Guest Reviews

Misool Eco Resort: "Magic Misool"

"In November/ December 2017 we had the pleasure of experiencing Misool for the first time. Located in the pristine Raja Ampat Coral Triangle, with its glorious corals and bountiful fish, it is the most beautiful marine environment we have ever experienced! Misool caters for professional divers with a well-equipped dive centre, but there are daily excursions for snorkelers such as ourselves and we did not feel deprived or second-class to the divers. Boat-rides to nearby small islands were short 10-minute hops, 20 minutes at most, and the guides were both friendly and professional, pointing out small nudibranches or other items of interest that might otherwise escape our attention.There are turtles, black-tip sharks, big bumphead parrotfish and Napoleon wrasse, large shoals of fusiliers and jacks alongside all the regulars, and we were especially blown away by the psychedelic colourful soft corals. We saw a lot of bigger fish than on snorkeling trips in other locations such as Maldives, Red Sea and Zanzibar, probably due to the fact that Misool has established a no-take zone and rigorously engages local communities about sustainable practices which have allowed marine life to flourish. In addition to these snorkelling boat-trips we spent many hours on the excellent, and extensive, house reef which is easily accessible from the various cottages. Accommodation is excellent, the bedroom in our Tabisasu Villa had a large comfortable bed, more than adequate shelf space, and a mosquito net which was set up every night while we were at dinner, although with air-con and two fans in the bedroom we hardly ever saw a mosquito. Tabisasu also has a spacious lounge room, with numerous plugpoints and a desk where you can check your Go-Pro footage and recharge for the next day. There are spare beds in the lounge if necessary, and even a day-bed on the deck, where you can spend your spare time gazing out onto the water and islands in the distance. Dolphins swim past, turtles pop up, and the water lapping away underneath soothes you to sleep at night. Tabisasu faces the sunrises and we would often be up early to snorkel the coral gardens in front of us before first breakfast. Misool offers a unique meal schedule with an early breakfast before first dive or snorkel then a 2nd breakfast from about 10.00 when you get back. Lunch at 13.00 is followed by a handy afternoon tea with cookies and snacks to keep you going until dinner at 19.00. Misool goes out of their way to accommodate individual diet requirements and as vegetarians we were very well catered for by the attentive and helpful staff. All the staff, from management to restaurant to boat teams to cleaners give personalised friendly attention to your needs, creating a fantastic relaxing ambience to go with the exquisite layout of cottages and facilities. The resort holds around forty visitors which means it does not feel crowded, there is enough space for interaction with others or privacy, as you prefer. The overall standards at Misool are first class, without touristy pretentiousness - even the word “resort” is perhaps an unfair categorization; it is essentially a place for snorkelers, divers and nature-lovers who care about the world, and marine life in particular. The Misool Foundation has a very credible programme of social engagement activities that reflect the highest integrity, and interested parties can obtain a good insight into Misool, its history and programmes through its informative website. Getting to Misool is rather arduous, there is a four-hour speedboat journey to follow the various long flights that get you to Sorong, but the admin team will assist with providing you options, based around 7, 9 or 12 day stays. For us, the overall costs were way above our normal travel budget but for such an enriching and inspiring experience, it was totally worth it."

Slow Villas and Spa: "Hidden little secret"

"Slow is located on the eastern part of Gili Air - it s a small island, but this area is still quiet, with many coconuts and few construction. Each villa is a little private sanctuary, with a large garden, a nice pool, a terrace. charming decoration, quality linen... and the possibility if you like to have a chef to come and cook a BBQ just for you. Very friendly team, happy to share their favorite spots around the island. it's not right on the beach... but this is why also it's so quiet... and beach is 2mn walk! recommended: take a bike and go around the island by bike!"

