Guest Reviews

Golden Buddha Beach Resort: "Our happy place"

"We have spent 6 days at Golden Buddha in December 2015 and it has been one of the best Holiday experiences so far. The location is fantastic, the staff and the management are very friendly and the whole atmosphere is very familiar and relaxed. Food, drinks and services (e.g. Thai Massage) are great and our Baan was also stunning. Hopefully we can come back one day."

Mathis Retreat: "Lo mejor del viaje"

"The site is wonderful, the extra staff helpful and amiable, the room was a small village with great privacy despite being next to the pool and restaurant. Life takes a different pace being there. Rice paddies, duck, peasants tilling the fields, the sunsets ... film. The very new room had every comfort, a spectacular tub and a huge, new shower. Hopefully we can come back some other time. Super recommended! "

Maison Polanka: "Maison Polanka: A Sanctuary in a Temple Town"

Maison Polanka is for those who prefer the serenity of a haven, something authentic and real, intimate and independent. The boutique hotel is just as elegant as the Intercontinental in Danang, as carefully and imaginatively conceived, but way, way smaller, just five rooms to the many villas and suites on Intercontinental’s water-front acreage on Monkey Mountain. Down to the smallest detail, the design and style of the hotel is a reflection of the owners’ life, that is to say, intricately linked to Asian and Cambodian crafts for over 20 years: a private collection of paintngs and photographs from Khmer, Asian, and European artists, the Art Deco and 1950s furniture and objects sourced since 1992, all found their natural home and function in the renovated “Maison” and “Khmer House.” The whole hotel is just two those Cambodian-style – read stilted – teak villas set inside spacious, lush, tropical, and best of all, secret gardens that sit behind a tall wall, which shuts out the hullabaloo that marks the start of high season.If what you are after are the temple adventures Siem Reap has to offer, Angkor Wat the crown jewel, then Maison Polanka is just a short drive from that UNESCO World Heritage Center.Upon your return home you will be tired (very, the wake-up call is generally 4 a.m. so your guide can get you there for sunrise) and sweaty (when it’s not pouring frogs, Cambodia is hot and humid), so a restorative dip in the hotel’s cool, crisp infinity pool will feel great. Or a massage.The spa is a temple within this temple. Is it possible to square serenity?The restaurant sala is next to the pool, its menu, owner Nathalie assured us, features authentic family recipes, largely her own. She also told me an aunt owns a restaurant in Boston and a cousin wrote a Cambodian recipe book. Meals at Maison Polanka are prepared by Pich, a woman who has been the family chef for 20 years.We found the menu choices all so good – a perfect caesar salad, fried spring rolls, steamed rice, stir-fried squid with peppercorns, a Khmer chicken curry, caramelized pork with an egg and rice, stir-fried eggs and veggies for breakfast, beef loc lac– we chose to eschew the many fine options Siem Reap has to offer foodies and instead, have all our meals, including several candlelit dinners, at Maison Polanka next to the pool, which at night is lit by votive candles.

The River Resort: "A destination in iteself"

I am just back from an extended week-end trip to The River Resort. The resort is so peaceful, the rooms are absolutely beautiful, with large terraces, and the outdoor shower is fabulous! We went to visit the temple and some waterfalls, and I had not realized that so many other attractions are available nearby. That is great: I will come back then :)

Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge: "R and R after a hectic trip through Bhutan"

"A haven of peace after Bhutan and other parts of Nepal--a lazy 4 days where the waistline expanded again, inventive food and yummy....Lalu at his best !! As always, a superb stay, the team surpassed themselves under Marcus's steely eye. The weather was none too good but, hey ho, every visit has given us stunning views of the Anapurna range so we couldnt grumble( otherwise the Grand Fromage would probably banish us !! ) Looking forward to our next visit and some chilli dishes !! Room Tip: Any cottage will be a joy"

Flower Island: "Our favourite place in the Philippines"

"This is the perfect place for people like us - wanting to get slightly off the beaten path but with creature comforts such as good water pressure, comfy bed, good food...and most importantly, a beautiful beach with some of the best snorkelling right off the beach we have seen. (...) The snorkelling was incredible - such a beautiful, healthy reef with tons of fish. We were honestly snorkelling 3-4 times a day and it was always different. I am torn as I sort of don't want to tell too many people about this gem of a place but also want to share the experience as this is what we were looking for in the Philippines. Without a doubt the highlight of our trip in terms of places we stayed and we will absolutely go back. Thanks to all the lovely staff as well who made our stay so enjoyable."

