Guest Reviews

Mathis Retreat: "Lovely boutique hotel – perfect hideaway"

"I stayed here for a week and I miss it everyday! For the first part of the week, it was me and a girlfriend who came to Ubud to get away from the city, do a little exploring and do some yoga. We weren't sure if we wanted to stay in Ubud the whole time or go somewhere else in Bali, but after two nights, we extended our stay. One of our favourite things was having breakfast looking at out the private rice fields every morning, it was so relaxing. The pool had the perfect view. The hotel had a really good balance between a tranquil relaxed vibe, without being sleepy, and had some really good tunes throughout the day by the pool too (I ended up asking them for their playlist).The hotel was just a 10 minute scooter ride into town, which meant everything was really accessible without it being crazy all the time. My friend ended up going home early and I stayed on for an extra 2 days. The staff took such good care of me. And as a solo female traveler, safety is extremely important. They was so lovely and even taught me some Indonesian. The GM was super lovely and very hands on, she would come by and chat with the guests, without being intrusive. It was such a wonderful trip and the hotel was a huge part of it. Seriously, great rooms, great resto (really good food!), great view and great staff. I would definitely come back!"

MesaStila: "Magelang’s hidden paradise"

I've lost my words to describe how beautiful this resort is.. tranquilizing, mesmerizing, friendly staff, great details on the decorations, very private, we're fallen for the beautiful bathtub in the bathroom with the scenery of mount Andong, i'm looking forward to visit Mesastila again with my big family

Muang La Lodge: "Comfort in Northern Laos"

"This was our second trip to Laos and we decided to go further afield to the northern part of the country to trek and explore the region. The Muang La resort was a very welcome refuge in an area that has really not seen considerable investment in tourism infrastructure. The resort is all inclusive and does a very good job looking after its guests. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, and offer up nice views of the river and mountains. Our three days of trekking were organized by the hotel. Each day was a discovery, and while strenuous, our hiking took us up mountains to remote villages inhabited by Khmu and Hmong. We also visited jungle waterfalls, local markets, temples and rice fields. Our guide was terrific and he gave us access to places I'm sure we would not have been able to discover. After a challenging day of hiking, it was great to get back to the hotel, soak in one of the hot tubs fed by a natural spring, have a swim in the pool, accessed by a bridge suspended across the river, and play with the adorable baby monkey adopted by the hotel staff. The food at the hotel was very good - with diverse choices available, including both Laotian and foreign food. The hotel provided us with packed lunches for our treks, typically a rice or noodle preparation wrapped in banana leaf, accompanied by local fruits. There are nice walks to do right from the hotel -- crossing the river in the nearby town and wandering into the local villages on the opposite bank is interesting, and the return to the hotel side can be done on a river raft built from bamboo by one of the local farmers. The hotel plays an important role in the local community, providing employment and management and language training to the local population. All staff, apart from the hotel director, are Laotian. I'd highly recommend this property for a visit to this part of Laos. It's well worth the 5 to 6 hour drive from Luang Prabang, through breathtaking scenery, especially on the stretch from Pak Ou. Heading back to Luang Prabang, we took a river boat for part of the journey, again arranged by the hotel. Pack good walking shoes, an adventurous spirit, and a curious mind and you will love the Muang La resort and all it has to offer."

The Cabochon Hotel: "Feels like home"

This was the second time I spent some days in this wonderful retreat with my family. This hotel is just a magic place and everytime we arrive here it almost feels like coming home. Especially in a busy city like Bangkok this wonderful place is perfect to comfort you.We will come again and only can recommend it to everybody who is looking for a small hotel of no other kind. The staff is super friendly, the food is fantatsic and every little detail of this hotel feels like it has been developed with an incredible aamount of love and passion without any compromise.

Rachamankha: "Fantastic Stay"

This is a "late" review, as I lost the name until I found it in my old luggage. We stayed there three nights starting 01/20/2013-01/23/2013, and it was nearly the single most pleasant place we stayed in a three month trip around Thailand and Laos. All rooms face a beautiful central courtyard, and the staff and management are top-notch. The only downside is that the neighborhood outside the walls is a bit rugged, but we had no problems. Highly recommended...don't believe the Dec 2015 stay date...I had to put something....

mudanwan villa: "Tranquil and GREAT hot spring facilities!"

