Guest Reviews

Villa Song: "Romantic French mansion converted to a beautiful hotel"

"Villa Song is chic neighborhood of Saigon with many mansions from the time of the French colonial era overlooking the Saigon River. The hotel is one of those classic mansions that got converted in a hotel retaining its character but adding many modern amenities (high speed internet, a great pool in the back yard, a riverside restaurant in the front, ...). The rooms are classic and very comfortable -- the bed in particular is incredibly comfortable. The breakfast is great -- it is a la carte where you choose from several options in a menu -- we tried a few of them and all of them looked wonderful. Since it is a la carte and freshly prepared you can order breakfast anytime from 6am to 10pm and since the breakfast is very substantial (and some of the Asian breakfast options look like lunch for my Western eyes), you can order them even as your lunch if you want. The neighborhood is lively and hip -- it is the home of a bunch of nice restaurants, craft breweries (which seems to be a big thing right now in Saigon) and trendy coffee shops. This is a bit far from the historical city center of Ho Chi Minh City, but the hotel has a shuttle boat departing from a small pier in front of the hotel (a taxi back from city center takes 25 min and around 200000 vnd = 10 usd) . It is a wonderful city full of history so make sure to take the boat and walk through the city center -- it is really beautiful."

riverie siam: "Perfect in every way"

Don't often write a review BUT this resort deserves a really good report. It is elegant tastefully decorated gardens are delightful and restaurant excellent. Best hotel we have stayed in ever . Very French /Asian in style and it just works so well. Staff were wonderful to us and we were in the least expensive rooms. Shuttle to town when ever we wished and pick up at our convenience. On the river and looking up to the mountains at the White budda. Well worth a visit

Rakkojae Seoul: "Oasis in Seoul"

A wonderful experience of traditional Korean culture and hospitality. Gracious, generous service, beautiful ambience and superb breakfasts. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff. We thank them again.

Cuisine Wat Damnak: "Excellent service"

"After eating out all week at $10 for two joints along the Taphul Road we decided to splash out on our last night and booked a table at this restaurant. They specialise in tasting menus and offer 6 courses for $31 pp and 5 courses for $27. Wines start at $22 and rise to $100. Two different tasting menus are on offer each night so we opted for one of each so we could taste each others food. The service is immaculate and each course is described in detail before its presented. The portions are not huge but that is to be expected with a tasting menu such as this. The location is not walkable from the town centre so a tut tut is required but it is only $2 each way. As I said its an expensive place by Cambodian standards and not a restaurant you would come to on a daily basis, but its great for a treat. the service is fantastic, the food is out of this world and the premises are awesome.I recommend a visit here at least once , but do book a table as they get full very quickly."

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "Relaxing and very different experience than usual hotel/resort!"

"We stayed here for three nights and had a brilliant experience. I was a bit concerned I would get bored with nothing much to do as I knew it wasn’t possible to go off trekking into the country. However, there were a number of trips at no extra charge. We went on the boat to visit a local village one day and saw how the school operated and the challenges facing the villagers. We were welcomed into the village by the people, cows who strolled down to see us, together with the dogs and chickens! On our way back we were able to kayak down the mangroves and see another aspect of the area and also challenge ourselves ... kayaking is OK if you know how to do it well although we managed not to kayak completely into the mangroves! It was good fun and the guides follow closely to help out. In the evening we took a short trip down to see the fireflies which were amazing but also it was beautiful to see all the stars in the sky which can be a rare sight when you live in a busy UK town. The other trip we took was to the waterfall which was great. It’s trickey to go across the rocks but the guide was really helpful showing us the way and supporting us. You could swim in the water there and it was really warm and a great experience. On each trip we had lunch prepared for us and we could eat it on the boat. Meals were exceptionally good and breakfast was great as you had a number of choices which were brought to you .. so much nicer than wandering around a buffet breakfast. Staff generally were brilliant and all were exceptionally supportive and if they didn’t know the answer to a query would find out the answer for us. Finally, the tent itself. It was so unusual but comfortable and had everything you needed. It didn’t have wi fi etc but that’s not exactly the ‘end of the world’ ... we were there for a different experience and that’s what we got. The bed was really comfortable and it was great when the tent gently rocked sometimes. We would definitely visit again and I could thoroughly recommend it."

Cuisine Wat Damnak: "Terrific food and lovely service"

"Cuisine Wat Damnak came highly recommended by friends and it truly didn't disappoint! We were fortunate to be warmly greeted by the proprietor chef, Joannès Rivière; a super nice man - and fantastic chef! We had the 6 course tasting menu (there were 2 options) we were able to mix choices from one menu with the other. All dishes, including the amuse bouche, were a great combination of flavours and textures, unquestionably Cambodian in origin but with some subtle execution. Wine list was good and Joannès made a great recommendation of a William Fevre Sauvignon Blanc from Burgundy - highly unusual but a great match to the food. All dishes were top-notch but the Mekong langoustine grilled in cassava leaves were stand out as was the desert; Mango cashew nut crumble, green mango jelly with vanilla and white chocolate cream! Unbelievably great value at US$31 for the 6 course tasting menu, and total bill including the wine and water came to less than $110 , not including optional tip/service. I think a visit to Siem Reap without dining here would be as incomprehensible as coming and not visiting Angkor Wat!"

Manukan Island Resort: "Absolute paradise."

I have never before, and will probably never again, stay in such a beautiful resort. The rooms were worth 10 stars, as was the location. Yes, there are many tourists during the day, but they did not bother us in the slightest. The serenity of the island after the tourists leave is amazing - very romantic and beautiful. The breakfast, a la carte menu and various buffets were extraordinary. A very, very, very special mention to all of the lovely staff who were so genuinely kind, and made the stay what it was. If you find yourself at the bar, look for Frederick who makes the worlds best Espresso Martini!!!

Rachamankha: "Fantastic Stay"

This is a "late" review, as I lost the name until I found it in my old luggage. We stayed there three nights starting 01/20/2013-01/23/2013, and it was nearly the single most pleasant place we stayed in a three month trip around Thailand and Laos. All rooms face a beautiful central courtyard, and the staff and management are top-notch. The only downside is that the neighborhood outside the walls is a bit rugged, but we had no problems. Highly recommended...don't believe the Dec 2015 stay date...I had to put something....

Slow Villas and Spa: "Fantastic Slow"

"No doubt they are the “#1 of 148 Specialty Lodging in Gili Air” here. Everything & everyone was great. You got to try it out yourself to feel that kind of amazing experience that everyone here were talking about. Thank you Slow Team for the fantastic stay."

Tugu Malang: "Service, style, and sarapan can’t get any better!"

"Amazing hospitality experience at Tugu Malang! Once checking in, it felt like family. And the hotel staff did a better job of remembering my name than any other place I've ever stayed. Was sad to leave. Hotel has great combo of modernity and style. Fantastic three-course fresh and healthy breakfast. We thoroughly enjoyed the suite; the historical paintings led us to do some internet research and learn more about the colonial history. Was a delightful finish to leave with free coffee and a complimentary trip to the train station. Will be back!"