Guest Reviews

Rice & Zen Boutique Resort: "Heaven on earth"

"We were two rather tired middle aged parents with two of our daughters (aged 18). Sea Dance could have been set up with just us in mind. One daughter is working out in Thailand and we came over with one of her sisters for three weeks. One of them was spent at Sea Dance and I was not joking when I told Faith that when the others left I would be hiding in the wardrobe and planned to stay forever. We booked into a double chalet. So we had two interconnecting double rooms each with gorgeous bathroom and our own private pool. Do not underestimate the bliss of a private pool. We are not talking an olympic monstrosity, even I only managed two strokes from one end to the other. On the other hand, at the end of the day we bobbed around in the pool in the warm evening sun with a G&T and the evils of work responsibilities etc melted away. We spent an afternoon with Doi (my apologies if my spelling is off) learning how to cook green curry, seafood salad and chicken and ginger stir fry. I don't care how experienced you are in the kitchen, this is worth doing. I have been cooking since I was about six, my mother is an expert in historical cooking with a library to match, there is little in the kitchen that surprises or scares me yet even I learned subtle and interesting tips. Back home a week or so I cooked Tom yum. Once I would have needed a recipe - Doi gave me the confidence to create it on my own and my super critical Tom Yum husband loved it! I also had a massage in the spa. This is not your run of the mill five star spa. This is an authentic, no English spoken, work out between you and your masseuse, spa. It was bliss. I had a several massages in thailand from the ""Oh heck put the stick away please"" foot massage in JJ market in Bangkok, to the ""oh please don't wake me up"" and ""I wasn't snoring"" massages in Chiang Mai. A bonus was that I bumped into Doi in her herb garden on my way back to our chalet. Doi gave me a guided tour around her garden, explained what she grew for the kitchen and what she grew for the spa. For an old fashioned gardener like me that was the most wonderful way to end the massage from heaven. there are any number of luxury hotels and resorts on Ko Samui. If you are looking for a personal touch, for a spot of luxury without bankruptcy and any number of wonderful, knowledgeable and friendly staff (Faith is worth twice her weight in gold at the very least) then come to Sea Dance. Or better still ...don't ...so that there will be room for us when we return. Stayed March 2017, traveled with family"

kenanga ubud: "Fabulous"

Just a little out of the hustle and bustle of Ubud this hotel was fantastic. Tucked back off the street the entry isn't that inviting.But once inside, you see the beautiful infinity pool overlooking the rice fields and the thatched roof open air restaurant. We stayed in a bungalow with a private little yard (#7) Just behind the beautiful pool, an across from the restaurant. The room was very large, high ceilings, roomy bathroom. We loved it!! It has a shuttle into town and back. It was always great to get back to this beautiful place for a good meal, peace and quiet. It felt like we were coming home. Book this place. No worries.

Summertime Villa: "Simply magical"

We found Summertime to be absolutely magical. The serenity and beauty is outstanding. We could hear the birdsong all day. The house is perfect in every way with the greatest attention to every little detail. Prakash, Dinesh and Vaibhav were great, the food was fabulous. We would definitely want to come back again and again. Thank you Sucheta & Hans for also showing us around your lovely home `Aranya’. P.S. We loved meeting Jango, Gina and Bubbly too!

Satri House: "Wonderfully peaceful boutique hotel"

"Had a wonderful time at Satri house in late August for the first few days of our honeymoon. The whole hotel is full of the most fascinating antiques and curios, and is really beautifully designed. We stayed up in the Satri House suite, in the building where the prince of Laos used to sleep! The suite was so beautiful, and had a view over the serene swimming pool. If you are a fan of vintage and mid-century antiques, you will love it! Whilst staying at Satri House (due to it being the raining season) there were no other guests, so we were treated to the experience of staying in our 'own private mansion' with all of the fabulous and incredibly helpful staff there to cater for our every need. Just perfect! No matter the time of day or how late we had been out, we always returned to the hotel to find 4 people at the front desk ready to help us, and two behind the pool side bar, just in case we fancied ordering a drink! The food deserves special mention too. Dinner on the first night was delicious - lots of carefully crafted local specialities with 5* presentation. Although the hotel is set away from the main part of town, it's still within walking distance or a very easy 2 minute tuk tuk ride. We preferred being slightly further out as the peace and quiet was exactly what we wanted at the end of the day. "

Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris: "“Leopard Safar”"

