Guest Reviews

Cuisine Wat Damnak: "New Year Eve treat"

We loved our meal on new years eve. Great value for 6 courses of quality food, particularly loved the Amuse Bouche. Staff were very nice and the chef visited each table. Made the evening special.

Glenburn Tea Estate: "Magical Location and Five star service"

The magical location of this resort poised on a hill with direct views of Darjeeling town and Kachenjunga from my bedroom window is quite unforgettable. Lush gardens communal dinners and a sense of a bygone time reminiscent of the british rag. Day trips to Darjeeling and Kalipong and the river camp. Husna and Alex went out of their way to make me feel at home.

Jing’s Residence: "Do not miss this!"

We spent two lovely nights at this boutique hotel while visiting Pingyao. It is beautiful, serene and wonderfully restored. Our room was not large, but very well appointed with a king platform bed, desk, armoire and mini-fridge with complementary drinks and snacks. The bathroom was perfect with a large shower with great hot water pressure. We ate in the restaurant our first night, and it was terrific! As usual in China, the food was modestly priced and the wine was fairly expensive. But we thoroughly enjoyed our meal! But the thing that make this little gem excel is the staff. We travel a lot and I don't think we have ever found a place where every staff member was so welcoming! Everyone spoke English and wanted to practice their skills whenever they could. When we went out, we were welcomed back with an opened front door. When we came in for breakfast (very good and a broad selection), we were greeted by name and asked how we slept. Everyone consistently had a smile on their faces! It was a joy to stay here!

MesaStila: "One of a kind experience"

"We stayed at MesaStila from 10/2/17-10/9/17. We had a wonderful experience. The property is truly magical. When we arrived, the coffee trees were blooming white, fragrant flowers. The property is wonderful, mixing reclaimed old Javanese homes with old Dutch colonial buildings. Here are some notes for fellow travelers: Weather: We were worried about the weather (beginning of rainy season). However, apparently, we were lucky with weather for this time of year. We stayed a total of about 7 days. Most days, it was sunny. Some of the days, it only rained for about 10 or 15 minutes at night. One day, it rained in the afternoon. The first few days it was in the 70s Fahrenheit. Other days, it got warmer but not unbearable. Maybe the 80s or low 90s Fahrenheit. It was truly the best weather we could have wanted. Room: We stayed in the Arum Villa. I would totally recommend it. There is a beautiful red dividing wall with carvings. The huge balcony overlooks the coffee trees. The bathroom has a big blue tile tub with doors that you open, so it's kind of like an open-air shower. There was a little walkway with a fountain and trees leading to our room. We were very happy with our villa. It felt private and like we were ""somewhere else."" Excursions: Some days we spent at the resort, which we recommend. At the resort, there is a beautiful pool, yoga classes, gamelan (music) performance, Javanese dance performance, fantastic spa, croquet, and walks through the coffee trees. We also did excursions. Here are some notes on the excursions: First, we went on the Borobodur Temple sunrise tour. We enjoyed it. It was a cloudy morning, which impacted the sunrise. The resort hires a tour guide, which was very helpful in learning about the temple. You also got to see other smaller temples in the area, drink luwak coffee at a local luwak coffee roaster, and visit a local family's traditional home. We also opted for the elephant ride. We enjoyed it, but it didn't make the excursion for us. Second, we did the bicycle ride that takes you through the rice paddies, to royal baths, and an option of a local waterfall. This was my boyfriend's favorite thing that we did in all of Indonesia. You need to be a little bit athletic to enjoy the bicycle ride, because you're literally biking on a few-inch-wide path between rice paddies. The rice paddies were beautifully tiered and green with the volcano/mountains in the background. Third, we went to the Pramaban Temple and Ramayana Ballet. This was my favorite excursion. It's a long drive (about 3 hours), but you get to go to the temple, a really cool, delicious restaurant, and the Ramayana Ballet. The restaurant was this dark lit, exotic restaurant with truly great food. The ballet was performed with the temple in the background and featured traditional dances and costumes. We went on a night with a full moon and it was really cool. Fourth, we went to the local railroad station museum. You get to see old colonial trains and station houses. You also get to go on a train ride through rice paddies on an old train. This was probably our least favorite excursion, but the others were so great that it's more of a perspective issue than anything negative about the old railway station museum. Also, we highly recommend the MesaStila spa. They truly make you feel special. Food/Drinks: From our experience, we basically relied upon MesaStila for our meals. We didn't have a rental car (driving there is craziness) and you're surrounded but very small villages, so MesaStila is the ""only restaurant in town,"" if you will. The breakfast buffet is amazing. We were very happy with cocktails and drinks. You must try the gin and tonic with spices and the mojito with brown sugar. The soups, fried rice, fried noodles, and tuna appetizer were also very good. Service: The staff were very lovely. Thanks so much to Lily (reception) and Deni (driver/tour guide)!!! Central Java Overall: We were enchanted by Indonesia. The people are so friendly. You see volcanoes, mountains, tiered green rice paddies, coconut and banana trees, lizards running everywhere, and ancient temples. Between the people and the landscape, the country is a wonderful way to spend a vacation."

