Guest Reviews

Sanak Retreat Bali: "With humanity, kindness and perfection in mind"

Most guests stop for 2 to 3 days and all regret not to have remained in sanak longer...and they are right. My son ( 8 years old) and I set base for 8 nights and had the most wonderful experience. The weather is light and sunny when it is raining in Ubud. The location is lovely with a great clear view of paddy fields and mountains. The villa, we stayed in 104, are discretly nested away from one another and are perfectly appointed . Dining outside sanak is not an option but that is fine as the food is reasonably priced but above all delicious. The spa just dreamlike is excellent . But what makes the difference is sanak staff under the stewardship of Sebastian that makes you feel like family. Efficient with a smile, kind and attentive, ibu jero delighted us with her cooking class, gusti her husband took us to a memorable school visit and berli was just the best guide, caring and so funny. We left with sadness but above unforgettable memories of special place away from what bali has now become.

Tugu Malang: "Gorgeous Hotel"

"Tugu Malang is such an amazing hotel. My husband & I are frequently in Malang & even if we dont stay in the hotel we always visit for coffee or a meal & the wonderful ambience. This weekend we decided to stay & once again we were not disappointed. From the polite friendly & efficient staff to the amazing decore this boutique hotel captures the feeling of the long forgotten & proud heritage of the Javanese & Chinese Indonesian culture. For anyone who likes a unique boutique experience this hotel is for you. You definitely wont be disappointed. A short becak ride & you'll find yourself at the local bird & fish markets."

The Cabochon Hotel: "Feels like home"

This was the second time I spent some days in this wonderful retreat with my family. This hotel is just a magic place and everytime we arrive here it almost feels like coming home. Especially in a busy city like Bangkok this wonderful place is perfect to comfort you.We will come again and only can recommend it to everybody who is looking for a small hotel of no other kind. The staff is super friendly, the food is fantatsic and every little detail of this hotel feels like it has been developed with an incredible aamount of love and passion without any compromise.

The River Resort: "Magical Mekong River views – with good food and a spa!"

"We stayed three nights at this lush and green, rather smart resort, arranged for us by Selective Asia. Our family villa room was upstairs, with a balcony and absolutely wonderful views over the Mekong. Great to watch the fishermen at sunrise from the balcony or from bed, with a cup of tea made in our room, or enjoy a drink from the minibar listening to the crickets as the sun set. A magical spot indeed. You’ll need your anti mosquito lotion for sitting out in this location, but the resort villa rooms have good nets and our room was realatively easy to keep mosquito free! We ate at the hotel open air restaurant every evening and found plenty to choose from, with a good range of western and Asian options. We enjoyed all our meals, and service was excellent. Breakfast was good too, but we would have liked some more bread options as well as the rather sweet slices there were to toast (e.g. brown?) - but maybe that’s not available at this slightly remote location. One of us had a massage at the spa, which was great and a lovely option to have right on site. Hotel provided us with a boat crossing to meet our guide at the opposite river bank, which was ideal and very prompt and comfortable. We also had laundry done, which was not expensive and very convenient. Sadly we didn’t get chance to use the free bikes. All in all a wonderful spot and a lovely exclusive hotel, and we loved having it as our base for exploring the Mekong River and the nearby Wat Phou UNESCO Site."

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!"

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "A special experience"

This was I think my favourite hotel ever. It is beautiful, it is well run, it is well-located, its existence is crucial to the history and culture of Penang. The restoration is superb. It was a joy and privilege to stay here.

Chakrabongse Villas: "An Oasis Along the Chao Phraya River"

This is simply an oasis, tucked behind gates in a garden setting on the property of a member of the extended royal family. We felt that we were treated like royalty ourselves by Atom and Ohm. They were both so kind and helpful. The property has a resplendent landscaping of fountains, a long trellised archway with potted orchids that leads to the restaurant, which was lighted at night, and a nice private swimming pool surrounded by landscaping. We stayed nine nights and enjoyed the Mali room. The room had all the amenities of a fine large resort but with a more charming character. The room was large enough to be comfortable. We like the coffee bar just outside our room and found it nice to come back and have an English cup of tea after our day tours. The bathroom was kept tidy with fresh towels everyday, and supplied with a nice quality of shampoo, conditioner and lotions should need them. The restaurant overlooking the river is simply elegant. The breakfast was very good and the dinners were sublime. They also have a driver that they arranged to pick us up and return us to the airport for a fair price. This was so nice after a 12 hour flight to be met at the airport, by simple instructions, instead of getting a random cab. The hotel helped us confirm the time of our tour pickups each day we were taking a tour by calling the tour operator on our behalf. They would help us to get reservations at other restaurants when their restaurant was not open. We appreciate their kind and caring assistance. We enjoyed our experience so much that when we return to Bangkok we will stay at Chakrabongse, and so should you.

Mume: "A great evening, great tastes & ambience"

This is arguably one of Asia's finest restaurants … the a la carte menu is a fusion, at times I felt like at home in Sydney, at times it went to Scandinavia … The ambience is minimalist, dress code casual (loved that aspect), staff friendly and informative; the food we ordered (and most of it shared) was excellent, top marks to the wagyu tartare and ribeye. I read some negative reviews below … I am guessing people were expecting a Chinese banquet for the price. This is quite a different experience, its all about tasting the food, the fresh ingredients and the innovative. We certainly did not leave the restaurant hungry, quite the opposite. If you are a couple like us, choose different starters and mains and try as many as possible. My only objection is the wine list … for a restaurant of this calibre, they should entertain more wines … especially from NZ, Australia (they would go well with the food).

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "Quite simply, wow"

This experience was worth the long car journey and really made the holiday to Cambodia special. We arrived on the 1st October and from the moment we stepped onto the complimentary boat the relaxation began. The luxury of the tents astounded us, I especially wasn't expecting such a decent water pressure from the shower, to be able to lie in bed and just look out onto the river was unique. Another surprise was the variety of fresh food available, the daily changing set menu was wonderful. We did both the fire fly and waterfall excursions, should the weather have been better we would have jumped at the sunset trip too, the waterfall was brilliant fun and exhilarating. However what really made the trip for me was the people and their stories. The activities coordinator had such interesting stories to tell, I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to his island, on the way back from the waterfall, where we met the locals and shared some fresh coconut. Seeing first hand how they live and discussing their hopes for their country was extremely thought provoking. Our last evening will be one I will never forget, from further discussions with staff about their views on the development of Cambodia, to our beautiful dinner over looking the water, I was already missing the resort when the staff all came out to play their guitars and sing for us, it was simply a fantastic experience, one I have not stopped raving about since returning. If you want to experience the hidden side of Cambodia or simply want to get away from it all for a while you really must stay here. Thank you all for making my holiday an unforgettable experience I truly do miss each of you

David’s Kitchen: "King David"

David, The first of many best parts of our visit was your warm greeting. Hospitality at its finest. Then the delectable dishes of magnificently presented food. as a good as it gets. Please come to Chicago & make that pumpkin soup. Each course surpassed the next. I too would partner for life with a woman who could create that chocolate mousse. Kudos to your staff. The grand finale, a man proposed to a woman on Chinese Valentines Day. Cue the applause & thank god she said yes.