Guest Reviews

Villa Song: "Holiday"

"Fantastic hotel, great staff, lovely pool great food. This hotel is a must for anyone visiting Hochiminh city It's on the river about a 15 minute drive to the centre of Hochiminh but the hotel put on a free shuttle service for those wishing to visit the centre which we used"

Hotel Tugu Lombok: "Incredible Family Holiday Weekend!"

Hotel Tugu Lombok is a truly special and amazing place. There is something beautiful to see in every direction - from the larger than life statues and antiques that create drama and intrigue to the tiny details like the bathroom toiletries that are in clay pots or the boardgames in the dining area that are all made of wood and natural materials. Not an eye sore to be found. The attention to detail in both service and decor makes for a very luxurious experience. The food is fantastic and the presentation is beautiful. We loved both the Indonesian fare and the western options and the healthy breakfast smoothy bowls were delish. The beach is stunning and steps away from the rooms and from the restaurants. You can paddle board and snorkel right right off the beach or take a trip out a little further and see sea turtles. I can't recommend this place highly enough. You won't be disappointed.

Summertime Villa: "A true garden of Eden"

"I spent 3 truly stunning nights in Summertime a few months back. I waited a while to write this review to see if my opinion would change over time. It hasn't. This stay was a transformative experience. Built with love by a couple still in love, Summertime is an oasis of peace in one of the most beautiful region of India. Wild peacocks all around, graceful birds endlessly plunging in the infinity pool for a brief splash, beautiful gardens, a koi pond, a majestic living/dining room, 3 enormous bedrooms with ensuites and walk in closets and wonderful staff all awaited to make my stay one of the great experiences of my traveling life. I cannot recommend enough the warm and welcoming hospitality of Hans and Sucheta."

Les Maisons d’Itac: "BEST PLACE EVER! Suite Télémac ❤️"

"It's been a long time since I've been in the Philippines and it was his first time to go for a proper visit (stopped over on the way to Australia back in '99). I wanted to make sure he sees how beautiful the islands are and make him experience local culture and the Filipinos signature hospitality without compromising some luxuries. Boy, oh boy, this place made an impression! Our first time in Cebu coming from an awesome 3 days in Boracay, we thought this place will have to work really hard to impress us. We arrived at the Cebu Mactan airport and was picked up by a friendly ""Kuya"" that we arranged with Sir Bryan. His car was clean and he let us do a bit of shopping at the nearby Savemore supermarket while he waited at the parking lot. I admired his patience. He told us it'll take around 3hours to get to the resort and I thought we were ok with it. I am not a very patient passenger, plus we just came from a tiring flight and barely had time to rest. I kept thinking that I made the wrong decision with booking this property because it was miles and miles (and miles) away from the airport. Eventually, we arrived at the resort late at around 8pm and it was already dark so I was like, ""okay, give it a chance in the morning"". We were lead to our private villa and I was pleasantly surprised at how perfect it was with our own pool, 3 rooms, a hut and a cabana! Sir Bryan called one of the girls to fix us a meal and it was delicious. I am not kidding, it was. We were the only guests because it was the town fiesta (festival honoring the feast day of their patron saint) and Sir Bryan was worried that guests might not be happy with the noises the parties might cause. I was warned about this beforehand but we were totally ok and were actually planning to join the party. In the morning, we woke up and our jaws dropped after realising how gorgeous the whole property was. Breakfast was unforgettable, especially the fresh mango smoothie/shake (so sweet and not even a grain of sugar was added in it!). On other days we had different fruit shakes and the staff made sure they were all fresh and perfect. The food, as I've mentioned, is simply perfect. Loads of activities around and we were luck enough to join the fluvial parade during the town feast and we had so much fun chasing and trying to get the passengers on the other boat as wet with sea water as we can. We ended up getting back after around an hour soaked, but incredibly happy. We had our first try with stand up paddle-boarding and it was great! People who like their own space and respect other people's will fall in love with this place. The marine sanctuary right in front of this property is a great indicator they care about the earth. It is one of the best holidays and resort I've been to. We left with a heavy heart and wished we could've stayed a bit longer. Will definitely try and visit again if we ever go back to the Philippines."

Tugu Malang: "Classic and Traditional"

"What should I say about my amazing stay in Hotel Tugu Malang? The room was excellent. They even provided us with FREE high tea between 4-6PM and they served very very good Indonesian traditional cakes and desserts. They also gave us 10 minutes complimentary shoulder massage. This hotel is like a monument. They gave us a free tour of the hotel and so we can see different rooms offered. Unfortunately, we stayed only for a night. Definitely recommend this hotel if you go to Malang!! This is the best place to stay."

Nimmu House: "Charming and excellent"

"We stayed fro one night in a tent which was extremely comfortable. The food was also good and the entire property has great ambiance and style. The room was a little noisy in the morning because its in a village and you can't really sleep in late which is also fine in ladakh. The garden and the courtyards are great to sit and relax in. Would recommend this property for sure for a few nights at least. Wonderful experience overall."

Misool Eco Resort: "DC"

World class diving...the staff was friendly, accommodating, and excited to share any knowledge about marine life or surrounding area. The food was fresh and plentiful while offering a nice variety. Beautiful resort with paddle boards, kayaks, snorkeling, scuba diving, and spa services. Having air condition over the beds at night was comforting and being able to step off your deck to walk, swim or snorkel was lovely. Bring whatever you need with you as this is a remote island. Small refrigerators are in villas. Loved this resort!