Mathis Retreat: "Hasn’t Changed with Ownership Change"

"We have just returned after 4 years for a 3 night stay and the Mathis Retreat is just as beautiful as it was when it was Kenanga. Many of the staff are the same and are delightful. This time we stayed in a bungalow instead of a deluxe room and it was beautiful. You don't have the rice paddy views from the bungalow but they are only a few steps away from either the pool or restaurant. The included breakfast was delightful. We only ate at the Terracotta restaurant twice this time other than breakfast each day. This visit we found some of the menu items not available which was a shame. I also found my favourite cocktails were not available because of a missing liquor. The only other changes I noticed were no ""happy hour"" which was a little disappointing and no complimentary afternoon tea which I had previously found to be a lovely touch. These small things are not enough to deter me from staying at this beautiful place and I have in fact already booked a return visit. If you are looking for a peaceful, beautiful place to stay that is situated amongst the rice paddies then Mathis Retreat is the answer. Absolutely love it."

Talabgaon Castle: "Cycling stop over"

"OMG... you just have to make sure you get this hotel on your itinerary if you are travelling to Jaipur ! The atmosphere of the hotel is so mellow! It has got a fab balance between Indian heritage with modern touches. The staff were so kind, professional and you almost feel like a visitor to someone's home rather than a hotel. The food was excellent and we had dinner by the pool and breakfast in the gardens. I would have loved to have visited when the polo team and horses were about, but unfortunately they were in Jaipur preparing for a match. I really want to go back and stay again .. but next time for longer! Stayed January 2017, traveled with friends"

Neeleshwar Hermitage: "A resort well deserving a mention on trip advisor"

"Excellent staff lead by a very competent manager who made an effort to speak to guests at breakfast. It gave an opportunity to voice any outstanding issues in person( not that there was any ) Fine breakfast esp Indian food. Appam (indian pancake ) was made on request. Rooms were very clean well looked after . Every evening the room was turned over , mosquito coils set up and water and a bottle of local drink provided. The ambience was of a rural setting with soft lighting to guide us at night to our cottages. Tastefully decorated to a high standard. The landscaping was very appealing. Fine clean clear blue open air swimming pool that was just right for cooling off and swimming. The waiter service was infallible . Very polite English speaking staff made it all the more delightful. Very good avurvedic treatment with in house doctor for advise. In house tailor who can complete a shirt in lass than 24 hrs. Security was good day and night as I found out when walking alone by the beach. Crows are regular visitors at breakfast time and by the swimming pool. But well kept out the guests tables by a very astute guard who used a special technique to scare them away without any harm . The sandy beach is very hot to sun bathe . The sea water is a little unclear but warm and safe to swim. Sometimes the waves can be bigger than usual and hotel uses coloured flags to inform the safety condition of sea to guests. A few go to swim as most stay by the pool. This is a hotel worth a visit . Recommend at least a week for peace and sanity ! Room Tip: Facing the sea single cottage"

Manda De Laos: "Romantic VD dinner"

Our hotel arranged the booking and they put us in the most romantic solo table in the middle of the pond with a lit umbrella above. We had the tasting platter for 2. Food was absolutely amazing, especially the stir fried buffalo and the fish salad. The chicken stew was the real deal as it had pieces sakarn wood in it which sneaks up on you like szechaun peppercorns. Everything came beautifully presented, unfortunately it was too dark to take a decent pix with my ipad. Can't think of a more romantic place in LPQ to spend VD. The resto manager attended to us himself the whole time.