Guest Reviews

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.

Mrauk U Princess Resort: "Unexpected luxury in a remote area of Myanmar"

Mrauk Oo, in Rakhine State, with its interesting pagodas and stupas is slowly becoming a tourist destination. Nevertheless, the tourists you see there are still few and therefore we didn't expect any particularly nice hotel. We where very surprised when arriving at Princess Hotel we discovered a large extension of gardens and small lakes with bungalows hiding under the high trees and a central building with a nice restaurant. We spent 3 nights there with few other tourists and were very happy to be there, it added a lovely experience to the extremely interesting visits of the archeological sites.

Mie Cafe: "Creative, delicious vegan set"

"We weren't expecting a vegan option when we booked this place on friends' recommendation. But when we arrived, the vegan menu looked so delicious, we had to order it. The cute chef is very talented, taking common Cambodian ingredients (eggplant, tomatoes, herbs) and combining them in new ways. The vegetable curry was divine, and the open-air setting a delight. "

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "Disconnect from tech reconnect with nature"

"So shock horror no WiFi. Fantastic! You are properly able to relax but make sure you download any books before you go. No aircon but very good fans in the tented rooms. There are tents floating on a pontoon on the river. All the tents were well appointed and you could go for a swim from the decking around the tent. Good range of activities eg kayaking, a fantastic trip to a set of waterfalls that you can swim in, and a reasonably vigorous set of walks from an 90 mins to all day if very keen and fit. It’s in a beautiful setting and trying hard and succeeding to change lives and attitudes of local villagers. Some opportunities to see wildlife eg hornbills, ospreys etc. Liked its isolation"

David’s Kitchen: "A delicious dinner"

My wife and I visited David's Kitchen last night for the first time since we moved to Chiang Mai a few months ago. Our only regret is that we didn't visit earlier! Everything about the evening was excellent - the quality of the food, the wines available by the glass, the friendliness and professionalism of the staff, and our chat with the proprietor David (who then followed up with an email of thanks this morning). We look forward to returning to experience the re-modelled dining room.

Inle Princess Resort: "LOVELY PLACE"

We stayed in a Lake House room - that is very large – and it was wonderful to sit in an armchair on the private deck to admire the lake. The staff is very friendly and the breakfast delicious. The restaurant is good and is well located, just in front of the lake. It is a lovely hotel.

Misool Eco Resort: "Even better the second time around!"

"My wife and I first visited MER in 2013 (if interested, see my review dated July 9, 2013) and returned for our second visit in February of this year. Our observations: In the three years between visits, the fish life has continued to rebound in a remarkable fashion thanks to MER's No Take Zone and ranger patrols of that area. There is so much to see on every dive site. Brilliant colors abound, along with critters galore, sharks and mantas, too! Diving was the focus of our visit and we found the dive operation to be efficiently and expertly managed by Calvin and his support staff. The food was once again plentiful and delicious. A change since last time was the switch during lunchtime from buffet style to family style, where heaping plates of food were passed around each table. Great conversations were had daily when the guests came together at meal time. The grounds are clean and well maintained, the staff helpful and friendly, the spa services are varied and most satisfying and while my wife and I have traveled extensively around the globe, we found ourselves more relaxed on this trip than anywhere before. Marit and Andrew have a spectacular vision for this place and continue to look for ways to conserve and protect this beautiful part of the world, while allowing guests to come along for the ride. What a privilege for those who visit. We're already planning to return in 2018 and we can't wait to once again see the friends we've made at MER. Dave and Elaine"

Neeleshwar Hermitage: "Neeleshwar Hermitage peaceful and comfortable"

"Do not be put off by the proud boast that Monty Don has been a visitor, this is a very nice hotel indeed. The bungalow style rooms are very nicely appointed, comfortable, and even the cheaper rooms are spacious. When booking, look at the hotel plan on the hotel website and they will try to book you into your selected choice. During our stay the hotel was occupied almost entirely by English couples of a certain age so do not expect a great deal of exited activity, but that is not the point of this hotel. It is quiet, peaceful, and a great place to recover from a journey to the subcontinent and recover from jetlag. The gardens in which the rooms are set are beautifully kept. The staff are a delight, have good english, and nothing is too much trouble for them. The food is very good; there are two restaurants which is a good effort from a relatively small property. This hotel is highly recommended. There is one quirk. Visitors to Kerala should know that very few hotels have full liquor licences. Neeleshwar Hermitage supply a very limited but entirely satisfactory choice of wines and very cold beer at a fair price for a top Indian hotel. I don't think spirits are available at all, soft drinks like Coca cola are strongly discouraged as their own enormous selection of fresh juices are provided. Try their freshly squeezed orange juice with your contraband duty free gin. There is no fridge in your room. Booking seven months ahead we were not able to incorporate a trip on their boat 'Lotus' so I can't report on this but it is clearly a popular choice. Room Tip: Look at the hotel plan on the hotel website and request it on making your reservation"

Flower Island: "Tropical Island Paradise"

My wife and I sent several wonderful days at Flower Island Resort. We made the special trip to see the Jewelmer Golden Pearl Farm on our second day. There we were shown how the oysters are propagated and grown. The crew there showed us the process of grafting oysters(where the bead is inserted in to the gonad) as while as the harvesting of the lustrous Golden Pearls. Our room was very comfortable traditional native hut with modern conveniences such as air conditioning and hot running water. We really enjoyed the wide variety of meals especially the pearl meat salad. There is a trail to a tower at the top of the island that gives you a 360 degree view. Another path takes you all the way around the island in about 35 minutes.

David’s Kitchen: "Best Meal Ever!!"

"Well where do I begin with David’s Kitchen..... We were collected promptly by one of their restaurant cars and delivered to a magical setting that is the restaurant. We were quickly greeted by Tae who firstly apologised that David was not at the restaurant this evening but taking a break with his family. I’m certainly not going to deny the fabulous owners taking a holiday. Tae did a fabulous job in their absence. The meal was of exceptional quality, we have eaten all over the world and they have the balance just right, good quality food but without the usual ‘cheffy’ twist, if I want a sticky toffee pudding I don’t want it deconstructed with 17 ingredients I’ve never heard of!! A lot of restaurants forget they are serving paying customers and seem to concentrate on indulging the chef and owners, this restaurant does neither it recognises the guests are there for good food in lovely settings served by genuine people. I can’t praise this little restaurant in a quiet corner of Chiang Mai enough. If you ever fancy expanding to the UK I will be the first one to book!!"