Guest Reviews

Rahai’i Pangun: "Best boat on the river, great guiding"

"Wow Borneo organized a trip for me to Tanjung Puting to see orangutans, and then to Komodo to see dragons. Their boat to Tanjung Puting seemed to be the most comfortably furnished among the tour boats I saw on the river, and the food and guiding were excellent. Bear in mind that the visits to 3 feeding stations involve sitting among an audience with lots of other tourists from many boats as the orangutans arrive, eat and leave. We were lucky in that we got to see wild orangutans outside of this context as we cruised down the river. The monkeys and birds were worth watching, too (one monkey sneaked on board looking for food, but took off without succeeding). For the Komodo trip, the boat was more basic, but the guiding was still great and there was a greater variety of activities, including hiking, snorkeling, beaching, and of course walking among the incredible Komodo dragons. We also got to visit a couple of interesting fishing villages when we stopped for supplies."

Villa Song Saigon: "Great Boutique Hotel in Saigon"

"Stayed here last week for one nigh on way home and we will absolutely be back. It was great relaxing change compared the the larger hotels as you'd expect from a boutique property. We arrived, checking in and heading for the bar overlooking the river. Service is great and staff very friendly. We booked a table in the restaurant and decided to stay there the evening. The food was very, very good. The following morning we had a great breakfast sitting overlooking the river and my wife then headed to the spa for a very well priced treatment. I took the hotel bus into town. I great stay, but you pay the going rate for that extra privacy and environment. I would add though that the Hotel boat isn't running at the moment and won't be for some time are the local administration are doing extensive works at the landing site. I can now understand why they have a boat because getting into town takes a while dependant on traffic. Not the hotels fault, and what else can they do. I didn't go anywhere around the hotel but it seems it is in an area with lots of Schools and upmarket property. Seemed to be lost of nice eating places etc nearby."

muang la: "A piece of heaven in the middle of nowhere!"

"After a rough first week of travelling and very cold weather, we were thrilled to spend a couple of nights here. Gorgeous room, with HEATERS and hot water bottles, tastefully decorated, lovely bathrooms, with home grown bathsalts. The setting is delightful, on the river, and the infinity pool on its own island was a good place to unwind with a book when the sun comes out. All the little hidey holes have access to drinks and snacks and service is never far away. The spa itself, with the two huge hot spring-fed pools are elevated so you have a view of the surrounding countryside and are a panacea for weary limbs, and the massage sets you up for the next part of the journey! The five course dinner is light and carefully crafted, full of flavour, and the cocktails inventive and yummy. Little braziers kept us warm while we ate, and a large boma-type fireplace was comforting for an aperitif. We had a long walk on our free day round the local Khamu village, and enjoyed seeing village life at a slow pace, the pace it is lived. Excursions can be arranged to nearby hill tribes, but we didn't know about that. Even though the local staff dont speak much English it is good to see the management trying to give back other local community by providing jobs and an enhanced local spa for the village. I can't rate this place highly enough "

Talabgaon Castle: "Treated like royalty in a royal palace"

"The first thing to say about reviewing Talabgaon Castle is that in order to differentiate these 5 stars from any earlier 5 star reviews, I should probably go back to the others and knock them down to 4 stars ... its just that good. The setting, the staff, the food, the amenities, the service ... all were top notch. We (as a couple) spent two nights here in January 2016. The staff were awaiting our arrival, and cool drinks and towels provided after the couple of hours drive from Agra (it is closer to Jaipur but we were going the other direction). Our bags were taken swiftly to our opulent room on the ground floor, and soon we were eating our first meal. This being the 6th day of our first trip to India, staying generally in upper market accommodation, we have become accustomed to good Indian food - but this took it to the next level. Flavours literally bursting. (...) For our final morning, the hotel staff set our breakfast table out in the courtyard of the gardens. In a nutshell - if you're able to stop over here ... even if its a little out of the way ... then do so. You will I am sure be as surprised, impressed and amazed as we were."

Maison Polanka: "Outstanding boutique hotel"

Great quality hotel with exceptional staff who could went out of their way to make our stay so enjoyable. The grounds are delightful and the rooms spacious. The hotel is in easy reach of the town yet far enough out to offer a peaceful setting.

Inle Princess Resort: "Prime Position"

A beautiful place in an idyllic setting. Spacious chalet with outside deck whetjr one has Lake View or Pond View (slightly less expensive. Excellent breakfast and very good dinner. Binoculars and bird book a very nice touch. No tv anywhere. Wi-fi not available in guest rooms, only in reeption and dining area (although we had good wiifi in our chalet number 102. Approach is by motor boat from town about 30 minutes away althogh last 500 yards is by leg rower so there is little noise disturbance. Consider your return to Heho airport by car all the way (omitting the 30-minute boat ride and loading and unloading luggage) which save about half an hour on the journey. The final touch -- it was my wife's birthday on the dy we left and sh had a sing and a cake from the staff at 0630 in th morning and a beautiful silk skirt as a present from the owner himself who seems sincere about greening Burma and providing social benefits to his employees and the local community.

Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris: "Ethical safari company and wonderful staff; game safaris are a bonus! A++++"

"Summary: If you want a unique and special experience – come and stay here! Seeing a leopard is just a bonus! The safaris, the camp, and the team are brilliant. The company is ethical, environmentally-minded and the staff is knowledgeable, professional and passionate. You will not regret glamping, going on safari and generally having a brilliant time. I would recommend Noel Rodrigos Leopard Safaris to anyone and everyone! We went on a few safaris during our time in Yala but Leopard Safaris was so superior in every sense of the word! My only regret was not staying longer!!! I recently stayed with my husband and 8-year-old son. After a short drive from the pick area, we got received with a warm welcome and a cold towel. Well, Noel Roderigo’s Leopard Safaris, you had me at cold towel.... it continued to get better and better from there. We got a fresh coconut drink and then shown to our tent. The tent Hailing from Australia we are very used to camping. Often, we just throw down a swag or a very thin mattress on the ground. Glamping is the ultimate in camping – you get a real bed and awesome amenities. You get the excitement of camping with the creature comforts. It makes the entire experience so special. The fact that everything is ecological friendly makes this experience even more unique. The fact they have NO plastic made me so proud of them! What a wonderful thing to do and it just shows that Noel walks the talk of eco-tourism! I would say that getting the tent with the a/c is probably a good idea during hot times of the year. We got the unairconditioned tent and we did sweat a bit. Each ‘bedroom’ and the main area did have a small fan and you did get some air flowing through the tent too. If I had to have one criticism, it was the tent zips. I can see how this would be a hard thing to maintain. Sometimes when you closed the tent the zip would pop open. You could do it but you had to have a few goes. Cuisine Wow, just wow! The meals were some of the best we had during our 2.5 months in Sri Lanka. The chef also made a non-spicy variety for our super fussy son. Our son didn’t eat it but that is no reflection on his cooking ability, as our son doesn’t eat much other than bread! Following each meal, there was an interesting explanation of the ingredients or the meals. They were all traditional Sri Lankan meals and utterly delicious. If you do not cope with spice, as one of the other visitors didn’t, you might want to mention this. It was hot and spicy but that is the way we love it! Each meal was different and the selection interesting. The amount of food was generous. They also source all food locally. Each meal was set up at a different location within the camp and it was beautifully decorated each time. Our son absolutely loved making the string hoppers with the traditional press. You do need to realise you are eating under the stars, literally, and I had bugs come say hello. I am not sure why they decided I was the most exciting. But if you fear bugs, I would say maybe you need to go to a more sterile environment! The camp The entire camp was rustic, practical but also gorgeous. There were many areas just to relax and wind down. At night, it was utterly beautiful - You had small lights guiding you everywhere in the camp at night. The lounge/bar area was beyond beautiful during the day but at night, it was light up with candles and was perfect. We got some light snacks, again delicious and wound down with a wine or beer. Its a really nice way to relax prior to dinner. My husband did open the portable A/C unit in this area and did end up jumping about 10 feet into the air when a small brown snake sprung out of the unit at great speed! It was just exciting and great to see that nature was so chilled it popped in for a swim. It could be free and wild even in the camp! The snake was not dangerous. They were building a new addition - a pool! That will be an unreal addition! I can imagine how relaxing that will be. Ecological and ethically minded tourism Everything about Leopard Safaris is well thought out and has a purpose, yet looked awesome too! You can feel good about staying here. Often I feel a little sick when I see water in plastic bottles, here they stored in glass bottles in the camp and in metal bottles on game drives! What a novel idea! It really should be the NORM!! Electricity is from solar panels and a dual battery system in their safari jeeps. When they are driving it will recharge a battery, how cool is that?! I looked around and everywhere was “reduce, reuse and recycle”. You drink from jars, the basins are upcycled from pots, the fences and bridges are from fallen branches etc. etc.I could go on and on about these examples. As I said before, there is no plastic anywhere! You even had a sink that filtered the tooth paste you spat into the small basin! Our son also got to plant a tree in the camp. It was a lovely touch and great to teach kids about carbon footprint in a practical sense. Plus in the future, you can come visit ‘your’ tree. The company also funds a number of environmental and community programs. Just prior to our safari I was reading about them giving aid to those affected by the 2017 floods - transporting supplies. Again, they walk the talk! It is so refreshing to see! We did have one somewhat unnerving experience. The farmer next door used a VERY loud firework to scare away the elephants 4 or 5 times. We had a mobile to call the team but I think maybe they should have called us to say, “don’t worry the world is not ending”. It was so loud! Plus, I could hear the elephant breaking the trees and I am unsure how close it got but the farmer needed to set off way too many to scare the elephant away. It added to the excitement but I am not sure how great that is for the elephants. We got told it was an unusual occurrence though, as the fence near the camp had been broken a few days earlier. Safaris As I said, the safaris are just the bonus! Even though the leopard did elude us, I know we were very close a number of times. It didn't matter though (well I did want to see one!) but we saw countless other animals and birds, and we had an utterly wonderful experience. A highlight was a crocodile trying to climb a tree to get away from an angry buffalo! The Jeep – was very comfortable, drink bottles, cold drinks in an Esky, snacks, guide books and binoculars. It was well maintained and comfortable. Our Naturalist/Guide – Saamera He is a wonderful person and guide. He is so passionate about wildlife conservation and it really showed. He is very engaging and has excellent English. He is well versed and well educated about wildlife. I really enjoyed talking to him at length about conservation during our meals. He has the world’s most sensitive ears and was constantly on the lookout for signs of leopards and all other wildlife. It was great that he also didn’t talk all the time. Silence is golden at times. He had the mix right. If we asked a question, he answered with knowledgeable answers. Again, comparing to other “guides” we met who clearly made up the answers. The driver – Praneeth He was such a great driver. Actually, he was amazing! He drove at a reliable speed and it was comfortable. I felt like he could have a lot to offer in terms of guiding too, he clearly knew his stuff. He heard so many noises and looked for tracks, and knew all the cues. Other jeeps you can just see screaming around the place with no purpose. The team Saamera and Praneeth worked together and would discuss where to go next if they heard a noise that meant leopards were near. You could tell they liked working together. I feel bad I do not know everyone’s name but everyone was great! I guess my only criticism is – where are the chicks at? Maybe they are a distraction? Haha. Either way! I think having some females around the camp would be great! All that said, I would have loved to have met the “Master” himself, Noel! In his absence, his team does a great job. Conclusion We did a 1-night safari with 2 game drives and I really wish we did 2 nights. 1 night was just not enough! I cannot wait to return to see the leopards that did elude us! We were so close several times hearing many warning calls. I would love to return one day soon and even try out the Wilpattu glamping location you offer. I already know the level of care, service, and diligence will be sensational. Thank you, Noel, Saamera and the entire Leopard Safaris team! You are head and shoulder above 99% of the other operators out there. Please do not ever change your spots!"

