Guest Reviews

Mathis Retreat: "Excellent Boutique Hotel"

"Me and my girlfriend (both 25 y/o from London) stayed at the Mathis Retreat for 5 nights. We thought it was fantastic and was everything we were looking for from our first visit to Bali. Room: We stayed in room 1, this was one of the bungalows and it was beautiful. (As in, we got that tingly feeling of excitement when we walked in!). The decor was tasteful, the room was cool and spacious and amenities such as shampoo and tea were provided. Food: The restaurant on site was fantastic. Breakfast is from a menu where you choose the things that you want, then they are cooked and brought to you. There is a good range of food and as we tried everything (more than once) we can confidently say it was all delicious. However, breakfast paled in comparison to just how great dinner was - arguably some of the nicest food we had during our 3 week stay. It is more expensive than most other places but is worth it particularly considering the environment and setting (see below). There is a great range of Indonesian and westernized food. Setting/Environment: If rice fields and nature is your jam then this place will certainly deliver. Sitting at the restaurant/in the pool and overlooking the fields is spectacular and on arrival will certainly give that wow factor. Truly the photos on TA do not do it justice. Staff: Everyone is lovely, it really is as simple as that. Even when waking the receptionist at 2:15 am (climbing Batur) he came out with a smile and did everything he could to help. Special shout out goes to Karen the manager who clearly makes an effort to talk to all the guests and provide insight into what can be done in Ubud and how to do everything you want to. Tours/Guides: We tried to do as much as we could for our stay in Ubud and think 5 days was the perfect amount of time. However, this was utilizing the guides provided by Karen who were superb and we would highly recommend using them as oppose to navigating the place yourself. In particular, we were very humbled by an opportunity to visit one of the guides homes and see how him, his family and their community live (they had a blacksmith, weaver and fighting chickens!). This was an eye opener into just how different life is for most locals in Bali and how tourism has changed things. Our guides name was 'Susa Wayan' get him if you can! Conclusion: Mathis Retreat was great and we can't really fault it. Staff made it clear they were there to help for any issue and would definitely go back if in that part of the world again. One final point - we paid 350k for the journey to the airport in kuta. Don't pay anymore than that (and you can probably get it cheaper!)"

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "Wonderful eco-lodge"

"It was an awesome experience to stay in this lodge and wake up every day to jump from the bed to the river in the middle of the rainforest. The landscape is beautiful. And the installations of the hotel are perfectly adapted to it and takes care about the environment. To be able to be in bed and listen all the jungle sounds during the night is just amazing. Please, take a kayak or a surfboard and see the sunset. This lodge totally worth our 5 hours road trip....It has an amazing location, installations and lovely staff! We did all the tours with the hotel, and all the team and guides were really nice. We had a great time. We visited the falls, kayak some kms back, and even saw fireflies on the sunset cruise. Kayaks, surfboards, books, board games are always available. They prepared a vegetarian menu for me. The food was nice every single day. They fixed our transfers from PP and then to Sihanoukville with nice drivers and cars, and check on us all the time. Stayed January 2017, traveled as a couple"

Reverie Siam: "The best hotel and service in Pai"

Villa Song Saigon: "Villa Song: a wonderful Art Deco hotel occupying a quiet position on the banks of the Saigon river"

Great hotel, great food (apart from breakfast, which was average), fantastic bedroom and really helpful staff. Annoying niggly problems with signing bills and a trainee at breakfast barely understood English. Nice free mini-bar in room, with water, soft drinks and beer.

Reverie Siam: "can’t imagine a more relaxed place"

I cannot imagine a mote relaxed place than reverie Siam resort in pai. we stayed in the villa and it's beautiful, just as the gardens and the restaurant area. it's not very far from pai city centre. the driver will bring you everywhere for free. not the cheapest in town but by far the most beautiful and relaxed!

