Guest Reviews

tugu lombok: "Too good… Tugu!"

We are travellers who enjoy the splurge when it's worth it but never like to return to locations we have previously visited (the world is just too big). Tugu is one of those places we would love to visit again though, if only for its uniqueness. One of the first things you'll hear on your intro is that Tugu is not for everyone and this is the kind of thing that makes me happy on holidays. Who wants to spend money to get holidays that are "for everyone"? In Tugu you will be taken care of individually. We stayed 4 nights at Dadap Merah on the Retreat package and definitely recommend the package to all. The room is unique and -frankly- perfect. We loved the rustic quirkiness of the resort and the kindness of all staff. Terima kasih and you again!

Bassac Mekong Delta Cruises by Secret Retreats: "Wonderful experience"

Seeing the sunrise over the Mekong was an unforgettable experience. The food on board the boat is superb and we enjoyed the visit to local villages and seeing the floating market. Our guide, Annie, was excellent too.

Satri House: "Lovely oasis in Luang Prabang"

"We stayed at Satri House for 3 nights at the end of our Laos trip. The hotel rooms are beautifully refurbished and full of antiques (and have modern showers & A/C!). Rooms fumigated every night too to get rid of mosquitos. Lovely pool to relax in and little poolside bar. Free bikes on offer to explore the city and the staff are very helpful in arranging / suggesting places to visit and restaurants. No TVs in the room help relax and adjust to the pace of life! Stayed December 2016, traveled as a couple"

Rachamankha: "excellent restaurant and hotel"

Great food and excellent service. They do good Thai, and Northern food, as well as some Western dishes. The staff are friendly and their service , excellent . Good wine, Beautiful furniture and great collection of art and antiques. We repeatedly keep going there. Never disappoints.

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "5 star accommodation with culture and heritage"

A beautiful property, rich with history, culture and heritage. It transports you back to a different era once you walk past its gates. The tour is a must to appreciate the history of the mansion. Heaps of beautiful settings for unique photographs. Strategically located in the heart of Georgetown and walking distance to the famous Penang Street Art. A brilliant experience for my teenage boys who who up until now have only been exposed to modern holiday accommodation!

Tugu Malang: "Great experience 5 stars hotel"

"So calm and quiet, not busy place. You can choose to relax by swim or just walk around in this hotel. The romantic bed and awsome Java room design, makes you feel like in the Keraton. Very very recomended hotels in Malang "

Villa Song Saigon: "Highly recommended"

"We arrived at Villa Song after two weeks of non-stop sight-seeing in Laos and Vietnam and we were dirty and knackered by the time we got here. Saigon is a bit of a strange place as there really isn't much to see in the centre and the one trip we did down to the Mekong Delta in the car (5 hour round trip) to a floating market (and strange tourist trap village) was not worth it. I think at the time I would have marked more harshly but the benefit of a bit of hindsight and comparing the hotel to all the other 9 stops we did, has given me a chance to mark it more favorably! Location: I really cannot see why anyone would want to stay in the centre of Saigon. This hotel is in the expat district on the banks of the Mekong in a much nicer area - usually there is a shuttle boat into the centre (which I would have liked to take from their pier) however it's not running at the moment as the city authorities are re-furbing the main pier in the city centre. There is a shuttle bus but we didn't bother taking it. As someone else has said, there is a noisy bar (with terrible food - don't eat there) across the way. It was only noisy on the final morning we were there, but the hotel could do with sorting this out so guests are not disturbed. Room: We arrived about 11am and our designated room wasn't ready. The receptionist asked if we would like to see a different room (they're all different which is a really nice touch) so she showed us room 6 at the back, which has a secret staircase up to it and also the room we were supposed to have which they were in the process of cleaning. That room had a larger balcony but in the end I picked the room at the back by the pool and I didn't regret it. F&B: Breakfast is a la carte - TBH I personally prefer a buffet as I find the food is cold (especially eggs) by the time it arrived with us, and the staff had some difficulties understanding our order. We also ate lunch and we had a top pho - the menu isn't that extensive but the food was highly quality. The hotel provides a list of recommended restaurants in the expat area, which we ate at and I agree, they are good! There is a supermarket up the road (about 15 mins walk away) so if you want to bring back some additional beers to put in the fridge, they didn't seem to mind. On the road towards the supermarket we also found a great French deli with cheese & meats and an Italian pop-up place run by two Italians. These are on the right as you walk towards the British high-school. There is also a craft beer place with a really good local restaurant in the same street - about 20 minutes away (you should be able to find it on the TA map of the area). Facilities: the pool area was lovely. We had one full day round the pool and it was super quiet - if only the weather had been better (but that's not the hotel's fault). I had been intending to book something in the spa but in the end I just didn't have the energy for it, so can't comment on anything else. Finally a couple of points for improvement: - It would be great if the room came with a proper guest book - there were bits of info scattered about the hotel room. Surely a guest book can be sorted with very little organisation? - Please use less packaging on your laundry items. We were two weeks in when we stayed and needed to wash a lot of clothes - everything came back individually wrapped in cardboard and plastic - there was mountains of waste. Not eco and very expensive! It took us ages to put all the laundry away and the bin was over-flowing all over the place with all the packaging. Overall - great hotel, great location. I would stay again..."