Inle Princess Resort: "As before, just excellent"

"My most recent stay at Inle Princess Resort was, like all my previous ones, wonderful. I find everything at the resort just excellent, the chalets, restaurant, spa, bar, gift shop and again, above all, the people. Several staff members speak some basic German and Spanish and I encourage guests to give them a chance to practice their language skills. The resort is beautiful (a swimming pool was almost completed when I was there), but I find it a very good experience to take a bicycle and to explore the countryside, nearby villages, markets, or the winery, just ask at the front desk. The food, whether Burmese (e.g., curries, Mohinga, home made ice cream) or Western (e.g., BBQ Chicken on Steamed Pumpkin), was always delicious. My secret, I simply followed the recommendations of the chef (Nwe Oo) or of one of her assistants (Mo Kham). Very impressive is the social responsibility of the resort owner family, supporting the local population in many ways (e.g., health, orphanages, schools, education and more)."

Inle Princess Resort: "Très bel Etablissement"

Magnifique Etablissement sur le lac Inle... l'arrivée en bateau magique. Le service est impeccable, la chambre très spacieuse avec vue sur le lac était magnifique, confortable voir luxueuse; (normalement nous avions une chambre vue Montagne, mais l'Hôtel n'étant pas complet puisqu'étant en basse saison, nous avons été upgradés en vue sur le lac :-) , ce qui est très commercial.... Le restaurant était excellent avec un personnel aux petits soins (seul bémol: le nuit des pêcheurs braconniers viennent rôder autour de l'hôtel et nous avons été réveillés par une joute entre gardes de sécurité de l'hôtel et braconniers, ce qui nous a fait très peur et nous à empêcher de dormir pour le reste de la nuit)

The River Resort: "Les pieds dans le Mekong !"

"Très belle situation sur la rive ouest du Mekong a Champasak. Les chambres au 1er étage des bungalows avec vue sur le Mekong sont incroyables avec leur terrasse et le lit face à une grande baie vitrée qui permet d'en profiter même au lit ! La douche extérieure située à l'arrière de la chambre est très agréable. Deux piscines l'une ombragée, l'autre plus dégagée permettent d'avoir le choix. Très beau jardin avec une petite rizière située à l'arrière. Restaurant correct mais sans saveurs d'exception. On peut arriver à l'hotel via le Mékong (surtout si vous arrivez pas la rive est)"