Sea Dance Resort: "FLAWLESS — one of the biggest highlights of our Thailand trip"
We visited Koh Samui at the very end of our 2-week Thailand trip &, specifically, Sea Dance Resort. Our stay was, honestly, flawless. It started with a very quaint, beautiful, well-cared for resort where we were warmly greeted upon arrival & given some nice juice drinks as a welcome. Then, we went to our bungalow/room which was so stinkin' cool! It's this round, stand-alone building with a king bed in the center, little desk & day bed along the wall (which our 8 year-old son slept in comfortably). Even better, the shower, toilet & vanity were connected & outdoors. It was really special & well-done. We happened to arrive on a Wednesday evening & every week they do a complimentary happy hour from 6-7 by the water & you have a terrific cocktail or glass or wine by the sea & a band plays. You socialize with the staff & we particularly enjoyed talking to Rory, who we soon learned owns the resort. He is SO kind & personable & caring about his guests, as is the entire staff (Faith, Helen, John, etc.), I was impressed that they learned/knew my & my families names immediately & there IS a casualness to everyone yet their service is spot-on. Little examples-- we were goofing around in the pool & when we came out fresh towels & glasses of water were on our chairs. On one hot day they brought around gin & tonic popsicles for the adults, juice popsicles for the kids. The breakfasts are excellent with an egg station, tons of fresh fruits & pastries, Asian foods, cereal, juices, espresso drinks & so on. There are kayaks & SUPs you can borrow & lots of beautiful places throughout the resort where you can sit on a bench & relax. The staff took a particular liking to my son & went above & beyond by allowing him to feed their koi fish, giving him little treats, etc. We encountered a couple from S Africa who said they could "travel anywhere" but they choose to come back to Koh Samui & more specifically Sea Dance again & again because of the staff & resort; that spoke volumes. I have traveled a lot & Sea Dance is in my Top 3, best hotel experiences, ever. Partly because of the wonderful resort, even moreso because of the people.Rachamankha: "Truly Wonderful"
"My daughters and I were traveling through Northern Thailand without much of a plan. We ended up at this amazing hotel because of the recommendation from a very reliable source. David from DK Davids kitchen who has one of the best (if not the best) restaurant in Chiang Mai. I also plan to review his Restuarant..... The hotel is beautiful. The grounds amazing for being in the center and they are maintained to perfection. Service is not invasive which I prefer. The food at the restaurant was some of the best dishes we had in Thailand. We are vegetarians and they had two pages of food possibilities. To top it all was the attention to detail! It is apparent throughout the hotel. You can feel that this hotel is owned by a very passionate person who knows and wants to please people. If we were to come back to Chiang Mai I would definitely stay here! And I never repeat..... Stayed March 2017, traveled with family"Supanniga Eating Room: "Excellent Isan food"
"Here is a place to go to enjoy real Isan Thai food. We have been there several times already and tried many different dishes. All are freshly made, tasty, not too spicy if you do not forget to mention and nicely presented ... A very good option if you want to discover and change from other traditional Thai food. Very good service too!"TIGER MOUNTAIN POKHARA LODGE: "Fabulous Respite"
"We stayed here after a grueling six day trek, and what a welcome reward it was! From the moment we disembarked from our jeep, up the steep driveway to the property, our entire group was awed. Literally perched on a mountain top, you have sweeping views from both sides of the mountain. The villas scattered around the property work to maintain privacy, while the beautiful common area has little nooks for privacy, or you can choose to sit on the beautiful verandah, to take in the views, have a drink and rest. The dinner, meanwhile, was delicious, with the tables elegantly set in a non-pretentious way. The villa was beautifully decorated, and again, after our hard work and life in a tent on the trek, the luxurious bed and bathroom was so welcomed! It is truly a retreat - either from the demands that wonderful Nepal asks of you as her traveler, or from the demands that your daily life asks of you. I will certainly return - and might just take in one day in Kathmandu, then come directly back to Tiger Mountain Lodge for three days of beautiful relaxation and rejuvenation. "Sukoon Houseboat: "Superawesome!!"
