of the jungle was truly magical. The staff here are so friendly and attentive to your every need. The food is delicious and uses produce grown on the estate, as well as homemade yoghurt, ice cream, sorbets, bread etc. Do try the coconut porridge for breakfast and the pina colada salad is a revelation! Do also go to the spa and indulge in a massage. Every treatment starts with a spell in the steam room and finishes with a refreshing pot of ginger tea and small treats. The masseurs are excellent, Citra has the tiniest hands but a powerful, healing touch. We were very grateful to Erny for organising our treatments so thoughtfully. There's a great programme of events too but walking around the grounds and lying by the infinity pool gazing into the jungle left me truly refreshed and ready to face the world again. I hope I'll be returning soon! "

Tugu Lombok: "One of best hotels in lombok"

"It's nice to see all top 3 hotels in lombok are actually within 10 m drive from each other . All situated on sire beach or beautiful Medana . The tugu is great ! Sharon the new GM is nice and always around . Staff is great here . Grounds amazing and large "