Guest Reviews

Mathis Retreat: "Small and personal, out of the way of the hustle and bustle"

This small boutique hotel is just a short car ride away for the busy Ubud area. The service is impeccable from the minute you arrive. If you are interested in seeing the sites guided the hotel manager is happy to arrange a private guide. The rooms while nothing over the top fancy are quite large and have a wonderful view of the rice paddies that surround it and are very clean and well maintained. The infinity pool while we were there was quite cool but that is to be expected for November. The restaurant on site is an open air area with a roof, with a nice of the area. The menu while not large has excellent food choices which are all quite good. We did not have a bad meal here. Prices were reasonable for the restaurant, rooms and the spa facilities. There has been a change in ownership which was happening about the time we were staying there, my hope is that it has been a seamless change as it truly is a little piece of paradise.

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "Simply stunning"

"My wife and I booked our trip to Cambodia a year ago. The 4 Rivers Floating Lodge came highly recommended so we were really looking forward to our stay. The pictures on the website do not do it justice. The location is stunning, the rooms are wonderful, the food is superb and the staff are some of the nicest people we have met on our trip. We went on a couple of excursions which were both great fun. The guides are very knowledgeable and ensure you have a great time. Do not miss the trip to see the fireflies. It’s only a short trip by boat but really impressive. The owners deserve a special mention for the great work they are doing with the local community. They employ a number of people from the local villages and I understand that they support a local school. I would go back tomorrow if I could. Nick & Jo"

David’s Kitchen: "Amazing food and friendly staff"

"Our meal at David's Kitchen was a fantastic experience. David and his staff were very welcoming and David came straight over to introduce himself to us. He told us a little bit about the restaurant and his family and was interested to hear where we had travelled from. The waiters and waitresses were helpful and recommended us options from the menu. The food and wine was absolutely delicious, especially the cheesy gnocchi! Dessert did not disappoint. Although we were full, we couldn't resist the chocolate lava cake and banana crepe! The staff kindly organized us a taxi back to our hotel. We were really glad we made the trip to Davids Kitchen and would highly recommend it when in Chiang Mai! Thank you David and all the staff who made our night so enjoyable!"

MesaStila: "Best Start to 2017"

"MesaStila really IS a wonderful place to stay in. My husband and I came for a short 2 nights 3 days break on the Escapism package and it was just heavenly. We live in Jakarta and coming here for a break from the city was just magical. A quick flight to Semarang from the new terminal 3 and we were met by the MesaStila car and driver at the airport. We were soon at the Resort and what a change from what we had left in in Jakarta. The air is clean, the scenery beautiful (constantly changing landscape on the days we were there with blue sky and white clouds, sometimes early mist, a brief lightning storm) and the grounds of the resort are so peaceful. We felt close to nature and yet pampered by the staff and the facilities. The Spa treatments were the best we have ever had and the attention to detail to the decor and the therapy rooms ensures a thoroughly relaxing experience. We stayed in room 204 which was a quaint villa. Styled perfectly, with a fourposter bed, plenty of seating options, a verandah to relax outside with a book, stained glass windows, old fashioned bathroom yet all the modern needs you would expect in a hotel room. We ate all our meals at MesaStila and the selection is amazing. The food was fresh, presented beautifully and so tasty. The quality was 5 star! We even managed to squeeze in a sunrise tour to Borobudur arranged by the staff. There is a long list of options of tours you can take which the reception staff will arrange for you. Thank you to the staff and management for ensuring we had a great mini vacation. We will be planning a return trip before the end of the year. Stayed January 2017, traveled as a couple"

Tugu Lombok: "a memorable stay"

"+ luxurious but not pretentious hotel, reasonably priced for such a wonderful establishment and good service + very helpful staff ready to go the extra mile for clients. we enjoyed every little attentions they gave us + 2 giant pools facing the sea and private white sand beach, plus free entertainment facilities make day time really enjoyable and peaceful + breakfast card is delicious and plus point is at any time of the day + we dined by the sea one night and the setting was very romantic. food is a bit pricier than outside but very reasonable given it s a 5 star establishment + easy access to the gili islands by boat + the tranquility of the place makes a perfect paradise for honeymooners and families or group of friends - remote from main touristic zone making the access a bit more complicated, but taxis are readily available and cheap. hotel car was about 3 times local taxi costs but offers more comfort - night time can get quite dark and a bit scary for fainted hearts - rain shower in the bathroom was a bit messy and water evacuation slow - ants. a lot of them in the bathroom. given it s an outdoor space, it can only be normal"

Tugu Bali: "Tugu Hotel Bali is a luxurious slice of history"

I stayed in a Dedari suite while I was at the Tugu Hotel Bali. I loved having the private plunge pool and outdoor swing daybed. I also quite liked the outdoor bathtub with attached koi pond. However, the hotel decor is what's so amazing here, and it is definitely one of the main reasons for staying at this hotel. Everywhere you look there are beautiful antiques and artefacts. It's a living museum. I also took in the Thursday evening cultural dinner which includes a Balinese dance and music performance. If you are a traveller looking for a truly unique Bali experience this is the place to have it.

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"

The Apsara Rive Droite: "Great experience"

"とても静かで良いホテルです。 ホテルの方々の、とても暖かな対応にも感動しました。 ルアンパバンの滞在は忘れられない良い思い出となりました。 Very quiet and great hotel. I was moved by the very high hospitality of the hotel. With this hotel,Staying in Luang Phabang was an unforgettable and memorable experience."

Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris: "Such a great addition to our honeymoon"

What an amazing experience, and so great to see that everywhere we turned, the camp was working to conserve the environment. Whether it be the tents surrounded by trees or the supply of clean drinking water into glass bottles, it is visible to see that Noel, Cecile and the team are really working alongside our environment, not against it. We were able to see all animals, except the sloth bear (which we didn't mind missing out on, due to their elusive nature), and only participated in 3 of the 4 game drives (due to wanting quiet time during our honeymoon). The staff are amazingly helpful and courteous and knowledgeable, and will even run to your rescue at midnight if you hear something in the bushes as there's mobile phones provided for anything of the like. The traditional food is nothing short of AMAZING! My husband is the fussiest eater and was a tad worried beforehand to say the least, but enjoyed almost everything put in front of him and not once went hungry (quite the opposite!). The honeymoon tent was a little out of our budget, so we chose to stay in the 'normal' couple tent, however were definitely not disappointed. I'm definitely going to have trouble getting my husband to come 'normal' camping again! It's very comfortable, spacious and 'glamorous' for bush standards! And perhaps the coolest part was meeting so many incredible people from around the world who were there too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As you can see - highly recommend for anyone visiting Sri Lanka :)

The Island Lodge: "So glad that we stayed at the hotel, although it was for only one night"

The quality of the service in Vietnam is first class. This is the fifth hotel we have stayed in during our visit and they have all been excellent. The Island Lodge is a bit special. It is the vision of the owner and his wife. You get the feeling that you are staying as a house guest. The only pity for us was that our stay was only for one night. Do have a massage or other treatment. I am sure there is lots to see around the hotel but we just soaked up the atmosphere along with having some great food and a few beers.