Guest Reviews

Sukoon Houseboat: "Wonderful stay"

"We had 4 nights on this beautiful houseboat and it was everything we had hoped for. Its position is on a quieter part of the lake with amazing views. The staff are charming and attentive, the rooms are well appointed and comfortable with large bathrooms.The food is good, vegetarians are catered for. The large sun deck has comfortable chairs to enjoy the view, and we also had breakfast and lunch there. Free wifi in the public areas. Our stay was over far too soon, wish we could have stayed longer!"

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!

Tugu Malang: "Excellent service!!!"

"The Tugu hotel is a hotel, but at the same time it's also a museum. We stayed here for 2 nights and we had an amazing experience. Because of the low season we could choose our room. The staff was incredible. No question was ever too much to answer and everything was arranged with a smile. Every staff member knew our name and the small talks during breakfast and dinner gave our stay a personal touch. When you stay at the hotel you get a free tour of the hotel/museum and a good explanation of all the artifacts. For us this was a nice bonus, because it helps you understanding some of the history of Java. There are spa facilities and we've booked the 4 hour couples retreat. It was very relaxing: massage, bath with fresh rose petals, scrubbing, manicure, pedicure, washing en drying our hair, tea,... and after all that (really took 4 hours) there was a 4 course dinner, again with some personal touches (all included in the price). What can I say about the food? One word: super! There are so many things to choose from for breakfast and dinner. Local food, street food, western food, chinese food,... Last but not least is the Tea Time Experience in the afternoon. Every day between 16pm and 17pm (or 18pm) you can enjoy a nice cup of tea with fresh made Indonesian snacks. If you stay at the hotel you should certainly try it once. Kept all things in mind this hotel is one of our top 3 of all the hotels we've been in the world! I certainly hope to visit this hotel in the future during one of our next journeys. Thanks to the staff for making this a very pleasant stay. Joni & Jens (J&J)"

Rahai’i Pangun: "Best boat on the river, great guiding"

"Wow Borneo organized a trip for me to Tanjung Puting to see orangutans, and then to Komodo to see dragons. Their boat to Tanjung Puting seemed to be the most comfortably furnished among the tour boats I saw on the river, and the food and guiding were excellent. Bear in mind that the visits to 3 feeding stations involve sitting among an audience with lots of other tourists from many boats as the orangutans arrive, eat and leave. We were lucky in that we got to see wild orangutans outside of this context as we cruised down the river. The monkeys and birds were worth watching, too (one monkey sneaked on board looking for food, but took off without succeeding). For the Komodo trip, the boat was more basic, but the guiding was still great and there was a greater variety of activities, including hiking, snorkeling, beaching, and of course walking among the incredible Komodo dragons. We also got to visit a couple of interesting fishing villages when we stopped for supplies."

Rice & Zen Boutique Resort: "Idyllic"

"This is our second time that my family and I have stayed at Sea Dance, Koh Samui and I can say with much sincerity that Poy and his wonderful staff have outdone themselves yet again. We stayed 3 years ago whilst still having that familiar feeling, Poy has added a lot of extra features to make our stay even more memorable. First of all, there were lots of familiar faces amongst the staff who made sure our children had enough to eat whilst our hands were always holding a delicious, refreshing cocktail. Thanks Kwan you are the best. The addition of the international menu ensured all our families taste buds were met. The buffet breakfast was awesome with so much choice with the hot food cooked in front of you. Secondly, the welcome addition of fun and friendly Faith ensured all our needs were met finding family entertainment for our children. For us, the location is idyllic being 350 meters from the main road you are ensured that your stay is a peaceful one whilst being surrounded by a secluded beach which makes it perfect for snorkeling and canoeing. The view of the ocean from the main pool is stunning with the water splashing gently against the oceans rocks make it a great back drop for spectacular sunsets. We stayed in a lovely villa with a plunge pool which was perfect for our family. The villa was spotless with housekeeping making sure it was clean every day. Thank you. A particular highlight was the band that played on Sunday afternoon whilst we ate a delicious seafood buffet. The atmosphere was amazing great tunes, and company with great cocktails. The band continued on into the night singing songs from all eras. For us, Sea Dance is a home away from home where you are treated like family and always feel so welcome. We will definitely return. Stayed April 2017, traveled with family"

Muang La Resort: "Magical and relaxing"

Staying here was worth the drive! Peaceful, relaxing, and downright magical. We stayed four days and each day felt more at peace. It was wonderful to watch the locals go about their activities on the river from the balcony of our comfortable room. Rui-Yang and Jean-Roch were helpful and caring hosts. We enjoyed the excursions to the hill tribes and to the local village and temple. The food was delicious. I'm glad that the staff are locals - they are so kind - and Rui-Yang or Jean-Roch were always available to translate. The grounds are beautiful, and gorgeous butterflies are everywhere. This is a simple, charming and beautiful hotel, with a real sense of place. Loved our stay here.

