Guest Reviews

CHAKRABONGSE VILLAS: "The perfect oasis in the heart of Old Bangkok"

"I have used tripadvisor to plan trips for years, but our magical time at the Chakrabongse Villas has finally inspired me to write a review of my own. We could not have found a more perfect place to spend the final 3 days of a 2 week trip to SE Asia. Atom, the manager, and her staff were incredibly warm, welcoming, and helpful in making our stay in Bangkok so special, and upgraded us to the Garden View Suite, which was lovely. Tucked away in beautiful, lush gardens right on the banks of the Chao Praya river and directly across from Wat Pho and a short distance to the Grand Palace, the Chakrabongse Villas, is truly a hidden gem. Being in the heart of Old Bangkok meant that we could return to the hotel for a quick dip in the gorgeous pool to cool off from the infamous Bangkok heat before heading out for the next excursion. I highly recommend arranging to have dinner at the Chakrabongse Villas for an unforgettable experience - the dinner we had with a private table set up on the terrace right next to the river was the most romantic, and one of the most delicious, we've ever had (the owner is a descendant of the Thai kings Rama IV & V so the dishes are from the Royal Family's own recipes). We also enjoyed our tour of Bangkok's canals in the Chakrabongse Villa's own long tail boat. If you are looking for the perfect boutique hotel that offers a peaceful, historical oasis in hectic and hot Bangkok, then I cannot recommend Chakrabongse Villas highly enough. Thank you, Atom, for helping to make our stay so extraordinary. "

Manda De Laos: "Wow!"

What a delightful restaurant! The setting is so idyllic and food was awesome .. coconut sticky rice is a must ! The service was great and we loved how attentive the staff was to our needs. Highly recommend for a adult night out in Luang Prabang!

Glenburn Tea Estate: "Touching perfection"

From the moment you arrive at Glenburn and greeted by Will Faye and Alex, the wonderful experience of Glenburn begins. The buildings might be old English but the staff and the service is warm and attentive. A morning walk to the river of a little over 2 hours through the Glenburn Tea plantations with a wonderful guide is rewarded with welcome refreshments and a BBQ lunch. Heaven. On another day, Parveez the Plantation Manager, who manages 1000 people, took time out of his busy schedule to take us on a tour of the Tea Factory and educate us on the finer points of making tea, Darjeeling tea. We learn about Silver Needle, First Flush, Green and Oolong tea. Further walks through the local villages and we meet such happy and smiling people. You feel yourself wind down and relax. The meals are wonderful at Glenburn, all prepared with themes each evening around a table with all the guests eating together. Breakfasts and lunches are either taken on the veranda with the other guests, in your room or packed up for you if you are travelling. Nothing is too much trouble and everything is possible at Glenburn. Train tickets were changed, guides provided for private trips and food and drink prepared on request. Heaven! As Arne said famously "We'll be back!"

Locavore: "Just as good three years later"

Really happy with our choice to go back. Prices have gone up in Bali since our last visit and it's now 100 AUD for the seven courses. But the quality of the food makes the price appear cheap. A near faultless display of interesting textures and flavours. Can't wait to go back again.

The Village House: "A diamond in the middle of nowhere"

We stayed here to enjoy a relaxed couple of days after a demanding tour theough malaysia and Borneo and though we have stayed at some of the fanciest and most luxurios hotels in the world we have to admit that the village house is one of the best accomodations we have stayed at. Sure it isn't a five star hotel with such amenities as flat screen tv's, tennis courts, jacuzzis and sorts but it makes up for it by being charming, romantic and being well taken care of. The house itself is as beautiful as it gets and gives you a 'home' feeling right from the start. You are welcomed by the manager herself and she takes care of your every need. If there is anything just let her know and she will find a way to wirl it out for you. Sort of like a good spirit. The girls are really nice as well and take good care of the facilities. The rooms are very well maintained and will be cleaned up twice daily. The food is (compared to malaysian standards) a bit pricey (but compared to western standards still ok) but soooo worth it! We can barely remember having had better asian food than the local Bidayuh cuisine. True, there isn't much you can do or explore around the village house but if you plan on a relaxing couple of days by the pool, maybe read a book then this is the place to go. My husband still claims its 'the best hotel/b&b i've ever stayed at'. We simply loved it!!

Maison Polanka: "A laid-back, leafy oasis"

We had the great fortune to follow the excellent reviews of Maison Polanka on these pages and booked to stay four nights in the Khmer House from June into July. The standalone house was wonderful, though as others have noted the staff, the food and the garden and pool area were the real highlights after a hot day looking at Siem Reap's famous temples. It does feel like you are staying with friends rather than a hotel. Would highlight the quality of the food; the package we booked provided two set course dinners - so good that while we did eat at restaurants in the town on our last night chose to have another set course dinner with the gardens and staff to ourselves. Highly recommended slice of life outside a big 5 star hotel.

Maduzi Hotel: "Wow wow wow"

This is my 1st reaction after entered their deluxe room. The room is very big with extremely huge bed (240cm) length, walk in wardrobe, Jacuzzi that can fit in 3 ppl (my 4 yo kid, wife and me). Conveniently located. Breakfast is unique. Must stay!

Villa Song Saigon: "A serene and lovely start to our holiday"

"We spent 3 nights at the beginning of our stay here. Its been said before but this place really does treat you like royalty. We arrived, tired and sticky from two very long flights, and were checked in quickly while sipping cold watermelon juice. Our luggage was whisked upstairs then so were we. We had a lovely large room with a veranda and a view of the Mekong. The first afternoon was spent by the pool, and we even had impeccable service there! We had breakfast included, and could eat as much as we wanted from the menu. They have an excellent selection of both western and Vietnamese breakfasts, so we sampled several during our stay. All delicious. We also appreciated the cocktail happy hour, as well as the free mini bar in the room. It was warm enough during our stay to eat and drink outside, but I noticed an interior dining space if required. The best thing is the boat shuttle service, which handily drops you down town and picks you up, all with no charge. This is an excellent feature as the hotel is a bit out of the main city area. The room was large, clean, and roomy, and the bathroom was well stocked with toiletries and towels. The staff were all lovely, and we even had the manager checking we were happy at one point. It really seemed nothing was too much trouble. It was lovely to just relax without worrying about anything. Highly recommended! Stayed February 2017, traveled with friends"

Inle Princess Resort: "Sublime"

"Un vrai coin de paradis... service impeccable. Emplacement calme et serein. Tres Jolie piscine / non chauffée Jardins bien entretenus et d'une beauté inouïe. J ai adoré cet endroit chic et confidentiel que je conseille les yeux fermés. Bémol : La salle du restaurant qui manque de convivialité Stayed March 2017"

Villa Mathis: "Petit paradis bien situé"

"Super séjour à nouveau à la Villa Mathis. Charme, tranquillité, amabilité... nous avons le virus et revenons chaque année! Très bonne situation, en retrait de l'agitation des grands centres mais suffisamment prêt pour en profiter quand on veut en profiter."