Guest Reviews

Tugu Malang: "Excellent stay"

Stayed 4N. Fantastic all round services, food, location, hotel ambience. Highly reccomend. Travel from Surabaya a/p to Malang not so convenient -by car took us 3 hrs. Return to Surabaya by executive train to Gubeng, city station- no stress 2 hrs.

The Twelve Hotel: "A warm welcome in a haven of peace in Bangkok"

What was our surprise in the middle of all the excitement of the city, and be in an oasis of greenery and tranquility the second surprise comes from the welcome when we received very warmly by Athy, one of the owner. This store human-sized hotel offers very spacious and comfortable rooms have simple, elegant décor. A swimming pool is at the center of each building and vegetation around it makes us think that we are outside of the city center. Breakfasts are hearty and very diversified, personalized even every day we received very good advice of Sebastian, 2nd owner, and Athy when the routes and trips to Bangkok We seemed to be received with friends and went back and told us that we would have stayed longer ...

Reverie Siam: "One of my favourite hotels of all time"

"Stayed three nights in a villa and absolutely loved it. The grounds are beautifully manicured and the entire resort is just so peaceful. The riverside bar is stunning and serene, and the cocktails and wine list are excellent and well priced. The villa was lovely, done in a colonial style with a private outdoor patio, bathroom with glass ceiling and walls and a large jacuzzi, comfortable beds with high quality linen, to and DVD player, and basically anything else you could need. Staff were friendly and efficient. The included breakfast was of a very high standard and you could choose two meals cooked to order each morning. There is a free tuk tuk into town on demand which was useful for going in for the night markets etc. Despite being the most expensive place in town, it is not expensive by western standards and represents very good value. My only suggestions for improvement would be to allow food by the pool, and perhaps to even develop a poolside snack menu, so that people can enjoy some fries or another snack by the pool with their beers and cocktails! Also the food at the restaurant, whilst delicious, often came at different times to my dining partner whilst it should have been served together. These are minor points however and I would recommend this place to anyone, and will undoubtedly return next time I am in Thailand, as I have never found a resort as relaxing and peaceful as this before. Stayed February 2017"

Jing’s Residence: "Sublime"

Stayed in the master suite which was stunning with its 200 year old beams and tastefully designed room. Service from all the staff was excellent especially Imam who couldn't have been more helpful. Meals were also good and the location excellent.

Rachamankha: "You have to stay here……"

"OUTSTANDING, with a fabulous wow factor as soon as you drive into the courtyard. This hotel is a little gem so really I don't want to big it up too much as I wish for it to stay just as it is and always have a room available for me to stay for when I want to pop over to stay for a long weekend...... Paul walker, the GM, leads a great team. The service, food, amenities ( Molton Brown ) rooms, public areas of the hotel are all GREAT. Its a perfect stay for a short break and I will most definitely be retuning"

Les Maisons d’Itac: "Best place we stayed in the Philippines"

"Me and my gf spent 4 nights at Les Maisons d'Itac. We were supposed to stay for 3, we loved the place so much we decided to stay 1 more night (we couldn't stay longer as the Mayson Ulisse was not available anymore, so we kept our travel plan on). What can we say? Bryan (who spoke italian, we're italians and we have very charming and nice conversations during our stay) has been the perfect host. Always ready to help, charmful and totally welcoming. We booked our trasfers to Bantayan and back to Cebu through him and it was just perfect! The food at the maisons is great, the location awsome. They have an amazing spot for snorkelling just in front of the resort that you can reach in a few mins swimming. What makes this place special (apart from the view, the nature around, the sea) is the SILENCE. In almost a month in the Philippines we never found such a relaxing spot, where you can fall asleep at night hearing at the waves sounds. A true dream come true. If you're looking for a place to stay around Moalboal (it can be reached in 25 minutes scooter ride from the resort, you can rent just asking Bryan) DO NOT HESITATE to book a stay at the Maisons. p.s: say hi to Itac and Stacey for us :) Ciao! Andrea & Marta Room Tip: Maison Ulysse is a must-to-try!"

