Guest Reviews

Locavore: "Wonderful Experience, but book ahead or be disappointed"

"Very popular, small, expensive but very very good. We went here for dinner. Thank goodness we had skipped lunch after reading the reviews. We ordered the 5 course Otak-Otak which eventually turned into about 12 dishes as there are delightful little pre/post dinner treats along the way. What a wonderful surprise. The staff are fabulous and explained each dish as each one has it's own quirkiness - a bit fusion east meets west . . . . very tasty. We enjoy the evening very much and after our three hour eating safari we were very full. Would highly recommend for a special dinner or lunch out in Ubud, but do book in advance. No shows and late late comers are fined accordingly."

THE SAMAR: "Back Home"

"Always a great feeling to go back to a place I like. The staff make me feel ""home"" as this is the 3rd time I stay here. Little attentions, smiles.. and this familiar atmosphere, the beautiful dark swimming pool. I travel quite a lot for both work and pleasure, and it is great to have ""harbors"" around, to rest, feel comfortable, recharge... The Samar is one of my harbors. Thanks to all of you!"

David’s Kitchen: "A true definition of Dinner Experience"

I had never felt so incredibly welcome at any other restaurant in the world! ​ Since the first second I got there, everything was absolutely fantastic! David himself and all the staff put on an enormous effort to make sure everyone in the restaurant is having the best experience a dinner could possibly be. Of course, the food is splendid! I can say without any doubt that I had the best dinner experience of my life! Hats off to these guys!

The Samar: "Great location for Angkor Wat"

We stayed here as a base to explore Angkor Wat and it is just 10 minutes by tuk-tuk from there, the hotel ordered our 04h45 TT to take us to Angkor for the sunrise experience. Well worth the early start, this is a truly spectacular experience and quite possibly the highlight of my Asia travels (still 17 days to go).... The hotel itself is a 10 minute ride from the centre of Siem Reap, but is located in a peaceful location away from the main road, so is very peaceful indeed. We had a suite on the ground floor (little tip, do an sweep of the room/bathroom in search of spiders), they tend to leave the room doors open whilst cleaning and if the rooms are not in use, we awoke at 04h15 to a rather large and unwanted guest in our bathroom. Even in UK I am not good with spiders, this fellow sitting on my toilet bag was huge...I was a tad alarmed. That said, it really is a lovely hotel, beautiful rooms, big comfy bed and a truly special breakfast, beautifully landscaped gardens and friendly informative and attentive staff....What more could you ask for, for $95 per night for a suite.... Great place, lovely staff, amazing country.

The Island Lodge: "Mekong trip or Saigon escape? This is your place"

"When you arrive on the small road you may wonder if you got lost, in fact you just found a secret gem! Beautiful surroundings (pool and river on one side, gorgeous garden on the other side) Tasteful design and decoration everywhere around Lovely and helpful team Nice mix of Vietnamese and French food Large choice of activities/tours to visit the area by boat, bike or scooter. We will definitely be back for the Mekong and for the Hotel!"

Blackitch Artisan Kitchen: "Thai Degustation"

"We stumbled across this diamond in the rough after dodging a restaurant with a sick (coughing/sneezing) waitress and another with no fan or a/c working. After dodging these first world problems we wandered past the nightlife at the surrounding bars and noticed Blackitch. Artisan kitchens can be rather hit and miss but this location is quaint coupled with enticing reviews welcomed us in. Obviously we didn't reserve a spot prior to dining and after a brief discussion with the kitchen hands the sous chef encouraged us to dine. We were unsure what to expect with no menu or information about the experience other than a drinks list. The house made plum wine was superb over ice and my partner enjoyed the root beer (sarsparilla for those playing in Aus). We were delighted from the first dish of the degustation through to the dessert. The chef showed pride and pleasure with our dining experience adding to the evening. Yes the price is significantly more than what you may pay elsewhere however the quality and personalised service for both of us including drinks for circa 4,500BHT is reasonable in comparison to other degustation dinings. Our favourite dish was the duck blood sausage followed by the banana fritter dessert. Unfortunately the only pic I managed was that of an empty bowl as I devoured the bouquet of flavours shortly after each serving. Recommended for a couples night of fine dining."

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 Village House: "A little piece of paradise"

"As the location is quite far out from Kuching we decided to rent a car from the airport which made more sense and was cheaper then taxi's/organised trips. It was a little hard to find when you arrive as the place has no signs. However the location on google maps is correct it just does not look like it. The whole place is stunning. The pool is great, staff are friendly, well decorated, rooms are lovely and the food was delightful. We had the 7 course tasting menu which is expensive for Kuching but the flavours were delicious. They laid the table beautifully with flower petals and it was a really nice way to spend the evening with my partner. They have a selection of wines too. It is nice to stay somewhere which is in a local village and off the tourist trail. They have clearly thought about the place and we could not fault it. The beach is nice to see but the water is dirty and there is not really anywhere to walk too. We only stayed 2 nights and one day we drove to Bako and the other we stayed around the pool. We then stayed two nights in Kuching to be closer to the Orangutans which we visited twice. A must stay place if you are in Kuching and want to get away from the city."

Hotel Tugu Lombok: "The Most Beautiful Resort I’ve Ever Been"

"My last birthday, I wanted to go somewhere quiet and unique. So I opt for one of my favourite hotel group: Tugu in Lombok. Tugu hotels are known for their design and stories. The owner is known as one of Indonesia's biggest antiques collectors, and his collection is so big that whenever he build a hotel or a restaurant, the place will be filled with antiques with lots of stories. This is exactly what I got. Their Lobby is an antique house called Rumah Ampenan from the Dutch inquisition era, brought to Sire Beach for safekeeping. Their restaurant is called the Bale Kokok Pletok because its roof is shaped like a chicken - and it is made inspired by the tale of Dewi Sri. The whole resort is filled with stories and history of how the thing was made. And all the staff will happily share the stories with you. So they made my whole trip really memorable. Other than the design part, the whole place is super eco friendly yet still have modern convenience and great amenities. There are two main pools available, aside the ones in the villas. But you might find it hard to leave the beach because it is filled with white soft sands and quiet waves. We love everything about our trip at Hotel Tugu Lombok. Oh and the food is great too. Their policy is to have breakfast anywhere you want, and we chose to have it in our room on the first morning, and by the beach on the second one. Not just anywhere, but you can order anything you want too. AMAZING!"

David’s Kitchen: "Incredible and delicious"

I cannot say enough good things about this restsurant. Everything was perfect from greeting us at the door to the food to the service. We had a double birthday so we went and everyone wished us Happy Birthday, Mr David came to greet and speak to us as he knew we live in Chiang Mai, the food was to die for (definitely order the pumkin soup for starter) and everything was on point. Lovely piano music as well.