Guest Reviews

Pindaya Farm House: "Warmly Welcomed"

We so much enjoyed our time at Thahara Pindaya that we considered extending our stay and cancelling our trip to Mrauk U! We loved Pindaya and this farm house stay was a big influence on the overall experience. As strange as this might sound, staying at Thahara was a memorable highlight of our second visit to Myanmar. Conversations with hosts Aye Aye and Ko Yangon provided deeper insights to the community we would have otherwise missed. All reasonable requests can be satisfied by the hosts and their extended network of family and friends. The accommodations are well appointed, and the meals are out of this world.

MesaStila: "Hidden treasure – a lovely escape"

"Our party of 19 stayed at this amazing resort on the last leg of our trip. The MesaStila is housed on a vast area that was once a coffee plantation. Imagine lush greenery, manicured lawns and beautifully landscaped plants. These grounds are peppered with bungalows of varying sizes with some having connecting doors. This proved useful for all the kids in the party to visit each others' rooms. We also had the privilege of staying at the Bellavista (also referred to as the Presidential Suite). This palatial residence has a living room large enough to house all 19 of us for dinner without feeling cramped. The amazing staff obliged to our request to have room service served there because of the kids were too tired to head to the restaurant for dinner. The living area also proved useful for group discussion sessions and a good game of hide and seek. The bedrooms were equally mind blowing with the ornate four poster beds and sunken baths. A beautiful blend of antiques and modern requirements - copper sinks and faucets, flat screen TV, wooden bar locks, electric kettle and a bar fridge. The resort kindly obliged to our request for extra beds as some of us had 3 in a group. The rooms were large enough to accommodate the bed without it feeling like space was compromised, The other villas has a variety of bedding combinations including one with a loft bed! Within the Resort, the Hammam Spa was a wonderful escape as I opted for the 90min Intensive Massage Therapy. My therapist managed to work through my knots from the previous day's hike and left me feeling so refreshed, I was tempted to add another 90 minutes! Breakfast is served daily at Java Green. There is a decent selection of local and international food (try to chicken porridge!) but the one thing you must not miss is the daily dose of Jamu (Indonesian Traditional Herbal Drink) served by the loveliest little lady at the entrance of the restaurant. There are several concoctions to choose from - be warned, some taste better than others - but they're all good for the system. And if the lady's appearance is anything to go by, I'd be happy to drink the stuff daily! If you're wondering what to do at the resort, here's a list of stuff we tried: Cycling through the Padi fields and taking a soak at the local ""hot spring"" at the end of the ride The Coffee Plantation tour - very educational with more than just coffee to see Take a swim in the lovely pool Relax at the SPA Play pool at the bar Read a nice book at the clubhouse Ask about the Jeep tour to Merapi (Indonesia's most active volcano) Visit the amazing Borobudur Plenty to see and do! There's also stuffwe didn't have time to try, like batik painting, learning to play the Gamelan, morning Yoga sessions, pony rides, etc. Check with the Reception for the daily activity schedules. While the 8 parents on the trip were quite awestruck by the place, I also have to add that we had 11 boys with us - all aged 12 and some were slightly spooked by the ornate architecture and furnishings when we arrived on the first night. The city boys having just left a rather modern upmarket hotel did take a while to get used to the antiquated outlook of the place. That said, they were very happy to run around once the sun came up and once familiarity set in, they were a bit sad to leave after 3 nights there. I would recommend the establishment for couples, anyone in need of peace and quiet, people who appreciate old architecture or just someone in need of a slightly different holiday."

Maisons Wat Kor: "Charme"

Beautiful little hotel , zen and bucolic. Very clean simple . The staff very kind and helpful . Very quite in the middle of the vegetation. Rooms simple , authentic. I recommend this hotel . Must do the bamboo train good experience to understand what appended during the war for these people trying to escape

Tugu Malang: "Luxurious hotel with impressive staff"

"We were so pleased with our several day stay at the Tugu Malang. It is located very close to the train station. The hotel is like being in a 'luxurious' museum. We were so enthralled with all of the antiquities and beautifully designed rooms. Even if you don't stay here....pay for the tour....it's completely worth it. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. The restaurant was excellent! There is also a bakery/coffee shop associated with the hotel. Food was wonderful....spiced nicely....varied offerings and prices. The staff treated us like ""family"". Our favorite waitress would have a table saved for us by the pool with our names written on a leaf in silver pen. They think of every detail We recommend taking the time to have their free tea offering in the afternoon. The spa massage was also very relaxing. Have them call you a bicycle tuktuk and cycle around town some evening. Definitely stay here if you have the opportunity! "

JL Studio: "Superb meal and experience"

I really like this restaurant. It doesn't have too many tables, so it's not crowded. The kitchen is open to the customers - always a good sign. The staff are all good. The food, cooking, and experience, all superb. Not too expensive, although it is not cheap. The pork fat candles were excellent. Everything was excellent. Had a glass of very good wine. The wait staff were very knowledgeable and helpful. The chef came out to talk to us. We had a lovely time.

