Guest Reviews

Blackitch Artisan Kitchen: "An unforgettable experience"

A truly unique and distinctive experience at Blackitch Artisan Kitchen. Chef Black's philosophy around food and ethics comes through in all his dishes - local, creative, artisan and balanced. His food is innovative, experimental and he has a real flair for flavours. Chef Black explained each of his dishes as they came to the table and the processes - the majority of the food is organic and handmade. I was fascinated to hear about the fermentation processes and work he'd gone through to create the dishes - an unforgettable evening !

MesaStila: "An amazing holiday"

"We live in Jakarta and were in desperate need of nature. We travel a lot, both for work and leisure and are quite picky with accommodation. For our holidays, we like to stay away from soulless big chains without having to compromise on comfort and quality. Mesa Stila did not disappoint: from start to finish, everything was perfect. The hotel itself and the grounds are magical, and the mountain views from the rooms are spectacular. Even the hotel's website doesn't do justice. Thanks to the activities, we never got bored during our 3 day stay and never got out of the hotel. We made full use of the facilities on site (spa, pool, restaurant, kid indoor playground) and of the complementary activities (yoga, jungle gym, coffee tour plantation). Considering the remote location of the hotel, we were very impressed by the level of professionalism and skill of the staff (I practice yoga twice a week, and my husband is very athletic and both instructors were really good). Unfortunately we didn't have time to try horseriding but the horses looked very well cared for and the man in charge told us he was an ex-jockey. Our visit happened during rainy season and although it rained most afternoons, we always found something to do (hanging out with our friends in the main house enjoying the complementary afternoon tea, taking turns going to the spa...). We found the hotel very kid friendly (traveling with 3 kids: 3, 1, and 6 months): indoor playroom, shallow kid pool, accommodating restaurant and good kids menu... A few packing tips: clothes for slightly cooler weather (the hotel is located 700m above sea level and it can get chilly in the evenings during rainny season), plastic flip flops in case you are visiting during rainy season"

Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge: "Best lodge in Pokhara… if not the whole of Nepal"

Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge was by far the best place we stayed in our month long trip to Nepal. Marcus was a fantastic host, and the staff went above and beyond to make our stay the best ever. The lodge itself is beautiful and the view will definitely make you want to outstay your visit!

Locavore: "Amazing Amazing Amazing"

"It's easy to see why this restaurant has been on the Top 50 Asian Restaurants list for 2 years in a row. What a culinary experience. What a journey of taste sensations. As restaurant owners ourselves, people just don't realise the amount of effort that goes into bringing the theatre of dining to life. Locavore exceeds on every front. Incredible food, impeccable service from knowledgable wait staff who can recite every ingredient of every dish, delicious cocktails and affordable wines. As others have said, around $320 AUD which makes it on the high side for Bali, but worth every cent. Two things to note. I think our 7 course ended up 16 courses with snacks, pre dessert and post dessert - so make sure you don't eat much beforehand. And one small issue with the squid, not sure it was 100% so didn't eat it. The waitress offered to give me an alternative (again, fantastic service) but I declined as we had more than enough food. But it was a minor blemish in an extraordinary dining experience. Lovacore is a must if you're visiting Ubud. Can't wait to come back. Great job team."

Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris: "Wonderful safari"

"My husband and I had the most magical 2 nights here and absolutely loved everything about it! We had been warned that the Sri Lankan safaris were very different to African ones and so had tempered our expectations, but there was no need as we had the most amazing time and saw so much wildlife. Sajeet, Praneeth and the whole team were exceptionally knowledgeable and a font of fascinating information and we learnt so much. My husband is the bird enthusiast but after 4 drives spotting the most beautiful birds, I felt the start of a new passion! We were incredibly lucky to see some wonderful leopard sitings, made more special and exciting by the fact that we had two drives without seeing any. However those two drives were just as thrilling because of all the other wildlife that we saw - elephants, land monitors, crocodiles, star tortoise, mongoose, monkeys and the most stunning kingfishers, wood peckers, fish owl, fly catchers to name but a few. The tents were surprisingly comfortable and an evening open shower by moonlight was very special. The food was absolutely delicious with good wines and very atmospheric drinks before dinner and the most charming and friendly staff. Couldn't fault it and highly recommend this camp! Huge thanks as well for the wonderful photos taken by Praneeth that Sophie forwarded! Such great photos and so thrilled to have them as iPhones really don't cut with wildlife photography.... Stayed February 2017, traveled as a couple"

