Guest Reviews

Bassac Cruises: "A feast for the eyes, mind and stomach!"

We boarded the Bassac 2 at Cai Be and sailed overnight to the floating market in Can Tho. Before boarding the boat we were taken to a place that produced coconut candy along with other products and we also visited a traditional village en route. There were twenty guests on the boat who were good company. The food was very good and our cabin comfortable. Our guide An made the experience informative and enjoyable.

TIGER MOUNTAIN POKHARA LODGE: "Amazing place"

"Tiger mountain lodge is amazingly relaxing, an oasis of beauty and organisation and fantastic food in the midst of a fabulously beautiful environment. The chef is splendid, the walks wonderful and the people and enthusiasm for the locale and the villages something to behold. There is a surprising amount to do and you are also on the verge of the Annapurna range and its extraordinary trail. "

Maison Polanka: "A Tranquil Haven"

A beautiful traditional Cambodian house, with just five rooms, it could not have been more perfect. Set in a tropical garden with a lovely pool. Nothing is too much trouble, delicious breakfast and we had several lunches and suppers here. Just a 10 minute Tuk Tok ride from the manic hub of Siem Reap. I cannot recommend it more highly. Perfect place to releax after the excursions to the Temples.

The Island Lodge: "Absolute gem only 2 hours from Saigon airport"

"We just spent 3 fantastic nights at this hotel, relaxing, exploring the island, and eating fresh, delicious food. Can't rate this highly enough, and it's easily accessible from Saigon and the airport. Having said that, we were a bit disappointed as we passed over the huge bridge to Thoi Son island. In my mind, we were heading to a rural idyll, and I didn't see how the island could be rural when it has a motorway passing through one end of it! But 10kms later, after driving through the fruit trees down the one road suitable for cars, we arrived at the Lodge. And the setting is beautiful and quiet, surrounded by lanes through the fruit plantations and houses, and with a view of the ever-changing Mekong. Everybody we interacted with at the Lodge was friendly and helpful, and service was always with a smile. Some of the staff didn't have great English, but there was always someone around who did. The staff make the place, and we were really charmed by them! A special thank you to Giao, one of the waitresses, who remembered our orders from previous days and was always kind and friendly. The Lodge itself is wonderfully designed, with a huge open communal area which is subtly divided into bar and dining areas. The whole place is beautifully furnished and oozes style - I would like to transplant everything from the bar area into my house! We loved that there were so many different seating areas around the grounds, including a couple of pagodas, sofas, riverfront tables and a table right out on the pier for watching the sunset. The pool is warm, long, and spotlessly clean, with plenty of loungers and huge fresh towels. Bedrooms are clean and comfortable, and as stylish as the downstairs area. There were so many other places to sit and enjoy the view that we didn't really use the balcony, but it is a relaxing place to be. The food was unexpectedly good. There is a French and a Vietnamese menu, and food is fresh and well presented. They bake their own bread and croissants on site, and the smell of it in the morning and before dinner was a treat. It's an odd thing to recommend when you're in Vietnam, but the quiche lorraine was one of the most delicious things we ate on the whole trip! It's on the starter menu, but is big enough and rich enough to enjoy for lunch with some of the fresh bread. We also enjoyed the duck, and the tuna. And breakfasts were sublime, with everything made to order. There is a comprehensive wine list, and we also appreciated the fact that the house wine was very reasonably priced and very drinkable - thanks Michel! The Lodge offers tours, which we didn't do, but instead we took bikes out on two afternoons and explored the lanes and bridges of the island on our own. It's hard to believe that the big city of My Tho is only a few kms away when you're cycling around under the shade of the trees, over bridges that are 2 feet wide. At the very far end of the island, as far as the road goes, we stopped and had a drink at Mr Thanh's little waterfront bar and chatted to him about tourism on the island. He was an interesting man with superb English, and his wife makes a delicious cold lemon juice on a hot day. The only negatives: At a Lodge with eco credentials, I would have liked to see drinking water available as refills, rather than endless 500ml plastic bottles. And just be aware that the Mekong view is of a busy waterway full of commercial and industrial traffic, with industrial buildings across the water. In actual fact we really enjoyed watching the traffic and the change of the tides so this wasn't a problem at all, but we hadn't realised it wasn't looking out on to countryside. Thanks to all the staff at the Island Lodge. This really is a gem, and we were so pleased that we stayed for 3 nights rather than rushing through."