Rak Ko Jae Seoul: "A nice respite from a busy life and city"

Rak Ko Jae was truly a peaceful respite after a long day of travel to South Korea. I had read lots of reviews and expected the experience to be a little more... interactive perhaps? Really, this was a pretty solitary experience as we seemed to be the only ones there and only had contact with the staff at meal times. The hanok was smaller than I expected and very quaint. I woke up at 5am and actually WANTED to get out of bed and go outside and just sit and breathe the fresh air and listen to the sparrows sing and fly around me. It was so peaceful and quiet and still. (...) I highly recommend Rak Ko Jae, but I would also say to expect a very quiet and somewhat uneventful experience while you stay. The uneventfulness of our stay was a treat, and we didn't leave once between check-in and check-out! They even reminded us that check-out was 15 minutes away... we were aware, just trying to soak up every bit of our time there.

The Island Lodge: "Great little boutique hotel"

This was a great choice to stay before and after a river cruise on the mekong delta. The place was cozy with all you need: quality restaurant, spa and the most friendly and service-oriented staff. The place is tucked away pretty good so you want to have the driver pick you off at the airport.

David’s Kitchen: "Very few restaurants in the world that can hold a candle to David’s Kitchen"

"Firstly, I would like to start off by saying that this restaurant went above and beyond in terms of service and food quality. How do I know this? Well, besides my fiancee and I being big foodies having to try at least one fine dining restaurant in every new country & city we go to, I myself have been a cook/chef for over 15 years, working in an array of different styles of restaurants from chain restaurants, fast food, and pubs, to banquet halls, hipster bars, and fine dining; and with all my experience, as both a consumer and a producer, there are very few restaurants in the world that can hold a candle to David's Kitchen. Secondly, I will discuss the experience and service. When I booked us a table here I did so solely based on the reviews on this site. I had investigated the menu online and was excited to try some of the items. I went ahead and booked a reservation for Valentines Day (Feb 14) of 2017, and within an hour I received an email informing me that the regular menu would not be available for this particular day. She then forwarded me the set menu for Valentines Day. I didn't think much of it, as I am aware that some restaurants do this on special occasions and went ahead with the reservation and payed the deposit via PayPal to solidify the reservation; it was all very organized. On the day, we arrive at the front desk and are met by the owner shortly after we informed the host about our booking. He was extremely nice, speaking to us for a little while, offering to take a picture of us in front of the restaurant with my fiancee's phone, and then led us inside. The place was very spacious, well-lit, and a piano played softly in the background adding to the relaxing ambiance of the restaurant. We were led to our table, which had a greeting card with our names printed on it congratulating us for our anniversary and thanking us for dining with them on that particular day, it was very sweet. The food was delicious and extremely well cooked and seasoned, all delivered at a reasonable pace as to not bombard and overwhelm us. The waiters were very organized and didn't keep anyone waiting or got in each other's way. They were also right there to refill our wine and water when thy almost dipped to the level even an optimist would be pessimistic about. At the end of our meal David, the owner, even came over and spoke to us a while, which I greatly appreciate since it is not a common thing in the industry unless there is a problem or complaint. Thirdly, I will discuss the food we had and the quality. As I mentioned before, the regular menu was placed on hold for Valentines Day and a special menu was offered. On this menu were a series of appetizers consisting of an amuse-bouche, which was a tender and moist deep fried oyster resting in its shell, a large and perfectly cooked pan-seared scallop that was as smooth as butter with grilled veg and honey raisin sauce, Canadian lobster with fettuccine tossed in truffle cream with slices of black truffle, and finishing the appetizer selection off with a wild mushroom cream soup with croustillant girolle and white truffle foam before the sorbet, which served as a pallet cleanser before the entrees; of which I chose the roasted duck breast with oranges, mashed potatoes, and orange sauce. My fiancee had the braised Wagyu beef cheek in red wine with sauteed porcini and mashed potatoes. I remember her entree being very rich and tender, having a very heady aroma reflecting the weight of the bold flavors that hit your pallet. The duck I had was quite the opposite. It was very light and brightly flavored, which was a great counterbalance to the richness of the duck fat. The desserts were a chocolate Bailey mousse and a strawberry cheese cake, both of which were nice and light, a perfect end to a magnificent meal. A great dining experience for the both of us that we will never forget. we hope this restaurant continues to be successful because efforts like this should not go unnoticed. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who would like an amazing dining experience with friendly staff, a kind & humble owner, and great food. Like I stated previously, very few restaurants in the world that can hold a candle to David's Kitchen. You should go to find out why."

Rachamankha: "Lovely and serene"

This hotel is a lovely and serene property in the bustle of Chiang Mai, very traditional in style. The pool facility is excellent. Breakfast is excellent. The room was spacious and comfortable. However, the door is made of very heavy wood, and the only window fin the room faced a wall, so the room felt a bit like a cell. Service was gracious, if a bit impersonal. The hotel is located on the eastern edge of the Old City. It is a long walk to the daily morning and night markets, but very convenient to the Sunday night walking street.

Sukoon Houseboat: "best house boad"

"After many places we zeroed down to Sukoon and we knew it would be great. We booked Suite and it surpassed our expectations. They pick up from gate and drop you a house boat , check in was fast and staff was very courteous, Humble and polite. We offered Kawa on sunny breezy evening Rooms were Big, Spacious and had good view. Good comfortable Beds and Heaters. The washroom are the best from houseboats perspective. Its loaded with excellent quality toiletries, bathtub, shower panel etc. "