Guest Reviews

Labyrinth: "Singapore hawker taste in a restaurant"

We had a lovely experience with the chef tasting and wine paring menu. We enjoyed the taste of singapore hawker food in chef's Han dishes, hidden in a corner at esplanade. Interior is cosy with traces of local touch. Would recommend bringing my foreign friends who are visiting to try the dishes in a setting like this.

MesaStila: "A perfect sanctuary in the hills"

"This place is honestly as good as you can hope to find for a holiday. Absolutely everything about it was perfect. It's difficult to know where to start in describing it but the big things were: - The estate is all exquisite, colonial style - built and collected by one (Italian) lady over 20 or so years. Her passion shows through in every price of furniture and every building. Fortunately it is still beautifully maintained even today - The service is far from old school though. The staff knew us perfectly and were fantastically well coordinated everywhere we went. If we were having lunch, they would confirm our spa plans for the afternoon, for example. Very slick. - The rooms were fantastic. Spacious, well equipped and with the most incredible views of the mountains and jungle below us. - There were activities all through the day: horse riding, coffee plantation tours, spa treatments. All entirely optional but very insightful and inspiring. There were also lots of outdoor games like croquet etc for us to play. - The afternoon tea was a perfect touch end of the day - sitting out on the Verandah... - The food was excellent. Always really tasty and a great blend of western and Javanese - The spa and hammam were incredible. The Hammam was such a treat - a full Turkish bath that was luxuriously decked out. The staff were also probably the best masseuses that we've ever seen - We did a few excursions / walks through local plantations or up one of the nearby peaks. They were a must do for me - so perfect. This place is basically like ""out of africa"" in java - just perfect. Stayed February 2017, traveled with family"

Dewakan: "Pride of Malaysia: A culinary journey that reflects Malaysia’s heritage"

"We went for the full works - a 10-course dinner at RM207 per person, and we were not disappointed in the least! Although there are 10 courses described in the menu, we were served a number of finger foods to munch on before the first appetizers were served. , such as fried fish fritters that taste like the traditional East Coast snack, keropok lekor and were shaped like long, elegant twigs that were thought were merely decorative items at first. The starters included a refreshing razor clam salad, the razor clams being a staple of many local seafood restaurants, but given a twist as was served with shaved ice flavoured with a medley of savoury local tastes and colours that made it look more like a dessert at first - only to be pleasantly surprised by the savory, exotic flavours blended together in an icy bite. The next few courses were equally outstanding, taking us through the kind of preparation techniques you would only find in the fanciest restaurants, from flavour-infused foam, to purees and emulsions, meat cooked confit-style, and even to salted egg yolks harded, pressed into thin slices, and broken into brittle pieces... and yet using the humblest of flavours, vegetables and ingredients that remind any Malaysian that grew up in this country of grandma's cooking. Another stand out dish was the Forbidden Porridge, which had almost-raw slivers of ox tongue served on soft, sticky black glutinous rice and accompanied by a mushroom and wild vegetable broth that they boil in a coffee syphon, with the whole vegetables, roots and all, thrown into the mix, for an incredibly heady flavour that becomes especially intense when you pour it over the ox tongue and black rice and mix all of it together. The desserts are equally impressive, from the meringues to the ganache to the ice cream made from delicious, Southeast Asian local flavours. Again, just as the razor-clam blended dessert inspiration (in the form of shaved ice sprinkled with coloured syrups) in a savory dish, the desserts push the boundaries by using savory flavours eg. pulut (glutinous rice) in a sweet ice cream. It's an experience that starts off confusing, then pleasantly surprising, and then ends in an incredibly satisfying way. Service was great, especially impressive as they are manned by a staff made mostly of students-in-training. If you love fine dining, exquisite cooking methods, and aromatic Southeast Asian flavours, Dewakan is THE restaurant to visit in Malaysia. In one sitting, this is possibly THE most varied and comprehensive tasting of the Malaysian food culture prepared with the finest culinary techniques by a team of professional chefs."

