Guest Reviews

Bassac Mekong Delta Cruises by Secret Retreats: "Wonderful experience"

Seeing the sunrise over the Mekong was an unforgettable experience. The food on board the boat is superb and we enjoyed the visit to local villages and seeing the floating market. Our guide, Annie, was excellent too.

Cuca: "Our all time favourite restaurant"

True perfection.....chef's tasting degustation makes it easy..... Our kids were so welcomed and looked after. Dining in the garden was magical....such value for money extraordinary dining.

Cuca: "Fabulous restaurant"

"Great restaurant in Jimbaran Bay. Very friendly (we were walking there and got offered a lift by the owner/chef who was driving by) with appropriately attentive staff. Interesting cocktail menu - I had a Sungria which came with frozen juices for ice cubes and was lovely. Food is tapas style although dishes are served consecutively rather than all at the same time, and are interesting and beautifully presented. The suggestion is 3 per person which we had, and this was sufficient for a main meal. The pulled pork and the butterfish with beetroot yoghurt are de...lish...ous! Dessert of THE best mint ice cream with chocolate. The chef ensured he spoke to all tables making the experience even more memorable. Meal for 2 with a cocktail each, glass of wine each, 6 tapas and 2 coffees came to about £80 so not the cheapest meal in Bali, but probably one day of the best."

Dewakan: "Impressive modern Malaysian cuisine"

I had a dinner here on the christmas night. Impressive 10 course meal with additional snacks and dessert. It's a marathon dinner of almost 3 hours with variety of food items to try. Each dish is unique and burst of flavours. The chef uses local herbs and spices creatively in each meal. You will think that such a simple ingredient wouldn't be done it this way. Each meal is also an art by itself especially blue mackerel with raja ulam which the cured fish meat topped with edible flowers. Overall almost all the dishes were excellent except two which I don't quite like it. However, the food concept may not be for everyone. People who don't like the smell of ulam and spices may not like the overwhelming flavour of the dishes here. Also you also need to be patient and enjoying good time here of enduring 3 hours of eating session. The food here are even better than some of the Michelin star establishment. Dewakan does not serve ala-carte meal. They only have 3 or 4 course meal during lunch or 5 or 10 course during dinner. Price starts at MYR80.00 for 3 course lunch and the dinner of 10 course at MYR209.00. I would say for fine dining, the price is actually quite reasonable with total of 10 course.

Sanak Retreat Bali: "Loved it!"

"We couldn't fault this place, the location, staff, food, rooms, pool, spa - all fantastic. If we could have extended our stay we would have. We had a 1 bedroom bungalow which overlooked the rice paddies. Doors opened on 3 sides to allow the breeze to flow through and the planting around the bungalow ensured privacy. We ate in their restaurant which overlooks the pools and rice paddies. The food was good, the beef tenderloin was very tender and my other half couldn't go past the chocolate mousse each night. We were highly impressed by the breakfast, the food just kept on coming and was served with espresso coffee if you so desired. My non-coffee drinking husband enjoying a pot of freshly brewed lemongrass tea each morning, which he hasn't been able to find anywhere else. The pool was beautiful, the tiling a work of art and the temperature perfect. Comfy sun beds and plenty of sun umbrellas. The location in the hills is very nice, cooler than in the coast and less crowded, with the smell of drying cloves permeating the air."

The Island Lodge: "The perfect place to stay in the Mekong Delta"

Having been to Vietnam before i wasn't looking to explore but it must be said that Island Lodge would be the perfect place to explore the Mekong Delta from, everything is literally on your doorstep when staying here. I was looking for a quiet place to work and relax and it is perfect for this too. Set on an island facing the Mekong, the property has the feel of a grand home with warm, friendly and discreet staff on hand when required. Such a peaceful spot, time seems to slow down here, Ideal to catch up on some work or to just relax with a good friend or a good book. And I never tired of watching the boats on the Mekong from the balcony of my room. The perfect place for a city break, the perfect place to explore the Mekong delta from and the perfect place just to relax and unwind. If you are heading to Saigon make time for a few days here. Thank-you Michel and the team for making us feel so at home. See you again sometime soon I hope.

Sanak Retreat Bali: "Amazing"

"Out of many places of wonderful Bali this is my personally all time favorite. We arrived to our bungalow at a magical moment while the sun was setting, extraordinary view over the rice-field and the valley. The spa is wonderful, you can get a massage in a open massage room surrounded by rice field. The food was ok but overpriced, would not recommend to eat there often. We walked up to the village above and had a wonderful time. The rooms are beautifully decorated in a Balinese stile and you can buy the art from the walls, we found out it was cheaper to buy it there than at the Seminiak market."

The River Resort: "haut de gamme"

"Le site est magnifique, lors de notre séjour (mi juillet) les jardiniers plantaient le riz dans les rizières, le jardin est super bien entretenu, les fleurs abondantes…. tout cela donne un cachet incroyable à l'hôtel et vous plonge immédiatement dans un petit cocon les bungalows sont luxueux , nous avons eu la chance d'avoir un bungalow vue sur le mekong alors que nous avions réservé un bungalow jardin et c'est vrai que la vue est époustouflante… on ne se lasse pas de regarder passer le fleuve (qui monte monte en cette saison) et les pêcheurs. Le bungalow est super équipé: 2 douches dont une en extérieur, literie d'excellente qualité, peignoirs, chaussons, parapluies, café, climatisation optimale, porte moustiquaire (parce que les insectes aussi se sentent bien ici)….. nos filles logeaient à l'étage et nous au rez de chaussée, il faut sortir et contourner à chaque fois le bâtiment pour rejoindre l'autre chambre.. un peu plus long pour nous mais ce qui prouve le côté intimiste de chaque chambre les piscines à débordements se trouvent le long du mekong… de nouveau cadre incroyable les prix sont plus élevés qu'ailleurs, mais le standing est également plus élevé sachez juste que l hôtel est un peu isolé si ce n'est le vieux champasak que nous avons fait en vélo (prêtés par l'hôtel), c'est donc un hôtel qui se démarque par son côté cocon, calme et sérénité. ceux qui cherchent l'animation tonitruante n'y trouveront donc pas leur goût"

Le Du Wine Bar & Restaurant: "Worth seeking out"

Glad we found this! We stumbled onto Le Du on our way to another restaurant where we had reservations. It looked so interesting we made a reservation for the following night. Choose options for each of the four courses. Each is creative and well prepared. A modern take on more tradtional thai ingrediants with a french influence. Each dish is complex and the server carefully explains what is being served and how it was prepared. They offer wine flights, go for it. Each wine was perfect with the food that it accompanied. Hard to have made better wine selections. A generous pour of all four wines (four courses) unlike many wine flights. Easy walk from skytrain staion Chong Nosi. My ONLY critisism is that for the thrid course they only have one option that does not have a surcharge. It was fantastic, but would have liked at least one more no sur charge choice.

The Cabochon Hotel: "Excellent. A must stay while in Bangkok"

"This hotel is small yet feels luxurious. The rooms are very comfortable and have everything you need. The staff were a delight - helpful, informative and friendly. The food at breakfast and at dinner was excellent - delicious, adventurous and beautifully presented. The restaurant and breakfast room are a treasure trove of artefacts. The roof top pool is a wonderful touch with views that give you a very good feel for Bangkok. "