Guest Reviews

THE ISLAND LODGE: "The one that the Mekong Delta has been waiting for"

"The big bridge in My Tho opened the island of Thoi Soi to the world 8 years ago. Michel and Francoise has build a sanctuary at the end of this island. This should give the comfort and care to travellers to the Mekong Delta. Owners are very responsive and timely in their email correspondence making pre arranging things very smooth. The Island Lodge can arrange for pick up and drop off in Saigon. The two hour journey is pretty easy and brought us to The Island Lodge in good time. Staff are wonderful and nothing is too difficult. The pool and breakfast are amazing it's almost feels like you are in someone's house as a guest. Be warned the property is isolated and My Tho is accessible by boat or car (both can be arranged with Michel). Ton their in house driver is wonderful and speaks good English. Nice to have a cheerful driver taking us on the linger journeys. The local river, bicycle and floating markets are all activities if you care to leave the property, otherwise we relaxed by the pool and had some wonderful dinners in the main restaurant. Food options are French or Asian with an excellent wine selection. We can't wait to return. "

VILLA SONG SAIGON: "Wonderful! Keep Up The Great Work"

"Stunning boutique property in district 2 of the city yet feels and looks like you are far more rural. We stayed here twice and were given a very warm and typical Vietnamese welcome each time. Service was impeccable and attentive without being intrusive. All seemed to have a very genuine interest in how we were and what we had done each day. Great sized lovely pool for the number of guests accommodated, chilled to exactly the right temperature! To the rear of the hotel is a beautiful garden, bar and indoor/outdoor restaurant overlooking the river and across to the fields. Chilled music adds to the very comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. We thoroughly enjoyed sitting out by the river with a drink (or two) each evening! An excellent menu and wine list provide great choice and all of the food was beautifully presented and absolutely superb. The hotels speed boat provides a courtesy shuttle service between the hotel and centre of the city in just 15 minutes, far quicker than going by road! Exceptional service from a clearly dedicated, highly trained and competent team. Nothing is too much trouble. We hope to return soon... "

Rak Ko Jae Seoul: "Rakkojae first 3 nights, Ritz Carlton last 2 nights. Cried the last 2 nights"

"Out of selfishness, I wish I could keep the Rakkojae a secret and post the stay as poorly managed, noisy, and uncomfortable. Or maybe that the Rakkojae reminded me of a fake Hollywood set for a Korean drama. Or better yet, that Rakkojae is located in a completely inconvenient location with zero access to historic areas and their iconic shop-filled alleys. Selfishness loses this one. The host was too nice to ever wish anything bad for them. Take everything stated and translate each into their polar opposite. That's Rakkojae. The stay carries a physical and emotional warmth that can't be described without using the word ""home."" A super nice, quiet home with heated jade floors, and served breakfasts causing one to reflect upon why one needs energy and brain robbing sweet carbos to start the day. How about fresh rice, cured fish, panchon with amazing kimchi, rice porridge tea and a different secret dessert every day. The Location If you arrive in the evening, your cab driver will wonder if your address is correct. Once you take a final turn down a narrow alley, you'll also begin wondering if you missed a digit on your address. But it's oh, sooo right. Once you start walking to any of the sights, you'll realize how perfect the location is for walking everywhere. Moreover, it's close enough to the subway for jaunts into the city. In the main city or otherwise, the street food alleys will help you regain your faith in the idea of street food. Unique, scrumptious, and absolutely no digestive drama -- other than various self-induce triggers from over-indulging. Kids OK? I have a feeling that if you have more than one child (we had our lone 8 yr old), and/or if your kids are typically loud and excitable, you might feel self-conscious because Rakkojae and the area is very quiet. The people are too nice to reject you for this, but you will be aware of how loud you actually can be. Ahhh. Peace and quiet. It's the price we parents often pay for having our bundles of joy. In fact, in the historic residential area you'll see more ""keep quiet"" signs than you'll ever see in a dozen libraries. It's not that kids can't run amok with joy, laughter while screaming their bloody lungs with excitement, but perhaps limited ""happy drama"" on the Rakkojae premises will allow one to blend-in a bit. Frankly, our child had no interest in running and screaming amok on site. It's so beautiful and peaceful that even a kid can feel odd belting the lyrics to Moana at 11p under such peaceful conditions. She saved it later for the streets. Sorry Seoul. Our last days at the Ritz Carlton in Seoul were fine. But all of us would have traded it all to move back to Rakkojae in a heartbeat. Go. I'm Hawaiian, so I don't promise anything, but the Rakkojae is a stay that will become part of your memory of the trip vs. merely being a cool place because they have bounce rooms for kids, mini bars and lots of people you could have met at some function back home. MOAAana!"

Inle Heritage Stilt Houses: "The highlight of our trip to Myanmar! Thank you sincerely!"

