Guest Reviews

Sea Dance Resort: "Amazing"

"Very impressive! I had the most amazing stay! I was originally booked in for 2 nights I checked out only to return 2 hours later.. I spent the most idyllic 8 nights at the Seadance, I desperately needed to recharge. The resort is peaceful and calm. Every one knows your name and treats you like a friend not just a hotel guest.. Nothing was too much trouble, any request taken care of! I stay in hotels/resorts at least once a week for business the Sea Dance with its understated elegance out does many! Thank you to Faith, Helen,John and Danny You were all amazing! I very much enjoyed your company. Thank you all for making me feel so welcome, I was so sad to leave. I will be back again soon. Tina"

Rachamankha: "Zen oasis in the old town: fine Asian antiques, great service, sublime food"

We stayed for six nights. What a treat. This hotel is a "Secret Retreat" property, one of three that we stayed at in Thailand and Laos. They are owner occupied properties, with amazing attention to decor and service. The architect and designer of this property live here and use the hotel as their home and office, and as a display space for their fine collection of Asian antiquities, a mix of Japanese, Chinese and Southeast Asian. Just walking in the gate caused a feeling of calm. I asked for a yoga mat, no problem, and found that the second floor balcony of the spa, situated over the swimming pool, was a perfect place for doing my yoga routine, with several Buddhas looking on. The setting, the pool, the room, the service, the food were all wonderful. Paul, the manager, sat with us to plan out our day to day itinerary, and all of his suggestions were spot on, for temples and outings, and especially his recommendation for a tailor, from whom we got five shirts and a sport coat. The location is ideal with Wat Prah Singh just around the corner (we called it "our" temple), making it easy to drop in for monk chats, or to hear the chanting at 5 PM. The hotel is within the walls of old Chiang Mai and very close to the Sunday walking market. There is a discount for persons staying 3 nights or longer, not something we realized, but were happily surprised when they gave it to us without our asking. Having modified our original reservation at the last minute, we were scheduled to move rooms over our 6 night stay, but the management spent some time juggling the room schedule, so that we could stay in the same room, which we very much appreciated. We were in Room 19, in one of the main courtyards, and these courtyard rooms are quite lovely. One assumes these were equally as nice. The whole hotel is quiet and quiet.

Jing’s Residence: "A wonderful experience in the old city of Pingyao"

"A truly wonderful experience. Jings is located in a traditional Pingyao building. When you arrive the outside is a timber facing with large solid wooden doors. In reception there is a very strong feel of wood. The reception staff could not be more professional, helpful and caring. All staff spoke English. The rooms are set around two courtyards and these grey brick buildings have a very original feel. Our room had a large double bed on a raised area, sofa, chair, and desk with stool. The bathroom has a shower. The room has a mini bar (free of charge), mini safe, tea/coffee making facilities and very quiet air conditioning. Breakfast served in the dining room was very good and had local as well as western options. Nice and tranquil. On the first floor of the main reception dining area there is a bar and reading room. Afternoon tea was served there (included in the room rate). The hotel is just a few moments stroll from a host of restaurants and tourist shops. I am very pleased to recommend this residence if you want a truly authentic experience in most pleasant surroundings. Thank you to all the staff team for making our stay so enjoyable."

NEELESHWAR: "Heaven on Earth"

"This is the most beautiful place we have ever stayed, peace and tranquillity by the Arabian Sea, heaven on earth. The service was amazing, nothing was too much trouble, we stayed in a lovely cottage called Shanti overlooking the sea, attention to detail was of the highest standard, everything was perfect. There are just 12 cottages which make it very special. The spa was the best we have ever been too, we had a Shirodhara massage, amazing... we were rejuvenated and calmed. Breakfast was at the beach restaurant, (food was of the highest standard) after early morning yoga, what a beautiful way to start the day. We had a wonderful stay at Neeleshwar, and hope to return again. "

Reverie Siam: "Happy return to this oasis in the northern hills"

