Guest Reviews

Golden Buddha Beach Resort: "Relaxed beach island getaway"

"We were looking for a relaxing place in Thailand where our kids could explore in nature and we could all spend time unwinding. We had to attend an event in phuket and in contrast to our normal holidays there wouldn't be much in the way of wildlife so we were looking for an alternative place to include in the trip. Golden buddha resort was a wonderful choice. Our boys had plenty of safe beaches to run and explore with loads of ghost crabs, little land crabs, mudskippers at low tide and the occasional monkey troupe. The houses were traditional style and the fans and nets made it comfortable to just kick back in the hotter part of the day. We loved our resident lizards and frogs and hornbills. The beach pizza and yummy smoothies were a favourite with the kids. The menu was small but we enjoyed the meals, which were fresh and well constructed. I'm used to a family of males that constantly eat so had packed snacks (lock up from monkeys lol) and given there's no shops it's a good idea if you have hungry kids. Beach bbq is great and lots of fun to chat with other guests and staff. If your looking for an eco, nature play destination with family it's a beautiful spot. Great staff, beautiful beaches without a multistorey development or beach vendor in sight :-). The resort give you heaps of info and were wonderful about questions so read the fine print as they are very clear about what style of resort the Golden Buddha is. We loved it"

Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge: "Magical stay"

"We spent 2 nights at Tiger Mountain but it could have been much more. Superb stay from our first pick up and welcome to our goodbye. From Pokhara it is about 40 min drive up the mountain on a typical Nepali road but then you arrive in an tranquil oasis where you will only hear the birds. Lodge is located on a mountain with sweeping views over Pokhara valley on both sides. Rooms have amazing views towards the Himalayas, perfect for sunrise watching (they will serve coffee/tea and cookies at about 5.30 in your room to accompany the sunrise) Upon our arrival, the lunch table was set on the terrace with a view to the Himalayas and we were served delicious Nepali dishes. Tea was served in the afternoon with home made snacks. Followed by happy hour at 6 and diner around 7.30. Again with delicious Nepali dishes. Had amazing jackfruit curry, some sort of stir fried ferns, spinach dish, home made chutneys, water buffalo curries. I think I would have exploded after a week at the lodge as I had to finish everything. Quality of the food is fantastic, all organic, grown in the area, fresh and everything home made. Even the herbal tea came from their own garden. In the morning there was home made yoghurt with homemade muesli, homemade jams & preserves, honey from Pokhara, homemade bread. Yummy. The lodge offers guides to take you for walks according to your liking. We did a village walk around the hotel and the next day a ridge walk where we had beautiful views over the rice terraces, villages and Himalayas. The guide took us through villages and explained about village life. Staff at the lodge is fantastic: friendly, helpful and offering great service. There is a swimming pool with again magical views, certainly in the early morning you can see the Himalayas reflected in the water. It is a shame it is so far away from Hong Kong otherwise I would be back for a relaxing long weekend. And there is only wifi in the lobby (if it is working, this is Nepal) so relaxing is really good as you can't connect to the outside world! Show less Room Tip: Room 11, a triple room, at the end of the resort with uninterrupted views. Room 10, double room, abo... Stayed: April 2017, traveled with family"

Cuisine Wat Damnak: "Delicious"

Delicious food, very tasty herbs and flavour. Quite busy so need to make reservation in advance. They only have two tasting menu but good food. Will be filled after six course atUS$31.

Tugu Bali: "3 days at the end of 2 weeks in Bali with our daughter and 2 grandchildren"

"Very interesting layout. Our suite was on the second floor with a huge Japanese style tin bath and great ocean view. Very rustic appearance, but with all modern conveniences. Our daughter's suite had a plunge pool and koi pond. The best aspects of the hotel were the perfect service, and the large grassy lawn space next to the beach. By the second day the wait staff knew us by name. Be sure to try one of their many specialty prix fixe dinners. Not much to do outside the resort, compared to other areas of Bali, but that's OK."

Dewakan: "Amazing culinary experience"

We have such lovely dining experience there and feel really proud to have such good quality fine dining in Malaysia. We love how they tweaked the local ingredients in every single dish they served even for the cake we separately ordered for our friend (we were there for birthday celebration). The cake was so beautifully presented and the birthday girl was very happy and satisfied with the cake (jackfruit with creamcheese) and of course the entire dinner.

