Guest Reviews

Sanak Retreat Bali: "simple luxuries"

It may be unpretensious, ethical, and eco-friendly - but don't presume for a moment that Sanak Retreat isn't as beautifully designed and sumptuous as a high end hotel. Forged by the friendship between a local Balinese and a French businessman, the beauty of Sanak Retreat is the loving thought that has gone into every detail. It's the simple things after all that mean so much - the sweet sounds of the rice fields as dusk falls, the sensuous vivid green that surrounds you when the sun rises, the joyful bubbling of the river that runs through the property, the cool mountain air (and no mossies). The beautifully crafted timber villas are decorated with Indonesian textiles and wooden furnishings assembled by an astute collector, giving each room a sense of personal intimacy, and wifi and digital facilities are cutting edge. Local coffee and teas are generously provided. Every standing point has a view over the undulating highly oxygenated valley clear of both modern buildings and any hint of traffic noise. The retreat is deeply immersed in the local community, running a successful plastic recycling project with village children. And the restaurant offers a world class menu, including an extraordinary lemongrass creme brulee and a fine wine list. They will even bake you gluten free bread and pizza with a little warning, but local seafood is also fresh and delicious. There is a gentle, connected sense of calm and beauty here that you will be hard pressed to experience anywhere else in Bali. The spa facilities and private dining gazebo were created by die-hard romantics. And yet nothing is tizzy or florid. Good taste after all, is worth its weight in gold - or rice. And with several pools and lots of local treks, this is also a great place to holiday with children.

Rachamankha: "Beautiful, boutique hotel, don’t expect 5 bars, a gym & 3 restaurants"

A gem of a hotel, hidden away down a side lane in the old city. No noise, 24hr security & an architectural wonder of Thai design. Rooms with covered walkways are all built round open courtyards with paths, palm & oleander trees & pots, joining them to different areas of the hotel. The pool area is beautifully maintained & the library has an old colonial feel with many interesting subjects to browse, particularly travel & architecture. Our room was quiet, spacious, spotlessly clean, with an excellent shower & lovely Moulton Brown toiletries. Breakfast was taken outside or in, waiter served with choices cooked to order. Very relaxing compared to the pandemonium of buffet breakfasts experienced elsewhere. Restaurant evening meals delicious & beautifully presented. Would definitely return & recommend.

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "Truly remarkable!"

"Well, this is an extraordinary and lovely place to stay. We stayed for 3 nights and wished we had stayed longer. Such a peaceful environment, excellent staff, excellent service. Food more than adequate. We took two of the trips out - to the Tatai waterfall (upstream) and to the fishing village and mangrove swamps (downstream). Both were excellent. Also went out to see the fireflies one evening - they were definitely in cooperative mood, flashing away like crazy. Bathing in the river, straight from our sundeck, was magic. Altogether even better than expected - and we expected it to be good. Thanks to all the staff for a truly memorable experience! Room Tip: We had the tent nearest to reception. Very convenient, "

Tugu Bali: "Luxurious, Comfortable and Culturally Rich"

Like all Tugu group properties (restaurants and hotels), the Tugu hotel in Canggu, Bali, is amazing. Always putting forward their love for culture, Indonesian especially, and creative with the interior & landscape design. The new Ji restaurant is fantastic, Dragon of Ji being their special menu and very delicious.

The Island Lodge: "Boutique hotel on a river island."

"Stayed one night at the Lodge as part of a Mekong Delta tour. Dinner and breakfast included. It's a beautiful boutique hotel with nice pool and great view of Mekong River. The room is spacious, firm mattress with good bedding. Bathroom is large with separate toilet, shower and sink are together with organic bathroom amenities. Wifi is fast. Food is tasty and served by smiling staff. A few things could be improved or corrected: * Pool water was cloudy, may need more filter time. * Neighbor dogs were barking very loud in early morning. * The front door of the room, made of bamboo, has gaps letting noises in from hallway. * Mosquito net hung too high thus could not be tugged in to prevent mosquitoes coming inside the net."

Sanak Retreat Bali: "Entspannung in wunderschöner Umgebung"

In mitten der gepflegten Reisfelder mit wunderschönem Ausblick in ruhiger (Natur-)Umgebung gelegen. Ideal zum Entspannen und Abschalten. Die Bungalows sind gepflegt, wohnlich eingerichtet und geräumig. Das Personal ist herzlich, sehr freundlich und um das Wohl der Gäste besorgt. Das Restaurant bietet eine gute Auswahl an Speisen und das Essen war lecker und frisch.

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "The floating lodge"

Both peace and activity, trips, walks, exploration, all from these luxury floating "tents". People excellent, very helpful, nothing too much trouble, they even repaired my broken sandals. Great food too, in such a relaxing situation. Our only complaint was that we had not booked for longer, to appreciate all that is on offer here you need to allow enough time.

