Guest Reviews

The Island Lodge: "Perfect….except for the kids"

"From the moment you arrive until you leave you will be delighted with your stay here. The reception is a really nice touch especially with the owners both greeting you and welcoming you to the hotel. The rooms are spotless and the facilities very good. We had a river view double which has a great view of both the pool and the river. By far the highlight has to be the food. It is exceptional and very reasonably priced considering the isolated nature of the hotel. The hotel offers it's own various boat trips on the river for a variety of lengths and budgets and the your guide provided is very good. We had a massage on our last night which was by far the best we had during our holiday in Vietnam. Our only issue was that this sort of tranquil place should be adults only. There were a few kids staying during our stay who were quite annoying. In my opinion it's just not the sort of place where you expect to get hit by a ball from the pool when trying to relax. If children are of the age where all they want to do is play with a ball in the pool I don't understand why a parent would insist on dragging them around the world to do that when Benidorm or Tenerfie would be more suitable. It's not exactly as if they are taking in the local culture. The staff did approach the parents which calmed them down for a bit. I understand it must be difficult to turn away custom but I think the hotel would benefit long term by having a minimum age limit. Regardless, we loved this hotel and the owners and all the staff are great and I would recommend the hotel to anyone visiting South Vietnam and the Mekong Delta."

Golden Buddha Beach Resort: "Supporting the Local Community-True Eco Tourism"

"After spending a week at Golden Buddha, my greatest appreciation of the resort I can't emphasize enough (beyond the seclusion in a mesmerizing natural environment unparalleled in my experiences living in Thailand) is their mission to support the local community with true eco-tourism. I was amazed and overjoyed to learn all of the staff members, from the smiling and friendly faces behind the bar counter to the women working in the kitchen to the maintenance men who wave as you walk by, are all local people from the small fisherman village on the other side of the island. I actually had the opportunity to visit the village, Tey Pey Yoi, through an eco-tour offered by the resort where guests have a chance to learn from local school children the art of batik painting while contributing positively to the community and school as guests. My experience with our tour guide Eak was absolutely AMAZING. His giant genuine smile and his passion and local expertise about the wildlife we saw as we crossed the savannah to reach the village was the highlight of my stay at Golden Buddha (listening to the whistles he knows by heart to communicate with different birds isn't something you easily forget). The village itself is incredibly humble and reflective of a very low standard of living, with stilted one room homes over the water or small concrete houses covered by tin roofs on the sand. While the village way of life is a beautiful culture to witness and set in an awe-inspiring backdrop of local fisherman boats, mangrove trees, and mountains from the mainland, it brings a reality to where Golden Buddha's staff come from, and made even more clear to me the dedication and mission of the resort to train and offer employment opportunities specifically to the inhabitants of the island. They even hire an English intern every season to provide free English language lessons to the staff, an opportunity I can now fully understand after visiting the humble and under-funded school where most of the staff recieved their education. In a competitive tourist industry near places like Phuket and Khao Lak, Golden Buddha is true to the label ""eco-tourism"" by being an integral contributor to the local community. Knowing I am directly helping contribute to the livelihoods of the warm and beaming staff who made my stay so welcome gives me a feeling of pride as a traveler who is intentional about the footprint she leaves behind as a guest in a foreign country."

Maison Polanka: "An oasis in the city"

We felt well taken care of by the staff - every time we arrived we were greeted with cold towels and a willingness to help with any details to make our trip more enjoyable. The property is utterly an oasis in the city - tons of greenery and the pool the perfect way to cool off on a hot afternoon. Since there are not many rooms, we felt like we had the place practically to ourselves and the peaceful atmosphere was most welcome.

Summertime Villa: "Amazing and Serene! Best place for a trip with a close bunch of friends"

"I had the best time at this place and it showcased Goa in a new light! Away from parties, just the calmness and beauty of this place will make you wish to stay and not want to leave! 5 of 5 bubblesValue 5 of 5 bubblesComfort 5 of 5 bubblesLocation 5 of 5 bubblesCleanliness 5 of 5 bubblesService"

Chakrabongse Villas: "Wonderful hotel"

"We stayed one night in this hotel. This hotel is really beautiful. It is authentic and well located in the city. I would definitely recommend it. The room is huge and you have a large terrace. The breakfast is really good and can be served on the terrace as well. The staff speaks a very good English and are very helpful. This hotel would be a bit more expensive than other hotels that we did in Bangkok but it is definitely worth it. We hope to come back in Bangkok and stayed there. Thank you again for the Thailand flag :)"

Hotel Tugu Malang: "one of the best hotels I have stayed in!"