Villa Song Saigon: "Highly recommended"

"We arrived at Villa Song after two weeks of non-stop sight-seeing in Laos and Vietnam and we were dirty and knackered by the time we got here. Saigon is a bit of a strange place as there really isn't much to see in the centre and the one trip we did down to the Mekong Delta in the car (5 hour round trip) to a floating market (and strange tourist trap village) was not worth it. I think at the time I would have marked more harshly but the benefit of a bit of hindsight and comparing the hotel to all the other 9 stops we did, has given me a chance to mark it more favorably! Location: I really cannot see why anyone would want to stay in the centre of Saigon. This hotel is in the expat district on the banks of the Mekong in a much nicer area - usually there is a shuttle boat into the centre (which I would have liked to take from their pier) however it's not running at the moment as the city authorities are re-furbing the main pier in the city centre. There is a shuttle bus but we didn't bother taking it. As someone else has said, there is a noisy bar (with terrible food - don't eat there) across the way. It was only noisy on the final morning we were there, but the hotel could do with sorting this out so guests are not disturbed. Room: We arrived about 11am and our designated room wasn't ready. The receptionist asked if we would like to see a different room (they're all different which is a really nice touch) so she showed us room 6 at the back, which has a secret staircase up to it and also the room we were supposed to have which they were in the process of cleaning. That room had a larger balcony but in the end I picked the room at the back by the pool and I didn't regret it. F&B: Breakfast is a la carte - TBH I personally prefer a buffet as I find the food is cold (especially eggs) by the time it arrived with us, and the staff had some difficulties understanding our order. We also ate lunch and we had a top pho - the menu isn't that extensive but the food was highly quality. The hotel provides a list of recommended restaurants in the expat area, which we ate at and I agree, they are good! There is a supermarket up the road (about 15 mins walk away) so if you want to bring back some additional beers to put in the fridge, they didn't seem to mind. On the road towards the supermarket we also found a great French deli with cheese & meats and an Italian pop-up place run by two Italians. These are on the right as you walk towards the British high-school. There is also a craft beer place with a really good local restaurant in the same street - about 20 minutes away (you should be able to find it on the TA map of the area). Facilities: the pool area was lovely. We had one full day round the pool and it was super quiet - if only the weather had been better (but that's not the hotel's fault). I had been intending to book something in the spa but in the end I just didn't have the energy for it, so can't comment on anything else. Finally a couple of points for improvement: - It would be great if the room came with a proper guest book - there were bits of info scattered about the hotel room. Surely a guest book can be sorted with very little organisation? - Please use less packaging on your laundry items. We were two weeks in when we stayed and needed to wash a lot of clothes - everything came back individually wrapped in cardboard and plastic - there was mountains of waste. Not eco and very expensive! It took us ages to put all the laundry away and the bin was over-flowing all over the place with all the packaging. Overall - great hotel, great location. I would stay again..."

Neeleshwar Hermitage: "PERFECTION, PERFECTION, PERFECTION"

"I've been travelling to India for many decades and over the years I have stayed in some amazing places, from Maharaja palaces to colonial mansions. What I can honestly say is that Neeleshwar represents the absolute perfection when it comes to resorts. We stayed for 4 nights and I only wish we could have stayed here for months! The location is heavenly, on the most magnificent, endless sandy beach one can imagine, completely unspoilt by any kind of development. The feeling of peace and quiet is mesmerizing. The architecture and layout of the resort is a model of good taste and sensitivity, with extremely comfortable a/c bungalows in the pure traditional architecture of rural Kerala. Open air bathrooms, supremely comfortable beds, high ceilings, shady verandas and cool interiors create a heaven of understated luxury and calm. This is barefoot chic at its best. The swimming pool is vast and crystal-clear, with plenty of comfortable pool beds and with a lovely view of the ocean. When it comes to food, I can only say that it is simply out of this world: Fantastic and huge breakfasts where one can choose from extensive menus, both international and South Indian. For lunch and dinner there are two exceptional restaurants, especially for seafood -perhaps the best prawn curry I ever had- plus a wide choice of vegetarian dishes and soups that change every day. The Ayurveda massages are truly top notch, and they use only natural organic ingredients. Quite simply, they are the real thing. Very highly recommended! Last but not least, I feel that I have to praise the hotel personnel, that are all impeccable: Extremely polite, eager to help, efficient and professional at the same time. I owe a very special ""THANK YOU"" to the General Manager, Mr. Jayan, who attended to all my needs as if he was an old friend. I am especially interested in the unique Theyyam ritual of northern Kerala and I was planning to publish an article about it. Mr. Jayan did all the necessary enquiries and found out the performances that were held in obscure villages during our stay. He also organized transport and even joined us on one of the late night Theyyams, which was the most amazing, otherworldly, intense experience. Therefore Neeleshwar is not just about having ""the rest of your life"" but also about experiencing a very unique aspect of real India. I cannot recommend this place highly enough and I would encourage anyone to spend a few -or more than a few- days in this Indian paradise"

Rachamankha: "Such a lovely hotel"

The Rachamanka did not disappoint. From the moment I walked in, it was peace and tranquility. The staff was kind and eager to please. The room was spacious and beautifully appointed. The grounds were lovely. The restaurant was delicious! I couldn't have asked for a better stay in Chiang Mai.

Heritage Suites: "Lovely stay at heritage suites hotel"

"We stayed for 2 nights while visiting the temples. First of all - it was nice to be picked up from the airport. The driver was great and explained things about Cambodia in general and also the town. The hotel is beautiful with a vintage feel, with a nice swimming pool to think about while sweating in the temples all day. Breakfast is delicious- a la carte but you can chose more than one thing so its more than enough. The free 15 min spa treatment is a great touch. I think the best thing though is the heritage adventures package which allowed us to have a different experience. We were really pleased we had chosen it, would definetly recommend."