Guest Reviews

Villa Mathis: "Bali en couple"

"Cet hôtel est un oasis de calme et de beauté. Tout est conçu pour se relaxer et profiter de l'endroit, les villas sont de toute beauté et en plus un personnel très gentil et à l'affut de vos moindres souhaits. De plus la direction est disponible en tout temps pour rendre votre séjour agréable et vous conseiller pour ne rien rater de ce beau pays."

Villa Song Saigon: "Luxury and serenity with wonderful service"

I can't say enough good things about this small luxury hotel. I wanted a short break at a boutique hotel and Villa Song Saigon surpassed my expectations. From the moment I arrived where I was upgraded to the Imperial Suite (with two private terraces, one overlooking the Saigon River and the other, a beautiful pool) to the spa (fabulous hot stone massage by Duyen) to the amazing and friendly service from every member of the hotel staff I encountered to the superb breakfasts on the banks of the Saigon River, afternoon cheese platters and great dinners, I spent four idyllic days here. The hotel is in District 2 so a little way out of the crazy bustle of Ho Chi Minh City centre but very easy to get to either by a frequently running shuttle bus from the hotel or taxi. But once you get to the hotel it is quite hard to tear yourself away. My only suggestion for improvement would be to have music in the spa if guests want it. I highly recommend Villa Song Saigon and if I come back to Ho Chi Minh City I will definitely stay here again.

Maison Polanka: "Our favourite place ever!"

We have never enjoyed a place to stay - anywhere we have travelled - more than Maison Polanka. This is like staying in someone's home - or the home you might dream about having one day. With large, beautiful gardens and an elegant swimming pool, but only a handful of rooms so it's very peaceful never feels crowded even with other guests around. We also had the best Cambodian food of our trip in their restaurant, which is really just a few tables outside by the pool, but outshone anywhere else we ate. Off menu, they were kind enough to make a special noodle soup (nom banh chok) one day for us for lunch - it was delicious and worth making a special request for (in advance). We stayed in the Khmer House as a treat, and it was beautiful and spacious, though I think anyone would be happy with any of the rooms they have. But the best part of Maison Polanka are the people who work there who are warm, welcoming and willing to help with everything, from tour planning, surprise afternoon cakes by the pool, and a wonderfully memorable trip to the Road 60 night market for a dinner of insects, stuffed frogs and other more familiar foods! Our thanks in particular to Cathy, Chan, and Vong! Don't bother looking anywhere else in Siem Reap, just stay here!

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."

Mathis Retreat: "Small, classy, boutique hotel with very lovely staff"

"My husband and 20 month year old have just returned from a lovely relaxing stay at Mathis retreat. We chose to be picked up and dropped back at the airport by the Mathis team as this meant our little one could travel in a baby seat (we didn't lug one all the way to Bali). The staff were very friendly and the hotel was great - I don't think the pictures of the bungalows on this site do justice to the decor of the rooms - they were very large and tastefully decorated. The bath was so large that all three of us could fit. Karine helped coordinate a few activities from the hotel- one day we went on a hike through the jungle, lunch with locals and a stop at a more friendly monkey park (Sangeh). Another time we went to Lake Bratten and looked at the wonderful rice terraces at Jatiluwih and tasted the local coffee overlooking other lakes. Karine also organised, on our behalf, a cycling tour of the local rice paddies and villages and ensured their was a baby sized helmet provided. The huge advantage of organising all of our activities through the hotel meant that we could use the hotel's baby seat. We ate at the restaurant (Terracotta) numerous times - breakfast is amazing - overlooking the rice paddies. Dinner was also beautiful - lights in the rice paddies and lanterns floating on the pool with delicious food. So good, we ended up doing a cooking course at the hotel for lunch one day. The staff were wonderful, very helpful with our little one and friendly. Nothing seemed to be a problem. The pool has a large shallow section that is suitable for little ones and the hotel's duck's were also very popular with our child and others' children. Another tip: There is a great path through the rice paddies and small village streets from the hotel into Ubud - certainly worth doing the walk early one morning so you can catch the Udud local food markets. Room Tip: The bungalows by the pool were great as the baby monitor was in range. We were in the pool relaxing..."