I stayed here twice, both for business. The first one was in June and the second one was in September. Both experiences were amazing, it's like this hotel is flawless! All of the food I had there was scrumptious and presented tastefully. It's close to a nice bakery and great coffee shops, and just 3 minutes away from the train station! I am definitely staying at Tugu the next time I am in Malang .

Mathis Retreat: "Excellent Boutique Hotel"

"Me and my girlfriend (both 25 y/o from London) stayed at the Mathis Retreat for 5 nights. We thought it was fantastic and was everything we were looking for from our first visit to Bali. Room: We stayed in room 1, this was one of the bungalows and it was beautiful. (As in, we got that tingly feeling of excitement when we walked in!). The decor was tasteful, the room was cool and spacious and amenities such as shampoo and tea were provided. Food: The restaurant on site was fantastic. Breakfast is from a menu where you choose the things that you want, then they are cooked and brought to you. There is a good range of food and as we tried everything (more than once) we can confidently say it was all delicious. However, breakfast paled in comparison to just how great dinner was - arguably some of the nicest food we had during our 3 week stay. It is more expensive than most other places but is worth it particularly considering the environment and setting (see below). There is a great range of Indonesian and westernized food. Setting/Environment: If rice fields and nature is your jam then this place will certainly deliver. Sitting at the restaurant/in the pool and overlooking the fields is spectacular and on arrival will certainly give that wow factor. Truly the photos on TA do not do it justice. Staff: Everyone is lovely, it really is as simple as that. Even when waking the receptionist at 2:15 am (climbing Batur) he came out with a smile and did everything he could to help. Special shout out goes to Karen the manager who clearly makes an effort to talk to all the guests and provide insight into what can be done in Ubud and how to do everything you want to. Tours/Guides: We tried to do as much as we could for our stay in Ubud and think 5 days was the perfect amount of time. However, this was utilizing the guides provided by Karen who were superb and we would highly recommend using them as oppose to navigating the place yourself. In particular, we were very humbled by an opportunity to visit one of the guides homes and see how him, his family and their community live (they had a blacksmith, weaver and fighting chickens!). This was an eye opener into just how different life is for most locals in Bali and how tourism has changed things. Our guides name was 'Susa Wayan' get him if you can! Conclusion: Mathis Retreat was great and we can't really fault it. Staff made it clear they were there to help for any issue and would definitely go back if in that part of the world again. One final point - we paid 350k for the journey to the airport in kuta. Don't pay anymore than that (and you can probably get it cheaper!)"

Tugu Malang: "Keramahan ditengah kota malang"

Having a strategic location amid poor town, close to the city center and the train station. The hotel staff were friendly and the facilities were excellent although vintage ... In the afternoon there drinking tea is free for guests while enjoying delicious snacks. For breakfast there was no buffet menu, but do not worry about the food choices will not disappoint.

Dewakan: "Well paced degustation menu, creative"

My husband and I took an American guest to Dewakan. We chose the 11 course tasting menu. I was looking forwards to being delighted, and we were not disappointed. The restaurant is quiet, and comfortable and we were able to enjoy each course and exchange views on the myriad of tastes exploding in our mouths. I especially loved the Yoghurt & Roselle, which I thought was so well done since each taste emerged one after another. The explanation given by the maitre d' on the ingredients and how to eat each dish added to the enjoyment of the evening. It was easy to converse, given the wonderful presentation. I did not care too much for the duck, which although delicious, was a little rich for my preference. The red snapper was very good, and a little less saltiness may have brought it up to the level of sublime. Anyway, we had a wonderful evening and enjoyed the experience tremendously!

Villa Song Saigon: "The best luxury boutique hotel in HCM if not Vietnam"

"I will never forget this amazing experience. This place is an absolutely outstanding place to overnight, have only breakfast or maybe lunch or just diner, anything you chose will be an unforgetable time. The hotel staff is top 5star and the kitchen is even better. The chef and f+b manager is a truly artist of his kind, he is a magician and his food is like a firework in your mouth and spirit... You have to meet Kevin Marchetti, just ask for him you will be pleased to meet him. You will never forget the time you send at Villa Song ! "