Guest Reviews

Rice & Zen Boutique Resort: "A beautiful and serene resort for peace- and nature-loving travelers"

"We just returned from a 4-nights stay at the beautiful Rice & Zen resort in Doi Saket district, which is no more than 30km away from the Chiang Mai international airport. Our host, Michael, who is also a resident on the resort is very welcoming and warm. We could see that he runs this resort with great passion and drive. The property is extremely lovely. We booked the entire property for our family of 4, and we practically had the entire place to ourselves! The rooms were clean daily and well maintained, with the usual amenities expected of any upmarket resort. The only swimming pool on the resort is cleaned every morning and it feels so good to be able to dip into the pool to beat the tropical heat. And if swimming is not your cup of tea, there's always the gym and beautifully manicured garden and ponds to keep you occupied. Delicious meals are prepared and served by Maya, the resident chef. And if you're into Thai cuisine, the food is no less than scrumptious than what you can find in the restaurants. Michael and his staff will be most happy to recommend other restaurants in the vicinity should you want to venture out to try other fares. Trips to Chiang Mai city can also be arranged for a small transportation fee. Overall, we had a most pleasant and relaxing stay and we highly recommend this resort to anyone who wants to get away from the hustle and bustle of the metropolitan city life."

Kinabalu Park: "Amazing view, cooling and great experience"

"I need to be at this place every year as the experiences were really great, the air much fresher compared to the city, amazing view, it was really chilling at that time about 17-19 degrees at night, but we were enjoying every moment of it. The Liwagu restaurant food was getting better compared to the last few years, the menu has been extended. However, the cakes and muffins could be better as I had last year, this year it wasn't that inviting. The next day I still see those cakes and muffins exactly at the counter, remain ""untouchable"". There are portions of the restaurant under maintenance and a huge Christmas tree is going to set up. You must visit this place for Christmas. The buffet for dinner and breakfast is ok just that it really needs some improvement to the taste. It can be much better! Last year the TV was really blurry due to the reception, I guess. But this year was better. The hotel room was clean, really comfy bed with extra blankets and pillows, really appreciate that due to the coldness. I have also forgotten 2 of my kids' jacket at the hotel, however, the ""lost and found"" team immediately took action. I have these jackets courier back to me. Really appreciate the staff effort to do extra miles for the guest. Thanks. Shall see you guys next year!"

Rice & Zen Boutique Resort: "Small Luxury Hotel Which Delivvered Great Service in Difficult Conditions"

"Considering the rain that this part of Thailand has had in recent weeks the level of service was excellent. The management team and staff are friendly and efficient. The quality of food is excellent and its presentation take it to the next level. Reception was happy to organise transport for us when we attended a private party and subsequently in the week when we visited Fisherman's Village. We were met at the airport by the owner of the resort Poy, and he regulalry puts in an appearance at the hotel. He can be justifably proud of his team, as they work tirelessly to .your stay is a happy one. We will be back, Stayed January 2017, traveled as a couple"

Tugu Lombok: "Beautiful location, excellent service"

"Spent six nights at Tugu Lombok and can thoroughly recommend it. The beach location is fantastic and the staff at the hotel couldn't do enough for us. If you want a real get-away-from-it-all holiday it would be hard to beat, you can just enjoy the views, swim and laze. But if you want more activity you can go on excursions - the snorkelling trip to the Gilis is probably essential for most, but we did decide against the trekking! The rooms are amazing, we had our own 'bungalow' with a huge double bed, veranda for sitting outside and a small private courtyard if required. But best of all was the bathroom open to the outdoors! The restaurants offer great food and plenty of variety, and we must thank the staff for their friendliness, and helpful service, they made us feel very welcome. The last night send-off was most unexpected and touching. We've stayed in some lovely places but this is hard to beat. "

Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge: "Stunning"

What a joy it was to arrive at this serene, beautiful place. The staff looked after us to ensure our stay was as wonderful as it could be, nothing was too much trouble. The views are spectacular, it is just perfect in every way and i do so hope to return one day.

Locavore: "Still surprised after reading all the reviews about Locavore"

"It doesn't happen to me very often, but in this case the atmosphere and expectations raised by the reviews of hundreds of Tripadvisor members did not reflect the genuine experience we had by dining at Locavore. This kind of intro-paragraph will mostly precede a rather negative and contrary viewpoint but in this case I must say the evening we spend here was truly mesmerising. The amuse-bouches were drenched in local flavours even though some fitted on my fingernails. Imagine with that the 'Ashes' cocktail (you will indeed put a burning stick into the concoction, thus releasing a fair bit of ashes in your drink) and culinaire paradise in coming into wide view. The mains - we went for the 7 courses menu - were a mixed bag with caffeinated fish as a weird but surprisingly good part of it. Overall it is the combination of the nouvelle-cuisine presentation on the dishes combined with the exotic, original and authentic taste of local ingredients (chili pepper flowers, anyone?) that made this a very special evening for the both of us. Do try the Balinese coffee at the end. With a total bill of around 2.700.000, including two glasses of excellent Sangiovese, we probably spent more than half the average salary of the people working there, but as this works out at 160 Euro it was money more than well spend."