"While this is an experience that cannot be put into words, I can only recommend this experience as a must see from the bottom of my heart for anyone who is lucky enough to be touring Sri Lanka. While it cannot be guaranteed at any time you will be lucky enough to see leopard as they are wild creatures in the wild... the passion that all the rangers have for their job is above and beyond. The accommodation will surely make you feel at home as will the outdoor showers that have to be seen to be believed. At the end of a long hot safari the jungle bar is waiting with any refreshment you may require... as are the nice cold towels that are from heaven The meals are to die for... with every whim required to... and if you leave the table hungry you have no one to blame but yourself Any doubts you may have through the night are quelled with a mobile phone within reach of your bed for instant access for assistance at any hour...peace of mind that will leave you sleeping like a baby Many many congrats to Noel Rodrigos Leopard Safaris and all the special memories that will stay with you for many years to come Simply a must for anyone who wants to experience the best that Sri Lanka can offer Tracey Evans"

Chakrabongse Villas: "Very helpful staff"

Stayed for 4 nights last month & enjoyed it immensely. The location could not be bettered if you are interested in visiting the old city. We found our room rather small but beautifully presented. Tea & coffee was available on the landing outside the room. Having breakfast overlooking the river was a very memorable experiance. The staff were very helpful in pointing out things to see & sorted out taxis & trips for us. Would definitely stay again but in a suite if one was available.

Glenburn Tea Estate: "A piece of paradise"

"The Glenburn tea estate is in the most beautiful place on earth. On the first day we arrived to a warm welcome and I sat in our room looking over the tea gardens with the Himalayas rising majestically up in to the sky beyond I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Will and Faye were the perfect hosts and Parveez is the most enthusiastic person I have ever heard talk about tea. We learnt a great deal from him and can't wait to stock their delicious Darjeeling tea. We were looked after magnificently by all the staff, (especially Mandeep) and our guides were friendly and helpful and being local were a font of knowledge on all the wildlife and fauna and the ways of life for the people on the estate. We even joined in a game of 'Housey Housey'(Bingo) in the streets with the locals! Every evening we had supper around the large dinning table with the other guests and it was like a special dinner party. We met a wide variety of people from all corners of the globe and it was a lovely way to make new friends. It did not feel like a hotel but more like a home where you were always welcome and nothing was too much trouble. This is a hotel that everyone should have on their bucket list and I just hope we can return again one day."

Tugu Malang: "Extremely friendly staff"

"Beautiful hotel. Looks like museum. Compliment to the owner. We stay in the executive suite which was really beautiful at room 214. Very nice bathroom and comfortabel bed. Love the tiles in the bathtub. The spa is very good. Teatime with tea, coffee, jamu and very delicious javanese snacks for free every afternoon. The food in the restaurant is ok. Presentation very nice but taste is missing. We love the staff at the reception. Very nice conversations. Thank you Fahria, Lina, Sirmon and the others. Best wishes from Raymond and Audrey and we will come back"

Heritage Suites: "Awesome Stay"

I had an awesome stay here in Heritage. Very accommodating staff, they're all smiling and helpful. This is the best place to relax and to chill. Very unique, clean and big and classy room. The pool is clean as well. Delicious food and good drinks served while there's a band playing good music. Their boat cruise is super amazing I enjoyed watching the sunset! Will surely recommend to my friends!

MesaStila: "Jewel in the heart of Central Java"

"We traveled the world and stayed in some of the most beautiful hotels but we have to say that Mesa Stila is a class of its own. The fantastic combination of Dutch colonial buildings and the most beautiful Javanese historic villas in the middle of a functioning organic coffee plantation surrounded by impressive volcanoes is second to none. We loved the restaurant with its organic vegetables from the resort's own garden. Every meal we had during our 9 days at Mesa Stila was delicious, beautifully presented, well sized and well prized (we usually had two courses each, one or two vegetable side dishes, water, tea, or fresh fruit juice or beer and never paid more than app. 40 US$ which is OK for a 5 star resort even for Java). Breakfast was very good and never boring. A special treat at breakfast was a complimentary health tonic of herbal combinations presented by the Jamu lady. We also enjoyed the complimentary high tea in the afternoon as well as the free yoga classes and all the other activities offered by the resort. The villa we stayed in (Merapi 3) was spacious, beautifully decorated with Javanese antiques had a gorgeous bathroom with a sunken bathtub and a huge deck with stunning views. We loved the magic pool and of course the Hamman Spa for the most relaxing massages. Top of all is the wonderful staff. Always friendly, good English speaking and very helpful. We loved our stay at Mesa Stila and can absolutely recommend this jewel in the heart of Java to everyone."