"A little gem! We loved it all: - the delightful staff, so professional, skilled and nice, will stay in our memories forever! We felt like home and all the staff deserve a LOT of credit for their hard & generous work everyday there and all the small attentions they craft everyday!! (reception, restaurant, housekeeping... all of them) - the incredible surroundings on the lake of course - the beautiful rooms, decorated with taste - the excellent restaurant - the center itself where you can walk above water, see burmese cats, an aquarium, learn how to cook, see students learning about hostellery with a free education... This hotel was the most authentic, friendly, and simple luxury experience of our whole trip in Myanmar. So happy to have spent time there and spent money for such a beautiful center & project. Thank you!! PS: if we had to mention potential drawbacks for some guests: - just be sure to know it's a small, intimate resort with no infrastructure like pool or spa (we were fine with it). - and it's in the middle of the lake so noise from the motor boats (but it's worth it!! Stayed August 2016, traveled as a couple"

Satri House: "Une splendide adresse, une très belle maison"

"Grandes chambres, belles piscines, restaurant délicieux, service plein de bonne volonté, jardin et spa très agréable, beaucoup de goût dans la décoration. Prêt de vélos.Quartier calme. Probablement l'un des pus beaux hôtels du Laos. Stayed December 2016, traveled as a couple"

Maduzi Hotel: "Return to Maduzi"

"I had twice before stayed at Maduzi although some years before and found each stay most excellent. This stay, with friends, was also exceptional. Maduzi is located in downtown Bangkok right near the Skyway and a short walk to Centre Point shopping mall; the Paragon complex is but four Skyway stops away. Breakfast is included, and the choices are unique; I cannot understand anyone finding fault with the variety or quality offered, and breakfast was a pleasure. Maduzi is a truly unique (yep, that word can be used again and again), boutique hotel, a retreat in downtown Bangkok in beautiful surroundings and rooms with service that can satisfy almost all. My wife and friends thoroughly enjoyed their stay as I did. Room Tip: Upper floors are probably best because the roar of Bangkok traffic almost defied sound-proofing."

Tugu Bali: "A slice of Heaven"

"The great service started at the airport when we met our smiling driver Dewo! Had no idea how crazy the streets around Bali could be and was thankful to be driven by a local :) We arrived at Hotel Tugu mid evening to a beautiful lights and warm atmosphere and friendly welcome and shown to our beautiful charming room - we had a family suit with inter leading doors and a GREAT bath! We loved all our time at Tugu and am just sorry not to have tried out all their ""experience"" suggestions - next time dinner on the beach! This was out first trip to Bali and we could come back here - we had a drive over to the South Kuta side and although they have nicer beaches we felt the intimate setting of Tugu so much nicer than the sprawling mass hotel feel of somewhere like Ayodya! Breakfast could be eaten at the pool or dining area overlooking the ocean and the kids loved the banana pancakes. We all loved the food at the Japanese restaurant on site and had fun exploring the area up to Echo Beach and LOVED the visit to Tanah Lot (best at high tide for photos). Driving anywhere takes a lot of time so it was lovely to be able to have a good choice of things to do (surfing lessons, swimming, cooking etc) right on the doorstep. LOVED this place!"

NOEL RODRIGO’S LEOPARD SAFARIS: "Another great visit to Leopard Safaris"

"We visited Leopard Safaris for the second time and had another great experience. Camp facilities have been improved with bigger tents and fans and flushing toilets. The service is just as good with great local food and small details such as cold face towels on arrival and after the drives. Our hosts Sajith and Praneeth were excellent very knowledgeable and, as we are keen photographers very happy to position the vehicle so we could get the best shots. Only one fleeting leopard siting at dusk but we had a great extended experience with a sloth bear. It's very interesting to drive around and have birds and animals pointed out that, whilst there, are not obvious to the untutored eye. All in all an experience that I can highly recommend. "

David’s Kitchen: "Impeccable experience and amazing food"

My fiends and I (all in our 30s and foodies who travel all over the world) went to Davids based off a friends recommendation. When we arrived, we were so pleasantly surprised to have David himself greet us at the door. Our table was ready with a welcome sign with our names at the table (small detail that not many restaurants do). We tried 4 appetizers, 3 dinners, a dessert and signature cocktails. Every thing we ordered was so delicious and presented perfectly. The pumpkin soup was phenomenal. We also had escargot, surf and turf, lamb shank.... I can't say there was even the simplest thing that we didn't love. Knowing that we're foodies, we told David who offered to take us into the kitchen and we took pictures with all the chefs. They then followed us with a personalized email which just was the perfect end to an already fabulous! Highly recommend making a visit.... you won't regret it!

Sea Dance Resort: "Outstanding service, gorgeous resort."

"We have just spent 7 nights at the magical Seadance Resort and it was superb. We originally booked for 3 nights and fell in love with the place, so we decided to stay for longer. Even after a week, we didn't want to leave. A huge thank you to Poy, the lovely owner, Faith, Helen, Guy and all of the wonderful staff at Seadance for making our last week in Thailand so special. The staff are incredible, so helpful, so friendly and they are what truly makes this Resort stand out from anywhere else we have ever stayed. The accomodation is fantastic, we were lucky enough to stay in Villa 5. The views were beautiful and it was so private and peaceful. Seasalt Restaurant at Seadance is incredible, the food is first class, with a huge choice of Thai and western cuisines. The cocktail list is very extensive and they sure know how to make them. They also have a very impressive array of high quality gin, and thanks to Poy, we are now converts. The breakfast was really yummy, a perfect amount to choose from and they make the best cappuccinos we had in Thailand. The resort is only a 10 minute drive away from busy Chaweng beach, if you feel the need for nightlife and crowds. The big Buddha pier is only a short drive away and a 30 minute boat ride to Ko Phangan. We highly recommend Seadance and we can't wait to return. Thank you again to the beautiful staff, you guys are awesome!!"