Sea Dance Resort: "Perfect"

I was wondering how to describe Sea Dance ,possibly if you can imagine the comfortable feeling of your home crossed with a five star hotel that is as near as I can get. The accommodation is exactly as described and photographed the staff are excellent Faith Helen and Poh are always mentioned and are great but every one of them are smiling and helpful, I wish I had space to give them all a name check. What ever you needed was arranged without fuss. The food was mouth watering , drinks the same including the complementary 'gin and tonic' ice lolly !!!! The beach is rocky but the pool is fab. I could go on but just to say from airport pick up to airport drop off Sea Dance was unbeatable.

Manukan Island Resort: "Much better than crowded Kota resorts"

"I have stayed 2 nights during holiday in May 2017. I could not have enough information about Manukan island resorts, but consequently it was worth of try. It had a beautiful private beach only open to the resort residents. It has only 20 rooms in total, it was great to spend time away from a bunch of people enjoying day trip to Manukan. It has two restaurants and it offers decent breakfast. Special thanks to Nora, the front desk staff. She provided professional service during the stay. If you are visiting Kota soo, Manukan island resort would be a great choice."

Misool Eco Resort: "FABULOUS"

I can't say enough about this place or the people that run it and work there. The waters are AMAZING for snorklers. Everything about this place was perfect! It was an experience of a life time. I HIGHLY recommend it!!!

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "Good couple of nights"

We spent two lovely nights there. The location is stunning and the tents are very well set up with aircon, comfy beds and a great shower. The menu is short but well prpepared and we really enjoyed our kayaking expedition. It takes quite a while to get there but definitely worth a couple of nights for something memorable and different.

Samanea Beach Resort: "Perfect for families"

"We stayed with several friends at Samanea, most of them families with kids, who loved the setting and the experience at the hotel. The villas are probably the largest in Kep, with huge beds and sitting areas. The showers are a special experience, and the outside seating areas are comfortable in rain or sun. The pool area is excellent, with a great size suitable for both kids and adults. The view of the sea is stunning, with a huge pier that is great for photos and sunsets! There are so many places on the resort to relax, with the nice canopy of trees, pool area, and sea view. It is not walkable to Kep beach or the crab market, so definitely need some sort of tuk tuk or rental transportation. What we were stunned most by was the excellent service--accommodating all of our needs and always helpful with all of our requests. Definitely recommended for long stays in Kep!"

The Cabochon Hotel: "Stylish Boutique hotel"

In the middle of Bangkok we found this stylish Hotel in an old Colonial style Building. The staff was very friendly and after running around in Bangkok the Swimmingpool on the rooftop was a blessing. The room was huge and the furniture very stylish like the Hotel. A must stay for people who like to be in the middle of this city and want to enjoy the amenities of a quite Boutique Hotel. A lot of good Bars and Restaurants are just around the corner.

Neeleshwar Hermitage: "Don’t miss the boat!"

Loved this hotel - rooms are very large and generous (and like the fact that there is no TV), the pool area is the perfect place to relax, staff went out of their way to be super helpful. Views of the ocean are magical. The local indian food was very good, but Western options not up to the same standard (including at breakfast). The real highlight of staying here was going out for the night on the river boat in the backwaters. Super romantic, a really special experience. The staff made us feel very special, and the views are to die for.

Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge: "Great staff, great views, enlightening walks"

Marcus Cotton and the rest of the Tiger Mountain family have created a unique oasis in one of the most beautiful spots in the world. Superb food, well stocked bar, appropriately appointed rooms and a morning view from the infinity pool that simply cannot be believed combine to let you relax from the bustle of Kathmandu and enjoy the rest of the country as you continue your trip after a few days. While Pokhara had its pleasures, we found the nature walk, particularly the interaction with locals (particularly children) from the homes scattered nearby, to be one of the highlights of our almost month long trip. We were there prior to the date in the TripAdvisor menu, but our travel agent says the location remains largely unchanged. When we talk about checking off all the bucket list places, and starting round two, Tiger Mountain is always the first location mentioned. We'll be back, Marcus...