Nam Bo Boutique Hotel: "Simple hotel with excellent service"
This is a small hotel of 7 rooms overlooking the Mekong river. Our suite had 3 rooms all comfortable and well kept. There is no pool. The hotel restaurant is on the top floor and has spectacular views across the Mekong Delta. What sets this hotel apart though is the excellent staff who clearly enjoy having you as a guest.Reverie Siam: "Excellent Experience"
stayed there last week with my family. very nice resort in a superb location by the Pai river the rooms are big with very unique design belong to the early 20th. the restaurant has great ambiance and the staff is very friendly. will definitely come agin. Amit.Rachamankha: "Perfect stay"
I stayed here for 4 nights. The hotel is idyllic, calm and peaceful. The architecture and grounds are stunning and perfect for relaxation. I loved the lounge area which was ideal to relax in after a day's sightseeing in Chiang Mai. I was delighted by breakfast - well made, great choice and beautifully dressed tables which made for a lovely start to the day. Rooms are spacious and decorated with antique furniture. The bathroom could do with some updating. I also ate in the restaurant one evening - there were not many guests so quiet but the northern Thai food was delicious. The service at the hotel was great. My stay in Rachamanka really made for a great trip to Chiang Mai - loved it !Tugu Bali: "Amazing holiday at beautiful hotel"
"Had a great week at Tugu over Christmas with family. The hotel is decorated with Balinese furniture and art, including in the rooms. Food was very good; nice choice at both the restaurant and for in-room dining. Rooms were first-class; we had a villa with private pool and it felt incredibly private. Service from the hotel staff was also excellent with great attention to make our stay very relaxing; all our needs were met including those from our impatient 5 yr old. Would definitely stay there again if we head down to Bali."4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "My place of rest."
I truly appreciate the quality service the and attention that the staff gave us. The location is always one of my personal favorites to spend time unwinding from the challenges of mega city life. You need to spend a minimum of two days here to truly appreciate the recharge you will experience.Maison Polanka: "Outstanding boutique hotel"
Great quality hotel with exceptional staff who could went out of their way to make our stay so enjoyable. The grounds are delightful and the rooms spacious. The hotel is in easy reach of the town yet far enough out to offer a peaceful setting.The Cabochon Hotel: "Great central Bangkok hotel"
Small and secluded, this boutique hotel was a lucky find. Situated in a lovely area of Bangkok, the hotel has beautifully decorated rooms and a fantastic rooftop pool (see photos) Staff go out of their way to assist. Reasonably priced.sukoon: "Sukoon… Peace of mind"
"Happened to stay at sukoon for one night. Houseboat is located in one corner of dal lake and it rightfully earns it's name ""sukoon"". All I can hear was birds chirping, occasional ripples of water caused due to shikara and ofcourse my baby girl commenting in her coded language. You will find an amazing team who amongst themselves can communicate in total 10 Indian languages. Give a free hand to chef Anand who can experiment and amaze you with his culinary skills. Try Kashmiri bread with butter and apple cinnamon jam. For travellers who would like to watch TV this place would disappoint you as in principle it's against the theme. For history lovers make sure to read a letter from the office of Neil Armstrong dated 1972. A vote of thanks to tariq, kiran, azad and Anand for their wonderful hospitality. "Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris: "Enchantingly Memorable"
"We (family of 4 with kids 8 and 11) spent 2 nights at Noel's camp. This included 4 Safaris. Both Noel and Cecile were our hosts, a lucky thing as they are not always present at the camp. Tent - we are not campers and had just come from several days in Amanwella, so ""glamping"" was the intention. We got the aircon tent, a semi-permanent structure that runs on solar power. Very comfortable, and the AC was a key feature during the stifling dry heat of the day, and also made it a lot easier to fall asleep at night. There were a few quirks here and there but when glamping, you factor that into the mix. Overall the tent delivered beyond expectations. The one observation I will make is on security - nothing happened and there is a safe in the room, but the tents are zipper operated (no locks). The camp site is not that far from village areas. I would advise to bring 2 padlocks to lock the zipper clasps together at the 2 entrances (front flap and back flap leading to the bathroom). Your valuables will be secure enough in the safe but I didn't like the idea that someone could unzip