Tugu Bali: "Best location in Canggu"

"Tugu Bali offers the best location in whole Canggu. It is right opposite Old Mans Restaurant which is a huge meeting point for all the surfers and hip people in that area. The hotel is so close to the beach and has its own private garden area which overlooks the beach. The Tugu Totel has some impressive historical pieces of the Indonesian history. It is so interesting and the staff can even tell you something about it. When we arrived we got welcomed by the lovely staff which sat down with us to do the check in. While that happened we got served welcome drinks and ice cold towels. You can choose your own welcome drinks. We chose a refreshing watermelon and a fruit shake. I’ve got the biggest watermelon I’ve ever seen and I was surprised how good it tasted. The staff brought our luggage to our Rejang Suite which was upstairs. It is nestled within private gardens, small “rivers” and ponds of fish. The Suite is impressive and very spacious. It comes with a huge king sized bed. It is air conditioned and has asian décon and wooden furniture. Our room view was towards the gardens AND the ocean. The bathroom has a well pressured rain shower and another room also offers a spacious bathtub. The room gets minus points for its poor Wi-Fi and for the mosquitoes. Luckily the bed comes with a huge mosquito net. Make sure there aren’t any in there before you go to sleep. I really liked the traditional architecture and the wonderful gardens on the property. It is a perfect place to relax as it is really quiet everywhere. I only used the pool once to cool down at night and I loved it. During the day the pool is not crowded at all and invites you for a refreshing dip. The private garden area at the beach is also a highlight. It comes with huge sun lounges and beds. You can even have breakfast here. You can have breakfast everywhere and anytime you want. I fell in love with that service right away. From that garden area it is only a couple steps to the beach. The staff or security will watch your stuff, no worries. Be careful on the beach and keep in mind that the beach is mainly for surfing. Sometimes there are huge waves and strong currents. I really enjoyed that but if you aren’t a good swimming you should really think twice. During sunset the garden/beach area is also highly recommended. You can watch a beautiful sunset with a lot of privacy and in peace, while next to you a hundred people sit together on the grass of “The Lawn”. You are going to feel special on your spot.  The Hotel comes with in-house restaurants which serve authentic Indonesian food to Chinese and Japanese cuisine. Another highlight is their own Japanese Restaurant called “Ji”. We were blown away by any dish. Every single dish was so delicious, from the Sushi to the tenderloin steak to the desserts. Oh and don’t forget to try the afternoon tea. We always enjoyed that on a big sun lounge on the private garden area next to the beach. You’ll served tasty Indonesian sweets. It’s a nice experience. I had a really relaxing stay there and can highly recommend it."

SEEDS Restaurant & Lounge: "Beautiful views over cocktails"

"My party and I decided to stop by Seeds to watch the sun set over the lake. It was a completely gorgeous view, and we enjoyed several cocktails and appetizers during. I was not able to try the dining menu food as we were going to a different spot for dinner. I will say, this spot is very Euro-centric, so if you are looking for a ""local haunt"" this isn't it. However, it you want to enjoy a sit-down, white table-clothed restaurant, then this is your spot. The menu was moderately-to-expensively priced, but the views and ambiance are well worth it. I'd recommend going before the sunsets in order to watch the sky change. We stayed a little afterwards out on the deck, and I was eaten alive by mosquitoes (bring your spray!). While we were there, they had just opened their little cocoon tree house for small dinner parties. Next time I take a group, I will definitely be booking that!"

Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge: "The best views in all of Pokhara"

"What a magical stay this was! With breathtaking views of the Himalayan mountain range right from your balcony any time of day, the views alone are worth the stay. When the skies are clear, and if you ask, the staff will come to your room and wake you up so you can watch the sun rise from the mountains -- a view that will bring you to tears. Meals are included in the price -- the chef cooks the best Nepali curries I've ever had the pleasure of trying. The estate itself is lovely, quaint, lodge-like and smack right in the middle of nature. The hotel itself is also part of the Pack for a Purpose initiative -- where you can pack school supplies and give them to a school at a local village nearby. Another truly authentic and beautiful experience. I'd go again in a heart beat next time I find myself in Pokhara."

Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris: "Enchantingly Memorable"

"We (family of 4 with kids 8 and 11) spent 2 nights at Noel's camp. This included 4 Safaris. Both Noel and Cecile were our hosts, a lucky thing as they are not always present at the camp. Tent - we are not campers and had just come from several days in Amanwella, so ""glamping"" was the intention. We got the aircon tent, a semi-permanent structure that runs on solar power. Very comfortable, and the AC was a key feature during the stifling dry heat of the day, and also made it a lot easier to fall asleep at night. There were a few quirks here and there but when glamping, you factor that into the mix. Overall the tent delivered beyond expectations. The one observation I will make is on security - nothing happened and there is a safe in the room, but the tents are zipper operated (no locks). The camp site is not that far from village areas. I would advise to bring 2 padlocks to lock the zipper clasps together at the 2 entrances (front flap and back flap leading to the bathroom). Your valuables will be secure enough in the safe but I didn't like the idea that someone could unzip and enter while we are asleep at night. To be clear, none of the camp staff are an issue, but it's outsiders who know the price of staying at this camp who could get ideas. Food - spectacular. They source organic and fresh from the farmers in the area, and their talented chef put together very flavorful breakfasts, lunches and dinners. It was all local cuisine, and there was always spicy plus non spicy varieties to ensure the kids would be fine. Your taste buds will be in for a real treat. Camp ambience - charming. The volunteers (especially Christina from Spain) entertained the kids with games. They also organized the building of an insect hotel which the kids loved, and also had them participate in tree planting to show the importance of giving back to nature when you leave a carbon footprint. Both entertaining and educational. Meals were communal style and made for enjoyable conversation. Breakfast and lunch under a thatched roof, dinner under the stars. Yes you will now and then see a small lizard or mantis or other creature on your armrest or the table... to be expected in a wildlife park. Safaris - prime time to see stuff is at dusk and dawn, so the AM departure is before 6AM and the PM outing is from 3pm to 6:30pm. On our first two outings, we saw numerous spotted and barking deer; eagles, kingfishers, peacocks, many other birds; mongoose; crocs; elephants. Watching 2 alpha deer bucks clash was neat but we still had not seen what we came for - leopards. The third outing was the charm, and we watched a large leopard lounging in the grass. I don't quite know how to describe the feeling of watching a beautiful and free animal in its natural habitat. All I can say is: a zoo ain't the same. My iphone camera shots won't do it justice. Fortunately, Noel was our guide and when you combine a passion for wildlife with an 8kg-supersonic-Nat Geo-caliber camera lens, the results are amazing. Attached are 2 of his pics of our leopard. As a bonus, we also spotted a young sloth bear. Noel is very knowledgeable and gave us valuable insight and commentary during the rides. His Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles were properly decked out, and I noticed in the park many other outfits carrying tourists in rickety vehicles (one was even lopsided due to different sized tires). Also must credit Noel for truly trying hard on safari #3 to spot a leopard. He badly wanted for us to spot one before we depart, and made it his mission. There are no guarantees but it helps when your guide badly wants you to leave happy. We did the 2 night package and I highly recommend it. Had we done 1 night, we would have missed out on safari #3 which was the highlight. After safari #4, we had our fill and were ready to head off so the format was just right. I guess you could get lucky on a 1 night stay but your chances go up much more on the 2 nighter. There are some who do a day excursion from their beach resort, and this would be a mistake as you would arrive past dawn and leave before dusk, i.e. be on safari while the animals are asleep in a hidden shade. This is an eco-minded camp run by owners who are passionate about wildlife and conservation, and keen to impassion others by delivering on client experience. If you visit a big city like London or Manhattan, the hotel you choose plays a part but the city itself largely makes the experience. At a wildlife park, the hosts who run your camp and guide your safaris largely make for good vs bad experience. Is this value for money? I will answer same as when someone asks me that about my Porsche: I won't describe it as value for money but will just say, it's worth every penny."