Inle Heritage Stilt Houses: "Hôtel Parfait"

"Excellent hôtel-concept. En effet, outre les 6 bungalows, on y trouve aussi une école hôtelière, un espace sur la culture intha et la faune/flore du lac, un parc à chats birmans dont le but est de réintroduire l'espèce dans son pays d'origine. Les chambres sont donc des bungalows sur pilotis en bois. Très bien décorés, modernes et sobres mais dans un style assez local. Très belle salle d'eau avec quelques bambous décoratifs du plus bel effet. Terrasse donnant sur le plan d'eau, magnifique au couché du soleil. La chambre est vaste et la literie est vraiment très bonne, ce qui n'est pas toujours le cas en Birmanie. Il y a aussi de l'eau en suffisance et dans des bouteilles en verre remplies chaque jours, ce qui évite la surconsommation de bouteille en pet. Un safe, le seul vrai que l'on ait vu dans le pays, mais sans doute dans l'endroit où c'est le moins utile. Le personnel, principalement issu de l'école, est aux petits soins et est vraiment dévoué et se fait un plaisir de présenter les différentes parties de la structure. Deux petits bémols: premièrement le bruit des pirogues de tôt le matin à tard le soir (village tout proche et canal important menant au lac Sankar) mais c'est le cas pour tous les hôtels flottant du lac Inlé). Deuxièmement, c'est vraiment dommage qu'il n'y ait pas un spa dans ce magnifique hôtel. C'est peut-être la dernière chose avant la perfection! Ne serait-ce qu'un petit coin massage avec vue sur la superbe végétation lacustre. Attention par contre, il vaut mieux prévoir son arrivée voire même ses activités pour le séjour un peu à l'avance (même si l'hôtel peut le faire sans problème). En effet il faut compter 1h de pirogue (+1h pour que le piroguier puisse rentrer). Donc pensez à arriver assez tôt, 15h30 dernier délai depuis Nyaungshwe, et oubliez tout de suite une arrivée nocturne. Finalement, le soir, pas le choix il faut manger au restaurant de l'hôtel. Ce n'est cependant pas un défaut puisque celui-ci est vraiment de très bonne qualité."

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "A Truly Unique And Special Place To Stay"

"The Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion is an incredibly unique hotel. Built in the late 1800’s, the mansion was the family home of Chinese businessman and politician Cheong Fatt Tze. The mansion symbolized his wealth and prosperity, with extraordinary detail given to the original building and restoration. In modern terms, it’s one of the most “Instagrammable” buildings I’ve ever seen! Keep reading to find out why I highly recommend staying at the famous Blue Mansion. THE HISTORY The original version of the Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion was built with 38 rooms, 5 courtyards, and 7 staircases, and is one of the largest buildings of its kind outside of China. Feng Shui played an important role in the design of the mansion, and each part of the layout had a specific a purpose. For example, the number of open air courtyards is because water is seen as wealth, so the more rain you have naturally coming into the house the better. Once that water was inside, there are winding drainage pipes to keep the water underneath the house as long as possible before flowing outside. There is so much history behind the building that the Mansion runs daily tours several times a dat so you can learn about the Mansion even if you are not staying there. However, I would still highly recommend booking a room because the tours only cover the common areas and not the guest rooms to maintain guests’ privacy. While the tour is still worth it if that’s your only option, staying in the hotel itself allows you to have the full experience and get better pictures! THE ROOMS The Blue Mansion has 18 rooms, each with its own name and backstory. I was in the Escoy room, named after an old smelting company in Penang. Located on the ground floor, the room had beautiful tall ceilings, detailed gold carvings, and plenty of space to spread out. In addition, there are little heirlooms and authentic 19th century furniture scattered throughout to give it even more personality. The rooms all have amenities that would have made Cheong Fatt Tze himself jealous, including a large HDTV, speedy wi-fi and a heavenly rainfall shower. It was truly a unique experience to stay in a place with such history, while still having full access to luxury amenities! THE FOOD Breakfast is served each day in the central courtyard, which is where the “Feng Shui” is strongest. The staff does a great job transforming the beautiful open air courtyard into a wonderful breakfast spread. There is a self-served area for pastries, toast and fruit, as well as made to order hot dishes from the waiter. You can also choose local flavors to be ready for your day! There is also a wonderful on-site restaurant called Indigo which was also great. Located upstairs above the central courtyard, Indigo fuses Eastern and Western culture in both the food and the ambiance. The in-house chef creates wonderful dishes each night, with each dish looking like a piece of artwork itself. The lamb and fish were especially good, so be sure to make a reservation during your stay! THE LOCATION Once you are well fed, you’ll see the Blue Mansion is perfectly located to many walkable sites. Given that Penang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, there are countless beautiful buildings and little areas to visit. These include the Clan Jetties, Little India, and Red Garden, a great night food market which is literally next door! One of my favorite parts of the location was is the short walk to many of the famous works of street art dotting the alleyways of Penang. Be sure to grab a map and ask the concierge for the locations of the art because some of them can be tricky to find but worth the effort! CONCLUSION Staying at the Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion was one of the highlights of my entire trip to Malaysia. The history behind the building itself is extremely interesting and the hotel itself was beautiful. Be sure to bring a spare memory card when you visit because you will take countless pictures of both the Mansion itself and all the amazing sites nearby. The Blue Mansion is a very special experience and I highly recommend staying with them next time you are in Penang! Stayed January 2017, traveled as a couple"

Locavore: "Lives up to its reputation"

Fine food, delicate flavours, perfect preparation, beautiful presentation, impeccable service. We had 5 courses with matched alcohol (note not wine but you could have wine if preferred). A must for those who love fine food.