Misool Eco Resort: "Best Diving Ever….. Misool exceeded my high expectations"

"I visited Misool in February 2016 for an 11 night stay. Usually after a long stay on a small island I am ready to leave, but with Misool I would have happily stayed another 2 weeks. everything about the resort was perfect. I would call it rustic luxury. We stayed with friends in the only 2 bedroom water villa. The very extensive outside decking over the water offered a lot of space and I think we enjoyed it more than having 2 separate villas side by side. The position meant that we got lots of shade all day, if you want to sunbathe on the villa decking you would be better in one near the dive centre. The diving was simply exquisite and very well managed. Lot of sharks and Mantas.. and smaller critters too. Our dive guide Marfel was superb. When i go back I will definitely ask to dive with him again. Because of the remoteness of the island you have to expect that the food and drink choices may be limited if you are expecting a long a la carte menu (although the quality was always excellent) and the electricity supply was a little erratic and blew a couple of our Mac and iPad chargers. which was frustrating and expensive. We paid for a meet and greet service at Jakarta airport which tuned up almost 45 minted late, left us waiting outside in the rain and humidity, and then spent 5 minutes with us doing very little, so overall a waste of money. These small niggles in no way detracted from what was a truly outstanding experience and I cannot wait to go back."

Mathis Retreat: "A lush oasis"

"Loved my stay at Mathis Retreat. A little bit removed from the hustle and bustle of Ubud town centre, it was the perfect place to relax after days spent travelling and exploring. From the leisurely breakfasts over looking the verdant rice fields, to the spacious room (Garden Bungalow) and of course the friendly staff, it ticked all the boxes. The room itself was airy and spacious, the bed comfortable and the bathroom reasonably large. Only complaint was the positioning of the power points, which meant devices could be charged or used, but not both at the same time. It would be helpful to have accessible power points near the bedside tables. The breakfast food options were plentiful, and I appreciated the fresh fruit juices and homemade jams. Recommend the pineapple pancakes, if you choose the Western breakfast option, but even better was the vegetarian nasi goreng. The vegetarian dinner options were a bit limited which was a bit disappointing. The staff were really lovely and it was nice to be welcomed by the owner, made the experience a little more personal than the usual hotel stay. The wifi connection was good and the free shuttle service was easy to use, making short work of the trip to and from the town centre. It may be a bit pricier than some of the hotels closer to the town centre, but it was definitely worth! Would definitely stay here again if ever in Ubud."

Le Du Wine Bar & Restaurant: "Great dining experience"

A great dining experience with a good degustation menu - a unique Thai-influenced menu with great wine pairings. Sadly located in a hidden back lane in the city. I had trouble trying to locate the place and found my way walking there a little unsafe.

Tandjung Sari: "12 Days at Tandjung"

Our stay was very close to perfect- we selected a garden villa as our home base for the family holiday. The staff at Tandjung were so attentive and nothing was too much trouble. Starting each day with a shower (in the private outside villa courtyard) then having breakfast on the beachfront was a daily highlight for me. The villa and the grounds and the facilities around the resort were immaculate and the security staff at both ends of the property added to a sense of exclusivity. And lastly, Tandjung is great value; a similar quality room at a Seminyak resort cost my cousin more than double the rate. We will come back to Tandjung Sari for sure.

tugu bali: "The Secret Retreat!"

"This is our 2nd stay at Tugu. We enjoyed it so much we couldn't resist another stay. Although it is a little more expensive the Tugu ""offer"" is unique. You can lie in your own private space overlooking the sea without being annoyed by hawkers and just watch the surfers, or lie by the pool in privacy. The perfect getaway. We were fortunate enough to experience the cultural evening which presented us with 3 dances - so amazing and professional - a totally memorable experience. We used the hotel driver to take us to Seminyak on a couple of occasions - he was polite, courteous and perfect in every way. Thank you Tugu - your staff our amazing...well done Jenny. Good luck with the Living Wall construction, we look forward to seeing it in the future."