Guest Reviews

Neeleshwar Hermitage: "Beautiful & Relaxing"

My new Wife and I visited Neeleshwar Hermitage on one of the last legs of our honeymoon (November 2014). After a hectic few weeks our stay here was much needed! On arrival we were greeted by such friendly staff who throughout our stay were always very helpful and saw to our every need. I honestly can't fault the service. The whole resort is very beautiful and tranquil and the accommodation was amazing. We absolutely loved the bathroom! :D The restaurant was wonderful and so was the food! We really loved our time there and would certainly stay there again. To top it off they send me a birthday card every year. I received the latest one in the post today! Thank you to all at Neeleshwar Hermitage for making our stay and our honeymoon perfect. Chris & Lori.

MesaStila: "One of a kind experience"

"We stayed at MesaStila from 10/2/17-10/9/17. We had a wonderful experience. The property is truly magical. When we arrived, the coffee trees were blooming white, fragrant flowers. The property is wonderful, mixing reclaimed old Javanese homes with old Dutch colonial buildings. Here are some notes for fellow travelers: Weather: We were worried about the weather (beginning of rainy season). However, apparently, we were lucky with weather for this time of year. We stayed a total of about 7 days. Most days, it was sunny. Some of the days, it only rained for about 10 or 15 minutes at night. One day, it rained in the afternoon. The first few days it was in the 70s Fahrenheit. Other days, it got warmer but not unbearable. Maybe the 80s or low 90s Fahrenheit. It was truly the best weather we could have wanted. Room: We stayed in the Arum Villa. I would totally recommend it. There is a beautiful red dividing wall with carvings. The huge balcony overlooks the coffee trees. The bathroom has a big blue tile tub with doors that you open, so it's kind of like an open-air shower. There was a little walkway with a fountain and trees leading to our room. We were very happy with our villa. It felt private and like we were ""somewhere else."" Excursions: Some days we spent at the resort, which we recommend. At the resort, there is a beautiful pool, yoga classes, gamelan (music) performance, Javanese dance performance, fantastic spa, croquet, and walks through the coffee trees. We also did excursions. Here are some notes on the excursions: First, we went on the Borobodur Temple sunrise tour. We enjoyed it. It was a cloudy morning, which impacted the sunrise. The resort hires a tour guide, which was very helpful in learning about the temple. You also got to see other smaller temples in the area, drink luwak coffee at a local luwak coffee roaster, and visit a local family's traditional home. We also opted for the elephant ride. We enjoyed it, but it didn't make the excursion for us. Second, we did the bicycle ride that takes you through the rice paddies, to royal baths, and an option of a local waterfall. This was my boyfriend's favorite thing that we did in all of Indonesia. You need to be a little bit athletic to enjoy the bicycle ride, because you're literally biking on a few-inch-wide path between rice paddies. The rice paddies were beautifully tiered and green with the volcano/mountains in the background. Third, we went to the Pramaban Temple and Ramayana Ballet. This was my favorite excursion. It's a long drive (about 3 hours), but you get to go to the temple, a really cool, delicious restaurant, and the Ramayana Ballet. The restaurant was this dark lit, exotic restaurant with truly great food. The ballet was performed with the temple in the background and featured traditional dances and costumes. We went on a night with a full moon and it was really cool. Fourth, we went to the local railroad station museum. You get to see old colonial trains and station houses. You also get to go on a train ride through rice paddies on an old train. This was probably our least favorite excursion, but the others were so great that it's more of a perspective issue than anything negative about the old railway station museum. Also, we highly recommend the MesaStila spa. They truly make you feel special. Food/Drinks: From our experience, we basically relied upon MesaStila for our meals. We didn't have a rental car (driving there is craziness) and you're surrounded but very small villages, so MesaStila is the ""only restaurant in town,"" if you will. The breakfast buffet is amazing. We were very happy with cocktails and drinks. You must try the gin and tonic with spices and the mojito with brown sugar. The soups, fried rice, fried noodles, and tuna appetizer were also very good. Service: The staff were very lovely. Thanks so much to Lily (reception) and Deni (driver/tour guide)!!! Central Java Overall: We were enchanted by Indonesia. The people are so friendly. You see volcanoes, mountains, tiered green rice paddies, coconut and banana trees, lizards running everywhere, and ancient temples. Between the people and the landscape, the country is a wonderful way to spend a vacation."

Mudanwan Villa: "Relax"

"Here is completely relaxed did not control a parked five hungry have food do not be afraid to ride a bicycle can go to the beach Pool Spa can also let you enjoy fishing "

Villa Song Saigon: "Great location, fantastic food"

Extremely well run hotel, the staff are outstanding. The riverside location is peaceful and stunning. Shuttle or boat to town if you want the bustle. Restaurant is good, but could do with less European dishes and more Vietnamese dishes. Breakfast is excellent, have the Pho.