"I have stayed in Mudanwan for 2 night with my family. We got a big room on the ground floor with our own hot spring pool and swimming pool in the back yard (privacy guaranteed), a large bathroom with another indoor hot spring pool, two king size beds, and it was just fabulous!!! We went for a full board package and the food was just gorgeous and fresh! There's a 24 hr juice/snack bar too. The staff was extremely helpful and friendly, and the services were just great. We really had a fantastic time there. Although the location is really in the middle of nowhere, they do offer a nice shuttle service. "

Samanea Beach Resort: "Truly relaxing"

"Our 4 night visit to Samanea was perfect in every aspect. Very tranquil surroundings. Villas are large and well equipped. Enjoyed the outdoor bathroom and the 2 resident frogs. Staff cannot do enough to help guests. They are friendly, polite and very efficient. I like that they employ locals. Food was enjoyable and full of flavour. Restaurant service excellent. Staff will set up tables for meals anywhere you wish. By the pool, the beach, the jetty or you can dine in the restaurant. This is truly a place to relax. The hotel can arrange tours or tuk tuk for getting about. We arranged transport from Phnom Penh with private car. The Resort can arrange this for you. Very good driver and well presented and reliable at competitive rate. Driver Tim speaks good english and is helpful and knowledgeable. Would recommend Samanea and hope to return one day."

Bassac Cruises: "Not too big, not too small, just right for couples – highly recommend"

My wife & I were running out of time and only did a 2 day/1 night but we were glad we did the Bassac Mekong Cruise (we were on Bassac II) . BestPriceTravel organised a lovely guide Annie and we were so very pleased with the boat quality, the crew service and Annie's informative talks (Annie spent college years in Melbourne - so a good english speaker). The boat looks older but inside it is very modern and although the rooms are small, these are more than enough for a 1 or 2 day cruise as ideally, you will be up on deck watching the interesting Mekong river activities, waiting for an excellent dinner. We stopped of in a village, did a floating markets and a land market and a couple of candy factories. I'd taken several pens and paper 'packs' in ziplock waterproof bags to distribute to young ones and Annie help pick a some candidates that were less fortunate and even convinced the guy driving the boat to pull alongside a floating market trader - the smiles from the children and their mums were worth all the effort of taking and giving. We had based ourselves in Saigon and although the drive to and from the Mekong was a few hours each way the journey was worth it. Great food, educational, and some really interesting sights.

GOLDEN BUDDHA BEACH RESORT: "Pure bliss"

"My husband and I stayed at this lovely resort for 5 days at the end of our travels through Thailand and it was an absolute dream! All of the staff were very helpful, welcoming, and instantly made me feel at home. As we rode on the long tail boat to the resort I could start to feel my stress and worries melt away, which continued throughout our time there. The food was absolutely amazing and there was a huge variety. I don't think they offered the same thing twice in the week we were there. The breakfast buffet was heavenly and the best way to start each day. Although I have traveled somewhat extensively, I have never been so sad to leave a resort. I would go back in a heartbeat and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to get away from it all. "

Tugu Lombok: "Highlight of our honeymoon!"

"We arrived and were immediately treated like VIPs. The service was amazing. We were greeted by Henri one of the managers and escorted to our villa. From that first moment onward the hotel staff went above and beyond. We came to Tugu from a trekking trip and my husband was getting over stomach issues that started on the trek. During the first breakfast, he needed to go back to the villa to lay down. When I told the server that, they immediately offered and delivered his food to our villa for him. They also made him a special herbal tea, which really helped his stomach. In every instance, they went above and beyond to make our stay truly special. We sent a bunch of our dirty laundry from the trek to the laundry to be cleaned and it came back perfect, not one stain remained. I don't know how they got all the dirt off of our clothes and boots!! The food was definitely another highlight. We loved that there was no set time for breakfast. So when we decided to sleep in, we could still get breakfast at almost lunch time. They had a wide variety of balinese as well as continental breakfast options. They also had a variety of coffees from different Indonesian islands. I loved trying a different coffee each morning. They also offer to serve you dinner where ever on the grounds you would like. If you would like to have dinner on the beach, in a special bamboo hut on the beach, by the temple, anywhere-they would make it happen. We had a special BBQ dinner on the beach where we had our own chef and server who cooked up an amazing dinner of fish, octopus, lobster, chicken, and vegetables. There was no way we could finish all of the amazing food! We also took a snorkeling tour to Gili island from the hotel. We didn't realize we would have the boat and the driver and guide all to ourselves all day. They made recommendations and we decided where we wanted to go. We wandered around on the islands and went to different snorkeling spots. We could take as long as we wanted at each place. It was amazing! Our honeymoon package came with a free 30-minute massage, which we both upgraded to an hour massage. The quality of the massage was excellent and personalized with exactly the amount of pressure we had requested. Overall, this was definitely the highlight of our honeymoon. With 1 km of white sand beach and beautiful views of the sunset, this 5-star resort had 5-star service (or better). This is truly a special place. We look forward to coming back."