Villa Song Saigon: "Absolutely Beautiful"

"We arrived at Villa Song late at night and staff where more than happy to accommodate our request for food and drinks. Situated right on the river this small hotel is amazing Located in district 1 it is about 30 minutes from the airport in peak time. This is a bonus as you like you are a million miles away. Mr Yega Thiyagarajan the General Manager is a wealth of knowledge from places to eat or things to do he is more than happy to help Villa Song is a special place that I know we will visit again and again"

Mrauk U Princess Resort: "Heaven in Mrauk U"

From Sittwe, you must take a boat. Please don't think about this as something you need to do before getting to where your holiday starts. Make the boat ride the adventure. Mrauk Oo Princess Resort has a lovely boat, where you and your friends can relax and witness life on the water as you pass by remote villages, pagodas and breathtaking views. We arrived at night with the whole resort lit up by lovely lights. Stunning. The staff was so incredibly friendly and the food was exceptional. I actually prefer Mrauk U to the more touristy Bagan. One has some beautiful archeological sites to visit from Temples to ancient Pagodas. The highlight of my trip was the sunrise and sunset that Mrauk Oo organized for us. I was not sure what to expect, but was up at 5am and was taken by car to a pathway that was a 10 minute hike to a very old Pagoda that had the most amazing view, with only my group around, we got to the top and coffee/tea and croissants were awaiting us, as the sun came up over this beautiful land. Our sunset was from a different location, the climb was a bit steeper but just as rewarding. Champaign was served instead of coffee. I felt very spoilt. For a slice of Myanmar paradise away from the hectic touristy spots, this is by far my favorite place in a long time.

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "Walk into amazing history! Most excelent"

"Most amazing history and architecture; a truly east meets west in a unique blend that worked in C19th and is a place which has a feeling that has to be experienced to be believed. The current owners restored this place with meticulous detail to the most miniscule of reproduced effects, having to seek out craftsmen to work with a lost art. External feature details are fashioned from broken and shaped especially fired porcelain bowls. Colourfast beauty that will last potentially for centuries. The world should thank people with this level of vision to preserve such magnificent history. The history of the original owner, Cheong Fatt Tze is as fascinating as the building itself. We had the great privilege to meet and talk with owner, architect and one of the visionaries behind the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion renovation which won the UNESCO Most Excellent Project, Lin Lee Loh-Lim. Passion personified! Check when Lin Lee Loh-Lim is conducting tours. Having stayed for several nights I can say the place and the staff are the most amazing I have ever encountered. Oh that we should all take so much pride in our work and enjoy it so much. The Restaurant with French fusion dishes is great value for money and excellent quality. This one liner is a total understatement. Yes I'm besotted with the Blue Mansion, its has been one of those experiences I will treasure and talk about for the rest of my life! Something I must say is that some of the surrounding property owners appear to have little respect for what the Blue Mansion represents and the leadership that properties of this calibre offer the future of Georgetown and Penang as a world class destination. I can only hope that the Penang City Council and Chamber of Commerce can work with all accommodation providers and landowners in the area to put sustainable noise abatement in place to enhance the experience and vision that has been so delightfully preserved in the Blue Mansion and the surrounding area. I'll be back to experience the charming ambiance of the Blue Mansion in the future. I wish the owners and staff every continuing success."

The River Resort: "Many reasons to come, no reason to leave"

"We stayed in The River Resort mid July 2017, as the starting point of our Laos trip that took us up north from there. Great, nicely decorated bungalows with terrace or balcony and grand view over the mighty Mekong. Two swimming pools. A good restaurant serving a wide variety of local (and not-so-local) food. All set in a wonderful and well maintained tropical garden. Great staff that helps you with anything and more - like lending you bikes or fixing you a trip to a nearby or far-away site. Yes - the place lies somewhat remote from the obvious track; getting there needs some planning. The hotel can help you with that! Yes - nearby Champasak is a hamlet and everything is hamlet there; no fancy stores and no nightlife. You won't miss it, sitting on your balcony looking at the river and the sky over it! Yes - it's an expensive trip to those Mekong falls (some 100 kms south); once there they charge you for almost every step you take around the place. You'll forget this once you stand on a ridge watching a billion liters of Mekong water cascading down! The River Resort is not just a place to stay - it's an experience! A perfect start for a Laos trip, or as an ending as well."