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "A Perfect Romantic Getaway"

"We travelled overseas for the first time and we are anxious and excited of what we're going to see. We visited Siem Reap first and then the amazing 4Rivers Floating Lodge. It was a genius idea on how it was built and Anna's dedication in preserving the river and the surroundings of Tatai is just magnificent! A perfect destination for couples. Lovely view of nature, high-class accommodation, an efficient booking system, and the warmth and hospitality is very much felt and experienced. I have to give a special shout out to the kitchen staff because I could not even find the right word to describe how delicious their food is! Beef Loklak is extraordinarily tasty, and even the simple fried rice is sumptuous! How can you not enjoy your vacation when your tummy is happy? Just as expected, 4Rivers is beautiful and would definitely come back and recommend it to our friends. "

Satri House: "Sophisticated and elegant"

"We stayed 4 nights at this beautiful hotel booked through Selective Asia. Our room was completely charming, with very comfortable beds and solid furniture, with a good sized bathroom. The whole hotel setting is gorgeous, with unusual and atmospheric antiques and artefacts everywhere, and a mix of colonial houses linked together by walkways, pools and fountains. Tremendous style oozes from all parts of this boutique Hotel, from the maze of corridors and lily ponds, to the garden and swimming pools. It’s eclectic, but really beautifully done. Service was very good - both in the lovely airy restaurant and at reception. All the staff were always very happy to help, whether it was for issuing bicycles, getting drinks or towels, or helping us to get in touch with our guide unexpectedly. There was plenty of drinking water in our room, and a lovely fruit bowl, but the mini bar was only filled on request - with no wine option! The garden/pool bar was ideal for cocktails, but its situation meant it was rather dominated by road noise and construction noise from a neighbouring property....the same machine noise also prevented my excellent massage in the spa being as relaxing as it might have been (maybe shut the doors and put on some quiet relaxing music during treatment?). We ate at the delightfuk upstairs restaurant one evening and really enjoyed our meal and some good wine. Our breakfasts there were freshly cooked to order, served very carefully, and were wonderful. We loved the homemade tamarind, pineapple and tomato jams and delicious local freshly squeezed orange juice, and freshly toasted baguette! The free bikes (about to be renewed for the new season) were a great way to get into the centre of town - it is a good 20 mins walk without them to reach the main restaurant area, although the night market (which is a must for souvenirs) is nearer, say 10 mins walk. The only thing we found rather awkward was our check-in, which felt a bit uncomfortable from our point of view, with irrelevant small talk when we were tired from travelling. Nevertheless, we loved this hotel and can highly recommend it as a unique and wonderful boutique hotel in a beautifully city."

Le Calao: "Fabulous location, food, wine and service."

"We discovered this new restaurant which has connections with L'Elephant when we wanted a glass of wine prior to the Storytelling. We were made to feel very welcome and had a glass of delicious New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. We returned the next night for dinner and had a excellent Lao meal in beautifully restored building overlook the Mekon. Portions are generous and only the best vegetables and ingredients are used. Another bottle of the SB was enjoyed. Good sevice with just the right amount of attention. Le Calao has only been open for a couple of months so it was only a quarter full but I am sure one will need to reserve once it is better known."

Mathis Retreat: "Peaceful and charming"

We treated ourselves to a night here to escape the busy Ubud centre. It's gorgeous. The rice field views, the beautiful swimming pool and the elegant restaurant. The rooms are comfortable with a modern Balinese design. The owner spent time to introduce herself after breakfast and part some helpful knowledge. We hope to be back!

Maduzi Hotel: "Splendid experience"

"I thought that it was really good with a choice of this hotel. This hotel is not big at all, but the room is large, and the size of Bet is too big to sleep alone. And it is the hospitality to be glad above all. A splendid smile of the hotel staff met the calm entrance when I entered. I will stay at this hotel again. Stayed March 2017, traveled solo"

Talabgaon Castle Heritage Resort: "An amazing experience"

We had 2 nights here and just wish it had been longer. We were treated royally. The staff couldn’t do enough for us. The room was beautiful. A fridge in room would be good but a minor point. We really enjoyed seeing village life and a chance to relax away from the bustle of the cities. All in all a fantastic stay.

Talabgaon Castle: "Treated like royalty in a royal palace"

"The first thing to say about reviewing Talabgaon Castle is that in order to differentiate these 5 stars from any earlier 5 star reviews, I should probably go back to the others and knock them down to 4 stars ... its just that good. The setting, the staff, the food, the amenities, the service ... all were top notch. We (as a couple) spent two nights here in January 2016. The staff were awaiting our arrival, and cool drinks and towels provided after the couple of hours drive from Agra (it is closer to Jaipur but we were going the other direction). Our bags were taken swiftly to our opulent room on the ground floor, and soon we were eating our first meal. This being the 6th day of our first trip to India, staying generally in upper market accommodation, we have become accustomed to good Indian food - but this took it to the next level. Flavours literally bursting. (...) For our final morning, the hotel staff set our breakfast table out in the courtyard of the gardens. In a nutshell - if you're able to stop over here ... even if its a little out of the way ... then do so. You will I am sure be as surprised, impressed and amazed as we were."