Sandat Glamping Tents: "Stylish camping amidst the rice field and tropical jungle"

"We stayed 5 nights over the Christmas period with our 8 yo boy. A beautiful location amidst the rice fields and jungle. Our tent has a amazing infinity pool facing the jungle. The tent from South Africa was very well designed . If you stay in the suite tents , they are air conditioning but over our stay we never has to turn it on as we much prefer the naturally cool breeze of the jungle and it was never too hot and can even get a little chilly in the early morning if it rained over the night. There is no TV and the only other electrical appliances in the tent are the fans and lightings which was perfect for us as we are looking for natural living experience away from the city. We never have any issues with bugs or mosquitoes during our stay , in fact we got more mosquitoes at a luxury villa we stayed after sandat in Sanur. The team at sandat did a good job in keeping the compound clean , although you do get ants , other insects and geko but then this is part of the charm of the camping experience albeit a glamorous one. So if you are looking for a urban 5 stars hotel experience this is not for you. All the staffs are friendly and helpful and always ready to do their best to make your stay a happy one. The breakfast is adequate but could be improved with more choices although I understand it is never easy with a small property of only 8 tents to do a interesting buffet. Perhaps it's better if they could offer by order ala carte menu breakfast. Free shuttle to and back from ubud centre is offered by request, and we never have to wait too long and the drivers are always happy to do their best to drop you off anywhere in ubud when they are not busy. Overall, I feel this is a property run with heart to do their best for their guests and given the tent settings and location they are doing a good job. I have stayed at other similar accommodation like Soneva Kiri that are more luxurious but then again it's not fair to compare given the price differential. I would highly recommend sandat if you are looking for a experience to live close to nature and a peaceful break from urban life. I truly missed the sound and smell of the jungle sleeping in the tent. I would rate it 4.5 out of 5."

muang la: "A piece of heaven in the middle of nowhere!"

"After a rough first week of travelling and very cold weather, we were thrilled to spend a couple of nights here. Gorgeous room, with HEATERS and hot water bottles, tastefully decorated, lovely bathrooms, with home grown bathsalts. The setting is delightful, on the river, and the infinity pool on its own island was a good place to unwind with a book when the sun comes out. All the little hidey holes have access to drinks and snacks and service is never far away. The spa itself, with the two huge hot spring-fed pools are elevated so you have a view of the surrounding countryside and are a panacea for weary limbs, and the massage sets you up for the next part of the journey! The five course dinner is light and carefully crafted, full of flavour, and the cocktails inventive and yummy. Little braziers kept us warm while we ate, and a large boma-type fireplace was comforting for an aperitif. We had a long walk on our free day round the local Khamu village, and enjoyed seeing village life at a slow pace, the pace it is lived. Excursions can be arranged to nearby hill tribes, but we didn't know about that. Even though the local staff dont speak much English it is good to see the management trying to give back other local community by providing jobs and an enhanced local spa for the village. I can't rate this place highly enough "

Tugu Malang: "Superb hotel"

"After staying at a different Tugu Hotel in Lombok I decided to stay here while wanting to visit Mount Bromo. The staff and service here as well as food was excellent! Also the Spa if you are a couple go for the couple's option of 4 hour massage treatment as it's well worth it to try out. If you are wanting to visit Mount Bromo the hotel can arrange a private Jeep to take you there and back which is great and the guide and the driver were very helpful and super polite. Certainly make this a consideration if you are visiting Malang. Just to let you know that its around 2.5hrs drive from Surabaya to the hotel which they can arrange for you too."

Manda De Laos: "Lovely innovative cooking in special location"

"This is something of a hidden gem tucked away in a side street away from most of the tourist area. The impressive building surrounds a beautiful lily pond and is a lovely place to eat lunch or dinner. Quite romantic. The food was superb. Lao cooking with a twist. I would especially recommend the succulent spare ribs and the do it yourself lapa or minced lamb salad starter which is really tasty and great fun to ""make"" yourself by the table. The bamboo fish was interesting although not my favourite. Cocktails and wine also great."

David’s Kitchen: "Lovely food and excellent service"

We had a really enjoyable meal last night as part of our honeymoon trip to Chiangmai. We ate off the set 4 course menu which was excellent value and the food was delicious. I really enjoyed the pumpkin soup in particular and my husband really enjoyed his duck main. The waiting staff were brilliant and all-in-all I would highly recommend. It is a little pricier than some other local eateries but definitely worth it in terms of food quality and the lovely ambience.