Visited sukoon houaeboat on 1/7/15 for 1 night. Awesome experience!! Superb food!! Superb hospitality!! On a higher side if compared to other houseboats, but its incomparable to houseboats!! Its a luxury houseboat!! The staff is very cooperative. Jibin n babu too good!! Visit if u wana seek luxury!! Shikara ride is a must!! Also if lukng for a taxi for complete trip i would recomend out driver mushtaq bhaijaan..(099-06-460370)Excellent person with complete knowledge, knows where to visit and where to shop!!David’s Kitchen: "If there were more places like this in the world"
"I wish I could explain the ambience of this restaurant without you experiencing it first hand. I know I can't do it justice with words alone, but for the purpose of the review I'll try: ""crisp table cloths, meet the friendly, wonderful and chatty waiting staff to create a pristine yet comfortable place to enjoy a great meal."" I started with the scallops and I wasn't disappointed. Perfectly cooked and presented, with a wonderful Sauvignon to compliment. For main course I had the steak which was again perfectly cooked and served with some great sides. At this point I was lucky enough to have a chat with the owner, a wonderful man with a great story about how him and his wife created this special place. He explained the dessert menu and I was drawn to the soufflé, given it was accompanied by Prom's home made ice cream it seemed the logical choice. And it was beautiful. If you're looking for fine dining a with a wonderful heart, give this place a try when you're in Chang Mai"4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "A secluded river paradise, wow"
It may take a while to get there but it was worth every minute. What a fabulous location, the staff were just sensational and that is the most luxurious tent ever!!!! Pristine river to swim in, as quiet as I have ever experienced, relaxing, gorgeous, socially aware resort that was just the best. And they have French Champagne yeh!!!!!!MesaStila: "Beautiful place and very friendly staff"
We stayed only for 1night and enjoyed an excellent service. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The place is beautiful and peaceful surrounded by coffee plantation. The club house is a well preserved historic mansion of the dutch colonial era. They offer some activities for free for staying guess. We will definitely come back to stay longerThe Village House: "An amazing place – absolultely beautiful and run by the loveliest people"
"The Village House is an easy and traffic-free 40-45 minute drive from Kuching at the foot of Mount Santubong. It's absolutely beautiful - it's clear the owners have put tremendous thought and effort into creating a relaxing little oasis, and they've accomplished as much. The grounds are beautiful - very green and very relaxing with a luxury, boutique-y feel - when you see it, you can't believe how little they charge to stay here! The rooms are immaculate with gorgeous four-poster beds and well thought-out décor. The hotel is really, really gorgeous, but the highlight is the service - they went WAY above and beyond anything I've ever experienced. We forgot a backpack, so the owner lent us one - and not only that, but very kindly stocked it with bug spray and band-aids for our climb up Santubong! Then, when we got a little stranded and couldn't get a taxi back, the hotel chef came to pick us up - couldn't believe how helpful they were. We did two activities while we were here (climbed Santubong and a day at Bako) and they organized everything for us at VERY reasonable prices. We spent no time at all making our own arrangements, which made the weekend super enjoyable and relaxing. I couldn't recommend this place more highly. We've been to the Kuching area three times and this is by far and away the best place we've stayed - and in all my travels, the best customer service I've ever received from a hotel! "Rachamankha: "Beautifully Antique hotel with friendly services"
We enjoyed the antique furnitures and room, brilliant breakfast and excellent services. The room was tidied few times a day and we got welcome drinks and no insects wander in the room. Definitely recommended
Travel Asia with Secret Retreats
Secret Retreats is a curated community of independent boutique hotel, villas, yachts and river boats keen to share their Asian Homes with travelers, sustainably and responsibly.
Conservation of the environment, culture and traditions of Asia is of paramount importance to all in Secret Retreats.
A community of like-minded hospitality professionals, we offer our guests authentic travel experiences that go beyond typical offerings to unveil the essence of Asia. Supporting the Asia based hoteliers and hospitality professionals and providing incredible holidays in Asia and tailor-made Asia travel itineraries direct to public ad travel agents.
Get inspired and make savings!
By booking direct with Secret Retreats and enjoy peace of mind from our full on the ground support. Contact our concierge and plan then book your Asia holiday now!
