Guest Reviews

Tugu Bali: "Authentic atmosphere & impeccable service"

Hotel Tugu in Canggu, was by far the best hotel experience I've had in Bali. Its location, property (rooms, pool, seaside, etc), details, in room features, everything was exceptionally good. Not quite like the modern-designed contemporary hotels, more than that it has a unique authentic atmosphere but a world-class and warm service.

The River Resort: "Lovely in Every Way"

"We spent three nights at The River Resort. The resort is 1st. class in a very remote location built along side the Mekong River. The grounds of the property are mostly rice patties. When we were there, the rice plants were about one foot high and a lovely green. The other plants and trees are indigenous. Gardeners work daily keeping the property in pristine condition. Our room had a wall of windows looking out over the Mekong River as well as a patio.. The large room was broken into four sections: bedroom, dressing area, WC and shower. The shower was spacious and had a door that lead to an outdoor shower (Very Nice). The room was very nice and functional. The food service consisted of a large open area dining room with a thatched room for protection from the elements. There were no walls, and the space was cooled only by large ceiling fans. Lunch and dinner utilized the same Asian and Western cuisine menu. Breakfast consisted of a small buffet and hot food cooked-to-order in the kitchen. We enjoyed the cuisine very much. The service was ,friendly and professional. They did their best to accommodate any requests. There are numerous activities that can be scheduled at the resort. However, since we were on a private tour, our guide and activities were all arranged. The River Resort is truly exceptional, especially in Laos. It is a place to truly get away from it all and discover more about the people and places of this remote corner of the world"

Glenburn Tea Estate: "Absolute gem in the Himalayas"

"My mum and I spent a wonderful, serene few days at Glenburn and we absolutely loved it. Each (huge) room was quaint and charming in old Colonial style, all with their own unique theme - ours was the Rose Room. We went at the recommendation of two friends, who also stayed at Glenburn together with us, and we even made new friends over the communal dinner table. The staff were helpful with everything from making a cup of the delicious home grown tea to organising hikes and day trips. They prepared three meals a day, of various Indian and western cuisines, and even packed delicious picnics that were brought to us on our hikes. They were also very accommodating with food allergies. The surrounding gardens and tea plantations are absolutely exquisite, and it is definitely worth going on hikes around the area, especially the hikes down to the river through Darjeeling's own plantation, and up through the local village to the neighbouring plantations in Kalimpong. There is free wifi but the signal isn't too strong in the rooms - leave the laptop behind and bring a couple of books to read while soaking in the view on the terrace. Be prepared for an extremely bumpy and windy ride from Bagdogra airport. If you are at all prone to motion sickness then I would strongly recommend bringing a motion sickness armband or tablets, and ask the driver to take the calmer road through Darjeeling town rather than the precarious ""highway"" that passes the Bhutanese border."

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "Very educational and interesting"

"Joined one of three conducted tours of the mansion available. The guide, Ben is simply the best I have ever come across. He speaks very well. Very informative and interesting background stories relating to the life of Cheong Fatt Tze and the life of others living in this mansion before it becomes what it is today. Worth every second of the two hours spent there. Could have been even better if more artifacts of the early days are on display. Stayed March 2017, traveled as a couple"

Tugu Bali: "An absolute gem. Stop searching: stay here"

"We really struggled to find the right hotel to stay at on the beach in Bali, after a three night stay in Ubud. We considered all of the top properties including the Legian, the W, the Oberoi, and the Alila in Uluwatu, but finally decided on the Tugu -- a dark horse pick! We are not fans of most major chains, and really liked the idea of staying at an authentically Indonesian boutique property. We were not at all disappointed by our choice. Firstly, with regard to location, I think we did the right thing by staying in Canggu over Seminyak. We enjoyed driving to Seminyak (about 30 minutes away) for evening drinks and dinner, but had no regrets at all about not staying there. Seminyak is pretty congested, very commercial, and the beaches can be dirty. I love going to the mall as much as the next person, but I did not want to be staying next door to one while on my vacation to Bali! Canggu, in contrast, was peaceful, had no huge high rise hotel developments and malls, and we were within walking distance of plenty of chilled out restaurants and bars. The stretch of beach in front of the Hotel Tugu, despite being fully open to the public, was spotless. The hotel has a private garden area that overlooks this beach, which has sun loungers, beds, towel and food service. Bear in mind, however, that this is a surfing beach, with fairly large waves and strong currents. We are confident swimmers and went in for dips every day, but did not swim out far as the currents were very powerful. If you're hoping for calm and peaceful seas, you may need to look elsewhere. Now on to the hotel. We loved the traditional architecture and the beautiful gardens on the property -- you really cannot get this kind of charm and character at any of the international chains. The hotel owner's art and artefact collection is truly incredible, and we enjoyed exploring every nook and cranny of the grounds to gawk at his one-of-a-kind pieces. This is an all-suite hotel so both of our rooms were very generously sized, one with a balcony and the other with a little patio with a swing and plunge pool. One minor niggle though: the AC in one of our rooms did not work very well and struggled to cool the room. Our stay came with complimentary afternoon tea each day, which was quite elaborate and enjoyable. Breakfast is also quite the affair, as the staff will bring it to you anywhere on the property -- no crowded breakfast buffets here. The staff was always smiling and never failed to accommodate our requests. We must also give a special shoutout to the GM Jenny, who was so warm and personable throughout our visit. She was never too busy for us, and in fact, made it a point to stop and chat whenever she saw us around. Again, I know I sound like a broken record, but this kind of personalised service is just not seen at the international chains. Finally, I also need to write a short note about the Tugu's fabulous new Japanese restaurant Ji. Our family lived in Japan for over a decade and we are complete Japanese food snobs. We were quite skeptical about trying the restaurant, as we could not imagine that it would live up to expectations. Well, we were blown away. Our dinner at Ji was probably one of the best of our entire trip. Every dish was on point, from the tempura to the tenderloin steak. And the setting is just mind-blowing -- the restaurant is situated inside a 12th century Balinese temple. Huge kudos to whoever was involved in designing and developing the restaurant."

