CABOCHON: "Cute and quiet hideaway in Bangkok"
"Super friendly and helpful staff, a gorgeous old style building creaking with history in a peaceful soi just off sukhumvit, the Cabochon gives you all you need for a stay in this hectic city. From its handy location near to the BTS to its deserted rooftop pool this hotel delivers. Breakfast is good (although personally I always like to see some Bircher muesli on offer!). We slept wonderfully here, it's quiet and the beds are comfortable. "The Island Lodge: "Paradise on the banks of the mighty Mekong"
We had 24 hours at Island Lodge in April and from the moment we were collected at the main road in the Lodge's golf buggy and whisked down the narrow lane to the hotel, we knew we had found something very special. Michel and Francoise have gone to enormous trouble to make sure that every detail is perfect. The staff are charming courteous and discreet. The rooms are large, cool and ours had a terrific balcony overlooking the infinity pool and the Mekong River beyond. We had a very pleasant afternoon boat tour round Unicorn Island before settling down on the terrasse with an ice cold beer to watch the evening light on the river and the boats of every size and shape. Swimming early in the morning in the large 24 m pool with the Mekong just a few metres away was surreal.Mathis Retreat: "great hotel"
Quiet rice fields rooms with great pool and good breakfast. Good to use as base for family to explore Ubud and neighbouring villages. Manager was great and helped organize quite a few day trips for us.Tugu Bali: "Amazing holiday at beautiful hotel"
"Had a great week at Tugu over Christmas with family. The hotel is decorated with Balinese furniture and art, including in the rooms. Food was very good; nice choice at both the restaurant and for in-room dining. Rooms were first-class; we had a villa with private pool and it felt incredibly private. Service from the hotel staff was also excellent with great attention to make our stay very relaxing; all our needs were met including those from our impatient 5 yr old. Would definitely stay there again if we head down to Bali."Maduzi Hotel: "I arrived to find they had upgraded me to a nicer room"
I have to say the location is wonderful and the staff have been great. The room is simply amazing and set up in a way that makes i feel bigger than it is and it is also ideal for someone who needs to stay at a place while doing work or business.Mie Cafe: "Excellent lunch"
We went here just after opening - and without a reservation - on a weekday for lunch. We were seated right away. The tasting menu was delicious and the cocktails great. Beautiful garden in front of the restaurant. Beautiful setting in the dining area. Highly recommend!Manukan Island Resort: "Beach villa"
Wonderful refitted rooms, completed in January 2017. Private beach and pool for residents. Delicious food. The resort staff cannot do enough to ensure you enjoy your stay. Day trips snorkeling and scuba diving available.Mume: "Similar to Raw"
"Came here for a meal with overseas friends They don't have set meals, only a la carte. And the menu is short. There were 4 of us, and we ordered 80% of the menu. Almost every dish was spectacular - liver brulee, butter with beef fat, oysters, prawn with cheese, beef, fish etc. Service was friendly and excellent Overall similar to RAW , with slightly less hype and fame Will return"Mathis Retreat: "Little gem in Ubud"
We spent 4 nights in Mathis Retreat in April 2017. It was perfect. Excellent service, great restaurant with endless view over the rice fields, owner who is taking care of each guest and make him feel special. Organization of any tour or transport you need. Shuttle to the town every hour. Stylish rooms, great pool..... Highly recommendedGolden Buddha Beach Resort: "Supporting the Local Community-True Eco Tourism"
"After spending a week at Golden Buddha, my greatest appreciation of the resort I can't emphasize enough (beyond the seclusion in a mesmerizing natural environment unparalleled in my experiences living in Thailand) is their mission to support the local community with true eco-tourism. I was amazed and overjoyed to learn all of the staff members, from the smiling and friendly faces behind the bar counter to the women working in the kitchen to the maintenance men who wave as you walk by, are all local people from the small fisherman village on the other side of the island. I actually had the opportunity to visit the village, Tey Pey Yoi, through an eco-tour offered by the resort where guests have a chance to learn from local school children the art of batik painting while contributing positively to the community and school as guests. My experience with our tour guide Eak was absolutely AMAZING. His giant genuine smile and his passion and local expertise about the wildlife we saw as we crossed the savannah to reach the village was the highlight of my stay at Golden Buddha (listening to the whistles he knows by heart to communicate with different birds isn't something you easily forget). The village itself is incredibly humble and reflective of a very low standard of living, with stilted one room homes over the water or small concrete houses covered by tin roofs on the sand. While the village way of life is a beautiful culture to witness and set in an awe-inspiring backdrop of local fisherman boats, mangrove trees, and mountains from the mainland, it brings a reality to where Golden Buddha's staff come from, and made even more clear to me the dedication and mission of the resort to train and offer employment opportunities specifically to the inhabitants of the island. They even hire an English intern every season to provide free English language lessons to the staff, an opportunity I can now fully understand after visiting the humble and under-funded school where most of the staff recieved their education. In a competitive tourist industry near places like Phuket and Khao Lak, Golden Buddha is true to the label ""eco-tourism"" by being an integral contributor to the local community. Knowing I am directly helping contribute to the livelihoods of the warm and beaming staff who made my stay so welcome gives me a feeling of pride as a traveler who is intentional about the footprint she leaves behind as a guest in a foreign country."Travel Asia with Secret Retreats
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