JING’S RESIDENCE: "Live like a weathly merchant in Ancient China! The Real Experience!"

"I was a wealthy merchant 500 years ago...my home was full of carved wood and art and lavish fabrics..I had a staff eager to please my every need..I sat in my warm lush living room looking at the last bits of the sun as it set over my ornate terra cotta roof... This is a review of Mr Jings Residence..where you get to pretend to live in another time and place... Pingyao is an ancient walled city cut off from car traffic that looks and operates as it has for a thousand years. If you want to experience historical China this is the place to visit! It's crowded with Chinese tourists in spring and summer but still a must see. In a day you can do a quick tour and see the many restored museums, temples and explore the nooks and and secret walkways that make up this city. (...)The courtyards and sitting spaces laced into the ancient buildings..all your own private sanctuary in warmer weather... The restaurant chef and Jing's Restaurant staff were excellent. Unlike a lot of problems with service in China, the folks at Jing's were helpful, friendly and eager to please. A diverse menu of Thai, Chinese and western food was great. Their spring rolls were light, crispy and perfect!!! My Thai peanut chicken was sooo good! I wondered how the chef could source food in the dead of winter..but amazingly he did!My husband had pork that was fresh and savory. The folks at Jing's were always there to help..they even packed us a picnic of banana chocolate bread for our train ride to Beijing. This place is ancient, quiet and yet modern and luxurious. A must do for any visit to China! Bluntly, I would put Pingyao on any travel plan just to stay at Jing's Residence...It was that good!"

Amata Lanna: "So happy we stayed here!"

"We were two couples visiting Chiang Mai for a weekend. Two of us were visiting from NYC and Philadelphia, and two were joining us from Bangkok. I chose Amata Lanna after reading the great reveiws on TA but it surpassed my expectations. It is a small boutique hotel with great charm. Who wants to stay and a standard big chain hotel when you can get a great flavor for the area and the people by staying at a place where they know you by name and offer you really personal care? We had two double deluxe rooms on the second floor, each with a King bed and four poster with mosquito netting. The decor of the hotel is old and traditional, but there is thoroughly modern plumbing and air-conditioning. An overhead rain shower stall with good hot water and pressure, as well as a separate beautiful bathtub (which we did not use). The room is spacious and the A/C is excellent. An in room safe was large enough to keep a laptop. Breakfasts were served in the courtyard (there are many fans scattered around so it is comfortable). There was a cooked-to-order menu with Western selections and Eastern selections (delicious congee with pork or shrimp!) as well as a beautiful buffet of fresh peeled and cut fruits AND the most delicious mango sticky rice I've had. And I have tried a lot! This alone gave me so much joy! Yumi especially took great care of us, helping us arrange transportation and suggesting wonderful spas where we indulged in lovely massages. When one of our party became ill and required hospitalization, the entire staff mobilized to help us. They were understnding and gracious and allowed us to adjust our stay to accommodate our needs. Everyone always had a smile on their face for us and I genuinely felt very cared for there. I have neglected to name some of the other staff- Alan, a young woman who recommended the nearby spa, another woman who had an injured eye during our stay - all of them looked out for our every need. I hope we made it clear to them how much we appreciated all their efforts. I highly recommend this place for anyone seeking a boutique-type of hotel which melds charm and modern conveniences. But overall, it is the staff that make this a wonderful place to stay!!"

Satri House: "serene-gem-with asian art and antiques and large rooms among asian gardens"

This property is a gem. It is close enough to town to walk yet far enough to provide quiet in a hidden beautifully decorated (with art and antiques) colonial landmarked property. The service was sublime - and I wish I could have just stayed for a few more days - or moved in..... The pool is set among the gardens - and the rooms are large, clean, and the decor makes one feel as if you are staying in a prince's palace. This is the opposite of a large cold global branded hotel. Thank you to Satri House for a fantastic holiday.