Slow Villas and Spa: "Wonderful 10 days at Slow Villas"

"We had a two week holiday from work mid January 2017 and despite it being the rainy season decided to book 10 days on Gili Air - mainly because we got such great rates on flights from London to KL with Malaysian Airways. We stayed in KL for a night and then took budget airline Air Asia (highly recommended also!!) out to Indonesia. We'd been to Bali before but not ventured out to the Gilis. We flew from KL to Lombok and had a private taxi transfer from the airport to the 'port' (the journey in a taxi is about an hour and half). We then had a private speed boat take us to the port on Gili Air, which took about 10 mins. Then it's a ride in a cidone (horse and trap) to Slow Villas. So all in all a trip with lots of modes of transport but we thoroughly enjoyed all of it. Glad for the stop over in KL though. We did the same on the way back and not only do you need this for the flight times but we did appreciate the rest and we're generally people who are pretty comfortable with long haul. So, on to Slow Villas... it's a beautiful setting and the architecture/layout/design has been done perfectly. It's perfect tranquil yet everywhere on Gili Air is within walking distance. The nearest beach was about a 10 minute walk and then there are three beach bars/restaurants immediately on from there. Lots of people cycle and there are bikes to hire from reception. To be honest through we only used them once and were more than happy to walk everywhere - it compensated for the holiday (over) eating!! We love exploring and heading off for a wander around the island was all part of the experience. It's a fabulous island with loads of cool places to eat and drink. The villa and our garden was lovely. We were in villa 3. We would often spend the morning in the pool and sunbathing in our private garden and then headed off to the beach for to find somewhere new for lunch. Our favourite food wise was the Italian Dolce Mare (we went twice) but the best for lunch on the beach and cocktails at sunset was Island View Beach Bar and Bungalows, which is the closest to Slow. Breakfast at Slow is wonderful, just how the pictures show it to be. I fell in love with their dragon fruit juices (go to Pachamama for their legendary dragon fruit and peanut butter smoothie!) and muesli with yogurt. Avocados weren't always available which was a tiny downer as their Aussie breakfast with toast and avocado was yummy but hey you're on holiday on a tiny island in Indonesia and you have a day of sun and sand ahead of you, nothing is really a big problem! Don't expect a proper cooked English breakfast but their cooked tomato mix, like a ratatouille is delicious. We also had the Indonesian BBQ one evening. My word this was absolutely delicious. So much food between us and just stunning. Seriously worth staying in one evening for. The staff at Slow are all really kind and respectful. Some have brilliant English, others not so but unless your Indonesian is up to scratch then a level of patience shouldn't be too much of a hardship. It's so true that a smile goes a long way. We also went to the Slow Spa which has been done so nicely, it's tranquil and beautifully designed. We didn't visit any of the others on the island but it's easy to tell just by looking from the outside that Slow Spa is the most professional and up to the standards you'd expect at home. The room had everything we needed. We loved the outdoor bathroom. And as for that 'rainy' season - it didn't bother us at all. Yes it did rain and there were two or three days that we didn't sunbathe but we went off exploring and sitting in some really cool bars drinking green tea, exotic fruit juices and smoothies and watching the world go by. The sun is very intense so a few days respite was valuable. We still had lots of days joining nothing but laying on the beach and came back with a brilliant suntan! Plus there's nothing like watching a tropical storm roll in whilst you're on the beach with a Bintag in hand. We actually preferred that to the sunsets sometimes. Amazing sunsets here are just so common place!!!! We booked a snorkelling trip through Slow - just the two of us and two boatmen/guides. We saw turtles off Gili Meno and Gili T within minutes of jumping in the water. We've been lucky enough to see turtles before but never this many or this easily. The snorkelling trip was the highlight of our time. We had lunch on Gili Meno and had another two snorkelling stops on the way back. The sunken boat and metal structures off Meno (not sure exactly what it was) was the BEST snorkelling I've ever done in terms of seeing tropical fish. It was like a fish super highway. I could have stayed in the water there for hours and hours. So in summary Slow Villas is without a doubt the best accommodation on Gili Air. We're not backpackers and wanted some luxury. It's in a great, quiet location but still easy to get everywhere (really - no where is far on Gili Air). The staff and management are really helpful. There is so much choice in terms of eating out and at different budgets that you never get bored and there are lots of people to meet when you're out and about. We loved every moment. Terima kasih Julie, Kara and Martin. Stayed January 2017, traveled as a couple"

MesaStila: "Heavenly Abode"

Firstly, you are surrounded by 7 mountains. The scenery at MesaStila is breathtaking. This is the Java you have been searching for. You are also on the grounds of a working, organic coffee plantation, whose history dates back to the Dutch times in Java. Afternoons are my favourite here (yes, I am a long term fan of this place and have been visiting since 2001) and you can wallow around the original colonial plantation house, which is drenched in the afternoon sun and as the light softly fads and disappears behind the towering mountains you are served a "high tea" - a complimentary coffee and tea service just to make you really feel at home. It is a real experience staying here. I would recommend flying into Semerang, as its only 45 mins on the toll road. The service is impeccable and the villas which grace the grounds are spacious and all antique, lovingly presented with the finest of antiques. You simply have to go.

Tugu Malang: "Coming home"

"Stayed there many times before. This time back after 3 years. They welcomed me at reception as a friend and made me feel at home immediatly. Very nice hotel, excellent food and very friendly staff. Every 15th of the month they have a dinner with traditional dancing, fantastic. So far the nicest hotel in Java for me, very cosy and looking forward to go back the next time."