This is my second visit to the Reverie Siam, and I loved it just as much. Delightfully, this time I felt no obligation to go and do any tours, and so I lazed my days away at the hotel, which it is certainly designed to support. There are two pools, a traditional rectangular one and a more family friendly organic shaped one, which some of the rooms can step straight out into. The buildings and grounds are all charming, a successful mix of Mediterranean planting and colonial "Indochine" architectural style. The rooms are spacious, comfortable and elegant. And the riverside pavilion is unbelievably peaceful (and barely used!). The breakfasts are included in the room price, and very generous (I learnt from last time not to have all the courses offered!) The bar itself is pretty well stocked, has a surprisingly good selection of spirits and wine. And the food is Mediterranean inspired (which I have to confess would be my one wish: if they also had some delicious Thai options on the menu, to me it would be perfect!). They offer free shuttles into town, but if only takes 15 minutes to walk in. The quiet little hamlet the hotel is attached to, just outside Pai, seems to be developing as a more independent hub - there are a few decent cafes, though bafflingly they all shut firmly by 6pm. (Why?!) However, there are worrying signs of development all around, and a large new ugly market building, hope they're not going to build too much round here. Note: once in the hotel, you can't see or hear any of this, it's all at a slight remove. Overall I loved my trip, you won't regret booking here. Want to give a shout out to Tida Massage on one of Pak's main streets (a few doors down from Charlie & Lek restaurant), it's not listed on TripAdvisor and I can't add it. Run by two lovely ladies (and their cheeky cat), really great massage - and I have easy access to good/cheap massage living in China, so am not easily won over. I happened to try them out on my first day, and went back every day, sometimes twice. It's a very simple place, not fancy spa. But Miss Oi (excuse spelling) is a magician and has an infectious laugh. One hour/200baht, a bargain!

Tugu Malang: "Unique, Stylish, & All-Time Favorite Hotel"

I love this hotel. It's an incredibly unique place that's adorned throughout with Indonesian antiques, and it also has an incredible antique shop for browsing or buying (not to mention a very large and well-curated selection of Balinese silver jewelry, both contemporary and vintage). The rooms are fantastic, filled with super stylish antiques, art, and fresh flowers. The hotel also has incredibly cool stationery in each room, reminiscent of grand hotels of the early 20th century. Melati Restaurant, part of the hotel, serves some of the best food in all of Java. This place is truly special and has to be one of my favorite hotels anywhere in the world.

Cuisine Wat Damnak: "Sensational"

Absolutely sensational cambodain cuisine: the food, the service and the atmosphere make this our favorite on our three weeks trip thru Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Two set menus and if you don't like something, they will adapt. The ( Frecnh) owner couple is incredibly talented, friendly and helpful. He cooks and she is attenting the tables. The food is excellent and creative with local fresh ingredients. Tip: make a reservation at least two weeks ahaed and if you did not, call within one hour of you going, you might get lucky!

Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge: "Fantastic location and excellent service"

"The lodge was very comfortable and had the most fantastic views of the valley beneath the lodge and the majestic Annapurna range of the Himalayas. The most incredible views of these mountains was at sunrise across the swimming pool. The lodge sits high on the mountain side and it is a perfect place to relax with nothing to disturb the peace except the sounds of nature; an ideal place for complete relaxation. The standard of the food is very high and interesting menu, each meal was a delicious repast. The main centre of the lodge is very comfortable and outdoor dining at breakfast and lunch was very enjoyable, dinner was served in the main dining room at night when it was a little cooler. ( May ). The staff is very professional, discrete, very helpful and added greatly to the quality and enjoyment of our stay. Stayed May 2016, traveled with friends"

Mrauk U Princess Resort: "Best in Mrauk-U"

"Excellent rustic hotel in Mrauk U. The hotel has its own jetty that takes about 4:30 hours from Sittwe airport. Sunrise breakfast charge 150 for 5 people to watch the sunrise in the the mountain and have breakfast there. Bicycles are available for rent for $5 for full day and $3 for half day. The pool in the middle of the lotus flower lake is great but the water is cold. Breakfast is included; for other meals the restaurant has a vast menu priced in USD. Can't go wrong with the curry, coconut rice (not found on the menu) and the lentil soup . The Internet rarely works but then again who cares when you are immersed in history. Stayed January 2017, traveled with friends"

Satri House: "Beautiful"

"We stayed at Satri Hotel for two nights for our 20th wedding anniversary. We left the kids at home and it was perfect. The staff were kind and helpful without being intrusive and our stay was wonderfully relaxing. The whole hotel is beautifully presented and tastefully decorated. Our room was a good size and had no TV which added to the old world atmosphere. The hotel is a bit out of town (about 10-15mins walk) but there are bikes you can borrow to get you there quicker. Because of this the hotel is peaceful and like an oasis. We would go back again."