Locavore: "Amazing Lunch in Ubud"

"Our experience at this restaurant was truly amazing. We were recommended by our good friend to come here and we left happy, full and satisfied. We sat in the kitchen rail and got to see the chefs create some of the dishes. The front of house staff was friendly and attentive. We ordered the 7 course lunch and kitchen staff explained in detail of every single course that came to us. There was also an prologue and epilogue to the 7 course, which added to the whole experience. I'm originally from Indonesia and accustomed to the traditional tastes and meal presentation. These guys took it to the next level and blew my mind. The intertwining of complex flavours are interesting. Some of the flavours brought me back to childhood, some exposed me to new tastes. This is all to say that my tastebuds were very happy and wanting more. We had a really nice time. 2 hours well spent!"

MesaStila: "Mid week getaway!"

I was expecting to be able to unwind when I got to MesaStila, what I did not expect was how quickly it happened. There is something magical and memorizing that happens from the moment you arrive. The entire resort is amazing. The staff just so gentle and warm. Even the food has healing and comforting elements. First day was spent just relaxing, getting to know the property. Our villa was spectacular and had all the mod cons we needed. Day 2 we experienced the Hammam Spa. Four months of stress disappeared after the 2 hour treatment- what an amazing facility this is. It rained for part of the time we were there which just added to the amazing experience. Reading in the clubhouse, watching the rain and mist. The resort takes you back in time but will all the modern conveniences. We also did the coffee tour, I love my coffee and now love it even more after listening to the delightful Lily explain how the coffee is grown, harvested, roasted and packaged. Thank you to all the staff of MesaStila for being so genuine! We will be back!

Golden Buddha Beach Resort: "Pure escapism"

"This is a very special place...I felt a bit like Leo DiCaprio discovering his Beach when I arrived here! (In fact its a bay and a beach creating a bit more variety than normal with the shallow bay ideal for any of the younger guests....) Its a 1.5 hour long tail boat trip from Khuraburi to get here, so there is no popping back to the mainland for a spot of shopping during the stay. Still, not sure why anyone would want to...the resort is a great place to unwind - read some books, swim, kayak and just generally chill out. I was in Baan Sea Blue 1 and it was great to be so close to the sea, listening to the waves as I went to sleep and woke up. Loved the design of the house and that they are all individual and well spaced out. The service was excellent - Massi and Teresa were very friendly and professional. The food was very good which is fortunate as there is not exactly a street full of restaurants outside the hotel! Took the half board option. We did the tour to the Surin islands. With the benefit of hindsight I would not advise this as I do not think this was very well done by the operator, Greenview. The boat did not arrive at the resort to collect us until just before 10am and upon arrival at surin took us to the Mokken village which confused most of us on the boat as we thought we were there for snorkelling. It did not help that the guide's english was not great. After the calm of Golden Buddha the buffet lunch with all the other tour groups on Surin seemed like a tourist hell zone. As for the snorkelling, a lot of the corals were bleached. Not enough fins were available for the snorkellers. We left Surin about 3.30pm for the hour trip back. All in all a bit disappointing for THB 3,900 per person. If I had my time again I would have gone to stay on Surin for a night or two to appreciate the islands in a more relaxed way and not taken the day trip. Back at the resort one highlight was taking a kayak out to go up the mangrove river. If you get the kayak 30 mins before high tide you can float with the tide into the river and then float back out to sea as the tide turns. We went as far as we could up the river. On another day we took a kayak to investigate the islands in the bay. I should mention that the sunsets were fantastic!"

Tugu Lombok: "Paradise!"

Where do I start?! Our greeting on arrival was kind and sincere. We had a tour of the complex by the manager, who pointed out everything you needed to know. While unpacking, we received fresh coconut water which we could see being chopped down just outside our bungalow. The rooms were lovely, with a grand outdoor bathtub and a large open shower. The grounds were stunning, and everyone who worked there were incredibly friendly. The hotel has two beautiful pools, it's right on the beach and they do private day tours to the Gili islands which I would highly recommend. The breakfasts are to die for, and a good hour every morning was spent enjoying and trying everything on the menu (over the 4 days of course) which was no mean feat as the menu was huge and catered for everyone. There is also a gym which you can create a decent work out in. We enjoyed an amazing couples massage by the beach, followed by champagne and dinner under the stars. It was a truly unforgettable experience and I would really love to return one day. Thank you so much to the wonderful staff for making our stay!

Misool Eco Resort: "Little paradise resort"

The place is close to a lot of very nice diving spots. Staff is nice and friendly, food is good and the overall atmosphere will make your trip unique. Highly recommended. The trip is long but it's worth!