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "Walk into amazing history! Most excelent"

"Most amazing history and architecture; a truly east meets west in a unique blend that worked in C19th and is a place which has a feeling that has to be experienced to be believed. The current owners restored this place with meticulous detail to the most miniscule of reproduced effects, having to seek out craftsmen to work with a lost art. External feature details are fashioned from broken and shaped especially fired porcelain bowls. Colourfast beauty that will last potentially for centuries. The world should thank people with this level of vision to preserve such magnificent history. The history of the original owner, Cheong Fatt Tze is as fascinating as the building itself. We had the great privilege to meet and talk with owner, architect and one of the visionaries behind the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion renovation which won the UNESCO Most Excellent Project, Lin Lee Loh-Lim. Passion personified! Check when Lin Lee Loh-Lim is conducting tours. Having stayed for several nights I can say the place and the staff are the most amazing I have ever encountered. Oh that we should all take so much pride in our work and enjoy it so much. The Restaurant with French fusion dishes is great value for money and excellent quality. This one liner is a total understatement. Yes I'm besotted with the Blue Mansion, its has been one of those experiences I will treasure and talk about for the rest of my life! Something I must say is that some of the surrounding property owners appear to have little respect for what the Blue Mansion represents and the leadership that properties of this calibre offer the future of Georgetown and Penang as a world class destination. I can only hope that the Penang City Council and Chamber of Commerce can work with all accommodation providers and landowners in the area to put sustainable noise abatement in place to enhance the experience and vision that has been so delightfully preserved in the Blue Mansion and the surrounding area. I'll be back to experience the charming ambiance of the Blue Mansion in the future. I wish the owners and staff every continuing success."

MesaStila: "Absolutely wonderful"

This was one of the highlights of our Indonesia trip. Very romantic, very naturistic setting. Very interesting plantation tour. Absolutely great spa treatments. Food also very good, and don't miss the jamu herbal drinks. Overall highly recommended especially for nature lovers.

NOEL RODRIGO’S LEOPARD SAFARIS: "Incredible Experience"

"We visited the Leopard Safari February 2015 while on a long overseas trip to SE Asia-- hence I am posting this a year later! It was a remarkable experience. The camp itself was a pleasure to stay in-the tents and beds comfortable and spotless--a remarkable feat given the rain and mud. We were travelling with a four year old who explored every path and the staff were marvelous help keeping her amused-they were genuine and attentive which we appreciated! The food was memorable and we felt completely catered to--my husband and I prefer food on the spicy side and the chefs certainly delivered! Now for the wildlife: we were extremely lucky--saw leopards every second time we went out (we went out a total of 5 or 6 times) so we would recommend staying at least two nights--we stayed three because we wanted to increase our chances of seeing leopards. In one encounter, we tracked a leopard as it moved around a large watering hole and the guide accurately predicted where it would emerge and you could actually see the animals reacting (giving their warning calls) to the hidden leopard as it moved around the small lake. It was like living a National Geographic episode! The guides are clearly leopard enthusiasts but the number of exotic (to us) birds, reptiles and small game they identified for us made each trip out an experience to remember. The icing on the cake was seeing young leopards playing together only about a car length away from us! The guide generously shared all his high res photos with us; our camp seemed to be in a prime location to access the park; our tour appeared more intimate than others we saw and our guides seemed to be highly respected by the other drivers (who shared tips and sightings freely with us). This really is a first class experience and we would and have recommended Noel's Leopard Safari to anyone travelling to Sri Lanka. "

Maison Polanka: "the coisy intimacy of luxury"

"Amaizing experience!!! Great location, beautiful and peaceful place with a fantastic staff. This is a place we would love to call home (maybe because it was decorated as a personal Home). Every room has its character, really comfortable after a morning a visit.Food is excellent. As for the service, it was exceptional, especially considering the size of the hotel. The founders and owners have created an exclusive piece of luxury: true peace. Stayed March 2017, traveled as a couple"

David’s Kitchen: "Lovely, thoughtful restaurant"

We came to David's after a long day at the elephant sanctuary in search of a little pampering, and David's did not disappoint. They kindly picked us up from our hotel which was very nice and convenient. The ambiance is very peaceful and beautifully decorated. It is apparent that David cares very much about each guest's experience and there is much attention to detail. Cocktails were amazing! The staff are very attentive and I would recommend coming here for a special evening you won't forget. Thank you David for making our last night in Chiang Mai so memorable!