MesaStila: "32nd wedding anniversary"

"We had a very happy 4 days stay at this very lush and well kept 22 acres resort / staying ins huge garden. The service was superb and all the staffs including the villagers where we walked were very friendly. We enjoyed the very interesting background of this coffee plantation. We had a huge villa facing Mount Andong which we also climbed to have a good view of the farms below. It is a 11/2 hrs steep climb but not difficult. Stayed April 2017, traveled as a couple"

The River Resort: "Luxury by the Mighty Mekong"

We three seniors had two goals for this four day layover. One was a good rest after a busy two weeks. The second was to see sunset over the Mekong. We got our rest with fully appointed rooms with balconies overlooking the river, two infinity pools, seating under the trees for Happy Hour and a wonderful menu. Breakfast is included and it is excellent. The staff could not be more friendly and helpful. All arrangements were made for our four events, to Wat Phou, aromatherapy massages (with muscle), the sunset cruise, and a walk through the villages and temples on the island across the way in the cool of the morning. There were several families with young children, and other seniors enjoying being pampered, like us. This place is perfect for those two demographics.

Villa Song: "Absolutely amazing"

"We stayed at this wonderful hotel as a splurge to ourselves at the end of our holiday that was to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary, from the moment we arrived every single staff member was amazing and the hotel absolutely beautiful. We had a quick check in and we're told about breakfast and everything else we needed for our stay, they give you a map and even highlight the taxis that tourists should use. After we went to our room we went to explore and the lovely Yega introduced himself to us and asked if we were happy with our room, of course we were it was beautiful he later asked if we would like a free upgrade and would we like to see the other room as they had had a cancellation , oh my goodness I thought our other room was beautiful this one was absolutely amazing, as Yega explained no room in the hotel is the same as any other, I could have cried our room was that special , I don't think it would matter what room you got they would all be amazing . The rooms are super quiet and have great blackout curtains. The walls are nice and thick so you can't hear the people next door. The bathroom have great toiletries including toothbrush and paste, razor, loofah and sewing kit.I was very happy to see scales in the room it made checking the weight of our luggage so much easier. The room is also equipped with a pod coffee maker, kettle and teapot and complimentary mini bar which included juice, water, soft drinks and beer. It was lovely to come back at nighttime to a turndown service and a yummy little bedtime treat, The boat to take you to district 1 is so much fun and the driver was lovely and took our photo for us and pointed out things of interest along the way. Breakfast was delicious, you choose a hot beverage, a fresh juice and your meal, I had the full breakfast and my husband had the eggs benadict and both were lovely. The pool was glorious and the water much cooler than others we have swam in on this trip, the pool chairs and pods were very comfortable and the pool boys were great, The bell boys were so helpful they were happy to get taxis for us or if we were using Uber they checked the number plate on our phone and kept an eye out for our car for us, and they would always open the car door for us when we arrived back to the hotel. The waitstaff were very friendly and has a chat to everyone and made everyone feel comfortable. Whatever room you get at this hotel you would be happy and we cannot wait to come back and we will bring our family with us next time. Thank you to all the staff for making our stay so wonderful."

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "A pleasant returned stay"

I stayed in this hotel before and this time I am returning with bigger group of friends. The staff handled our reservations with full attention and all details have been taken care. We were extremely surprised as one of the rooms was upgraded for our better comfort.

Jing’s Residence: "Live like a weathly merchant in Ancient China! The Real Experience!"

"I was a wealthy merchant 500 years ago...my home was full of carved wood and art and lavish fabrics..I had a staff eager to please my every need..I sat in my warm lush living room looking at the last bits of the sun as it set over my ornate terra cotta roof... This is a review of Mr Jings Residence..where you get to pretend to live in another time and place... Pingyao is an ancient walled city cut off from car traffic that looks and operates as it has for a thousand years. If you want to experience historical China this is the place to visit! It's crowded with Chinese tourists in spring and summer but still a must see. In a day you can do a quick tour and see the many restored museums, temples and explore the nooks and and secret walkways that make up this city. (...)The courtyards and sitting spaces laced into the ancient buildings..all your own private sanctuary in warmer weather... The restaurant chef and Jing's Restaurant staff were excellent. Unlike a lot of problems with service in China, the folks at Jing's were helpful, friendly and eager to please. A diverse menu of Thai, Chinese and western food was great. Their spring rolls were light, crispy and perfect!!! My Thai peanut chicken was sooo good! I wondered how the chef could source food in the dead of winter..but amazingly he did!My husband had pork that was fresh and savory. The folks at Jing's were always there to help..they even packed us a picnic of banana chocolate bread for our train ride to Beijing. This place is ancient, quiet and yet modern and luxurious. A must do for any visit to China! Bluntly, I would put Pingyao on any travel plan just to stay at Jing's Residence...It was that good!"

Manda De Laos: "Delightful"

More expensive than most for reason. The setting is fabulous and the service outstanding. The food matched both of these criteria– it is a modern take on Laotian cuisine, we loved it and thoroughly enjoyed the meal. The cocktails, although quite a limited selection were worthy of the relatively high price.