Nam Bo Boutique Hotel: "Simple hotel with excellent service"

This is a small hotel of 7 rooms overlooking the Mekong river. Our suite had 3 rooms all comfortable and well kept. There is no pool. The hotel restaurant is on the top floor and has spectacular views across the Mekong Delta. What sets this hotel apart though is the excellent staff who clearly enjoy having you as a guest.

Rice & Zen Boutique Resort: "Perfect Koh Samui Family Trip"

"Wonderful unpretentious small resort, nicely embedded in lots of plants and palm trees. You will be greeted with a very warm welcome and personalized service. They will do all their best to make your vacation special. Food menu is really huge for a small resort and small restaurant, but they surprised me with great quality fresh thai and european dishes. And we are certainly not the least picky regarding food quality. On the menu you will find great thai kitchen to lobster or wagyu burger. For our kids we made sometimes special requests which were all handled perfectly. Some vegetables/herbs etc are organically grown in their garden. Even if you don't stay in the resort, be sure to visit the restaurant. Cocktails are of great quality, lots of gins with fever tree tonic are available. We also did a cooking class with Toy, their chef, and were grateful for the time and effort she put into explaining all the details of thai cooking. The cooking took place outside with a view onto the pool and beach, which was a nice detail! Our two bedroom pool villa had all required amenities and was very clean and decorated with love. There is also a spa, but in the end we didn't have time to try it out. Airport transfers were organized by the resort and were perfectly on time with luggage service etc. If you don't need a huge and maybe crowded resort like the W, Four Season, but prefer a more authentic familiar service, this is the place to go. In the end I can only highly recommend the resort. We will certainly go back one day! Stayed April 2017, traveled with family"

Cuisine Wat Damnak: "Delicious"

Delicious food, very tasty herbs and flavour. Quite busy so need to make reservation in advance. They only have two tasting menu but good food. Will be filled after six course atUS$31.

Villa Mathis: "Au Top"

"Merci, Je suis resté à Bali trois semaines, trois semaines d’extase, trois semaines dans cet hôtel, avec du personnel et des gérants hors norme de part leur gentillesse et leur professionnalisme. Qu’une envie, revenir et peut être ne plus repartir."

Pindaya Farm House: "Amazing stay at the farmhouse!"

Had an unforgettable one night with my family of 5 adults and 2 kids several weeks ago. Amazing serenity surrounded by beautiful mountainview and farm, in which the property host raises various kinds of fresh veggies and herbs. The rooms were equipped with comfortable beds, and the modern style shower was a pleasant surprise! My favorite part of the property...

Rice & Zen Boutique Resort: "total relaxation"

Staff is great !! Stayed here with my sister who uses a wheelchair. From the moment I inquired about accesability, they helped us with solutions for possible difficulties. The resort is small, with lovely cottages, a nice pool area and a pleasant restaurant. The food is another big plus ! Fresh products from their own garden. It's very quiet and not far from Chaweng or Bophut. Would definately stay here again.