TIGER MOUNTAIN POKHARA LODGE: "Fabulous Respite"

"We stayed here after a grueling six day trek, and what a welcome reward it was! From the moment we disembarked from our jeep, up the steep driveway to the property, our entire group was awed. Literally perched on a mountain top, you have sweeping views from both sides of the mountain. The villas scattered around the property work to maintain privacy, while the beautiful common area has little nooks for privacy, or you can choose to sit on the beautiful verandah, to take in the views, have a drink and rest. The dinner, meanwhile, was delicious, with the tables elegantly set in a non-pretentious way. The villa was beautifully decorated, and again, after our hard work and life in a tent on the trek, the luxurious bed and bathroom was so welcomed! It is truly a retreat - either from the demands that wonderful Nepal asks of you as her traveler, or from the demands that your daily life asks of you. I will certainly return - and might just take in one day in Kathmandu, then come directly back to Tiger Mountain Lodge for three days of beautiful relaxation and rejuvenation. "

YL Residence No.17: "Our wedding venue"

"This was our wedding venue for over 100 people last weekend. Pros: gorgeous location, good lawn to hold ceremony or reception, club house is big enough for contingency plan for 100 pax, good dance floor area and the rooms are lovely. You can sit out on the coconut lawn with your guests staying at the venue (we booked the whole place out over the weekend), it's very relaxing and the staff try their best to cater for your needs. Cons: communication leading up to and on the day of the wedding could be better. A few things went wrong (which had previously been discussed and agreed over emails and after a personal site visit made last August) such as glasses weren't pre filled for the first toast at our dinner, wine wasn't on the tables for guests to help themselves, the projector and audio during speeches broke and the team were very quick to jump in straight after dinner and clear everything out. The night before the wedding a unknown man came into my room at 4 am which was a bit odd - lucky I was in there to ward off any unwanted guests! The day after the wedding (Sunday) I was disappointed to see they had endorsed the next wedding structure to be set up right on the main lawn - we were checking out on the Monday and had just finished our farewell brunch so couldn't use the lawn even though we had booked all the rooms and paid ""location premium"" for exclusive use of the grounds. So it felt a bit sausage factory like - clearly it's a very popular venue! Overall I'd say it was a great wedding, very expensive but stunning location - you'll have to be patient with the emails and be prepared to invest a lot of time in going back and forth organising various members the YL Team and thinking of things that may be obvious - such as clearing the rubbish off the beach that YL overlooks."

The Hue House: "Best traditional restaurant"

This is one of the best restaurant for our whole trip in Vietnam. Decoration is very nice - in a French Villa with traditional design. Food is so good with many dishes from North to South. Very fresh ingredients to make the dish is even more delicious. Staff is very professional with big smile all the time. Very enjoyable dinner.

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "Beautiful place to stay!"

"A very nice place to relax and do some tours, extremely friendly and helpful staff. The tents are great, they offer good facilities, and all come with an awesome view of the river and the most amazing sunset. It's definitely not cheap but well worth the money! "

Tugu Bali: "Most Unique Property in Bali"

"A very lovely boutique hotel, very authentic and luxurious, elaborately decorated property with lots of Balinese details in every corner. Excellent food, a very enchanting garden, attentive and caring staff who respect guests privacy. Service is impeccable and closest to perfect you will find. Pristine Canngu beachfront at the hotel is ideal for surfers and great sunset spot. If you are a traveller looking for a truly unique Bali experience, this is the place to have it. I would highly recommend Hotel Tugu without any hesitation or reservation."

Heritage Suites: "Great choice"

My wife booked us for long weekend holiday to Siem Reap. There are certainly lower priced options. Slightly quirky including vintage vehicle transfer from airport. It was a 1968 Mercedes which had seen better days but charming nonetheless. Service was sincere, attentive and charming. Room was nicely appointed but slightly awkward setup for couple with teenage daughter. For cpuples itvwoukd be easier. Rollaway bed was not cheap but setup when we arrived. Minor issues like power outage and dead telephone were quickly resolved. Had one lunch, 2 breakfast and drinks in restaurant. Certainly cheaper outside but good service and great food/wine made it worthwhile. Lots of other great reviews. Add mine to the list.