and enter while we are asleep at night. To be clear, none of the camp staff are an issue, but it's outsiders who know the price of staying at this camp who could get ideas. Food - spectacular. They source organic and fresh from the farmers in the area, and their talented chef put together very flavorful breakfasts, lunches and dinners. It was all local cuisine, and there was always spicy plus non spicy varieties to ensure the kids would be fine. Your taste buds will be in for a real treat. Camp ambience - charming. The volunteers (especially Christina from Spain) entertained the kids with games. They also organized the building of an insect hotel which the kids loved, and also had them participate in tree planting to show the importance of giving back to nature when you leave a carbon footprint. Both entertaining and educational. Meals were communal style and made for enjoyable conversation. Breakfast and lunch under a thatched roof, dinner under the stars. Yes you will now and then see a small lizard or mantis or other creature on your armrest or the table... to be expected in a wildlife park. Safaris - prime time to see stuff is at dusk and dawn, so the AM departure is before 6AM and the PM outing is from 3pm to 6:30pm. On our first two outings, we saw numerous spotted and barking deer; eagles, kingfishers, peacocks, many other birds; mongoose; crocs; elephants. Watching 2 alpha deer bucks clash was neat but we still had not seen what we came for - leopards. The third outing was the charm, and we watched a large leopard lounging in the grass. I don't quite know how to describe the feeling of watching a beautiful and free animal in its natural habitat. All I can say is: a zoo ain't the same. My iphone camera shots won't do it justice. Fortunately, Noel was our guide and when you combine a passion for wildlife with an 8kg-supersonic-Nat Geo-caliber camera lens, the results are amazing. Attached are 2 of his pics of our leopard. As a bonus, we also spotted a young sloth bear. Noel is very knowledgeable and gave us valuable insight and commentary during the rides. His Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles were properly decked out, and I noticed in the park many other outfits carrying tourists in rickety vehicles (one was even lopsided due to different sized tires). Also must credit Noel for truly trying hard on safari #3 to spot a leopard. He badly wanted for us to spot one before we depart, and made it his mission. There are no guarantees but it helps when your guide badly wants you to leave happy. We did the 2 night package and I highly recommend it. Had we done 1 night, we would have missed out on safari #3 which was the highlight. After safari #4, we had our fill and were ready to head off so the format was just right. I guess you could get lucky on a 1 night stay but your chances go up much more on the 2 nighter. There are some who do a day excursion from their beach resort, and this would be a mistake as you would arrive past dawn and leave before dusk, i.e. be on safari while the animals are asleep in a hidden shade. This is an eco-minded camp run by owners who are passionate about wildlife and conservation, and keen to impassion others by delivering on client experience. If you visit a big city like London or Manhattan, the hotel you choose plays a part but the city itself largely makes the experience. At a wildlife park, the hosts who run your camp and guide your safaris largely make for good vs bad experience. Is this value for money? I will answer same as when someone asks me that about my Porsche: I won't describe it as value for money but will just say, it's worth every penny."Muang La Lodge: "formidable"
Great room overlooking the river. Magnificent bathroom. Raphael and Mathilde are enough for their guests. high-end kitchen, we feasted. The activities are very interesting, beautiful walks in the forest, great track for minority ethnic groups and the descent of the river Nam Ouh is superb. Dream stay at this property which employs people from surrounding villages.
Travel Asia with Secret Retreats
Secret Retreats is a curated community of independent boutique hotel, villas, yachts and river boats keen to share their Asian Homes with travelers, sustainably and responsibly.
Conservation of the environment, culture and traditions of Asia is of paramount importance to all in Secret Retreats.
A community of like-minded hospitality professionals, we offer our guests authentic travel experiences that go beyond typical offerings to unveil the essence of Asia. Supporting the Asia based hoteliers and hospitality professionals and providing incredible holidays in Asia and tailor-made Asia travel itineraries direct to public ad travel agents.
Get inspired and make savings!
By booking direct with Secret Retreats and enjoy peace of mind from our full on the ground support. Contact our concierge and plan then book your Asia holiday now!