Amata Lanna: "A ‘homecoming feel’ Resort"

"Between 19th and 21st September, we, totally 11 persons were staying at this Thailand-style furnished resort. Notwithstanding it was a small one with only 12 rooms, our experiences of staying there were really great. First of all, the place was tidy, clean and quiet. The staff were extremely polite and helpful. The facilities were sufficient and, most of all, there was a jacuzzi found in each room. All of us admitted that it was a bonus to our stay. Another thing worth mentioning is that the resort was running by a twin brothers. They were very kind and helpful. The handsome big brother boss, after knowing that we wanted to buy a special brand of pepper, he volunteered to search for us. Though we told him that we had tried most of the supermarkets but failed , he guaranteed that he could complete the mission successfully. Finally he handed to us 6 bottles of that pepper in the morning before we left! I really feel this Amata Lanna Village Resort is though small yet complete in every detail!"

leopard safaries: "Absolute respect for nature, top notch service, and food to die for"

"We cannot recommend Leopard Safaris highly enough. We stayed at a range of accommodations while in Sri Lanka--from luxury eco-resorts to Airbnb--and Noel runs the most professional operation of them all, and leaves the high-end luxury resorts (e.g. Jetwing) in his dust. It felt like nothing was an issue, effort or burden for Noel and his team. All of his team are fantastic, but we worked with Saj the most and can’t speak highly enough of his welcoming and friendly nature, sense of humor, great enthusiasm and passion for what he does (i.e. revel in nature and wildlife!), and utmost professionalism. Seriously, Saj - will you be our friend?! ;o) (...)The campsite (accommodations, dining, lounge etc.) strike a great “glamping” balance - modern luxuries (e.g. porcelain toilet), but not excessively developed, so there is comfort without feeling like the area has been flattened for tourists (in fact, Noel replanted/reforested a lot of the area, having been cleared previously by farmers) - The traditional Sri Lankan food was the best bar none - we ate only traditional Sri Lankan food for our 3-week trip, from roadside to home-cooked meals to luxury dining, and not only were the meals at Leopard Safaris the best versions of what we’d eaten elsewhere, there were also a host of other traditional dishes we’d never seen (I’m converted to wood apples!) Thank you Noel, Saj, and everyone at Leopard Safari’s for a lifetime of memories and an all-too-brief stay. Please do keep to your values and good work, and hopefully we can come back soon!"

Tandjung Sari: "12 Days at Tandjung"

Our stay was very close to perfect- we selected a garden villa as our home base for the family holiday. The staff at Tandjung were so attentive and nothing was too much trouble. Starting each day with a shower (in the private outside villa courtyard) then having breakfast on the beachfront was a daily highlight for me. The villa and the grounds and the facilities around the resort were immaculate and the security staff at both ends of the property added to a sense of exclusivity. And lastly, Tandjung is great value; a similar quality room at a Seminyak resort cost my cousin more than double the rate. We will come back to Tandjung Sari for sure.

Inle Princess Resort: "Paradise on Earth"

This resort is paradise and we had a wonderful stay here. Attracted since we saw the photos on the Internet BT when we came here, we were shocked with it's beauty. A peaceful place with river view. Very traditional and beautiful. The room is huge with Oriental decor. I love sitting outside of the balcony and watching the life on the river. Best moment of my life.

The Twelve Hotel: "Wonderful hotel"

Beautiful rooms and amazing breakfast, with owners and staff who are very welcoming, attentive and helpful. We loved our stay and will definitely come back if we are in Bangkok again. Highly recommended!