Guest Reviews

Misool: "Probably my best Dive Holiday!!!"

"Misool Eco Resort combines the best parts of conservation, sustainability, diving and watersports in a laidback luxury style. The food was always delicious and care is taken to not waste food by preordering meals. Fresh and local ingredients are used. No plastic bottles or packaged products are used on the island and ocean-friendly toiletries are available in the villas. At the same time the attention and friendliness of all staff and the beautiful setup create a 5star experience. The diving sites are some of the best in the world and care is taken that the dive groups stay small and there is never many divers at the same time on one divesite. Sue, Mark and Sabine (the managers and head of watersports) are friendly, fun and very knowledgeable and take time to get to know each guest to ensure everyone can make the most out of their stay! Thanks guys, I had an awesome time!!"

4 Rivers Floating Lodge: "Great Service!"

"This is an awesome place to go. Can't fault it at all. Definitely do the waterfall excursion as well for some more natural beauty. But besides all of that, I just wanted to say what amazing service the staff delivered. The resort manager is a man called Adonis, and he really did go above and beyond. I ended up dropping some red wine on my beige trousers during dinner and I was leaving the next day. I didn't have the time or the right washing materials to get the stain out. Adonis said he was doing his personal washing that evening and very kindly offered to wash my trousers for me too. He used some stain remover, some other washing stuff, gave it a good hand scrub, and even managed to get them completely dry for me to take back the next morning (stain free). This was not part of any laundry service and he personally did this as a favour...thank you Adonis! Really great service all round. An awesome experience and would highly recommend staying here."

Mie Cafe: "Fantastic dinner!"

"Just wrapped up dinner here. The food was creative and delicious (prawns with pumpkin curry was the highlight for me), and the service was prompt and friendly. The dining area had a lovely ambiance. The chef even came out to personally ensure we were enjoying our dinner. It was a great way to spend the evening- I'd recommend it to anyone looking to unwind and relax after a day of temple sightseeing!"

Supanniga Eating Room: "Excellent food"

We sat comfortably upstairs and enjoyed a gorgeous, colorful, authentic Thai meal. Traditional cooking and attentive service. This is not fast/ street food... It's the real thing!

Inle Princess Resort: "Classic Architecture. Best Service."

"It was my first time at Inle Lake and I selected to stay here because my Myanmar friend used to talk about it as the resort also runs a non-profit organisation called 'Inle Heritage', so I think there is a good sign of people's minds here. The location is in the beginning of Inle Lake, so very peaceful. You have to take a long-tail boat farther to explore the lake. The architecture is in local style and each unit is large, so you definitely have plenty of space to enjoy, esp. when you come in a group. They have souvenir shop which sells local products and books. I was eager how those products are made and they toured me around a little area where they showed how local people live and products they make for a living. Quite interesting. The room is beautiful and you can see the sunset from your room. Morning time is SUPER calm. You will get recharged here for sure. The best thing must be FOOD. The chefs cook not only local Inle or Myanmar food, but also international menus / European menus and they did a great job. I personally like the baguette served hot for every meal. Also, tomatoes here are very fresh. I saw them planting on a floating garden around the lake. Other facilities like swimming pool, lobby, communal spaces are big. There are recreational areas around the resort. Staff members are caring. They accompany you for whatever you want. With the smile on their faces, they are genuinely generous. I've heard many of them working here for 15-20 years. Last, they have their own jetty in which you board the long-tail boat to anywhere in the lake. The jetty is well-designed. I am considering revisiting this resort again with family in the wintertime."

Slow Villas and Spa: "Exceeded all expectations!"

Every part of Slow Villas exceeded our expectations! The villa was stunning with so many beautiful details. The yard to our villa was HUGE and the pool was the perfect size - bigger than expected. The outdoor bathroom was absolutely blissful... we wouldn't have changed a thing! The breakfast was one of the most memorable parts of our stay at Slow! It was so delicious and having the friendly staff bring it to our private deck was such a treat. The staff were so friendly and always willing to help. We also enjoyed the spa a few times while staying at Slow... highly recommended! Overall, we enjoyed every aspect of our stay at Slow while on Gili Air and whole heartedly recommend it. It was a time we will never forget!

Satri House: "Amazing Stay"

"Recently stayed here with my girlfriends and we were blown away from the moment we walked in to Satri House until the moment we left. Although the property is located 15-20mins walk from town/night market, they do provide complimentary bicycles for guests to explore the quaint town. It is also safe to walk and wander the streets til late as well. Everyone we met never failed to greet us warmly and smile including Giovanni himself. The team members would always try their best to engage in a conversation whenever possible without intruding our privacy. Service here is top notch and it truly exceeded my expectations especially coming from the hotel industry itself. Thank you for the wonderful birthday surprise at the pool by the team. It definitely caught the birthday girl off guard :) Kudos to the team!"

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "A Truly Unique And Special Place To Stay"

"The Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion is an incredibly unique hotel. Built in the late 1800’s, the mansion was the family home of Chinese businessman and politician Cheong Fatt Tze. The mansion symbolized his wealth and prosperity, with extraordinary detail given to the original building and restoration. In modern terms, it’s one of the most “Instagrammable” buildings I’ve ever seen! Keep reading to find out why I highly recommend staying at the famous Blue Mansion. THE HISTORY The original version of the Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion was built with 38 rooms, 5 courtyards, and 7 staircases, and is one of the largest buildings of its kind outside of China. Feng Shui played an important role in the design of the mansion, and each part of the layout had a specific a purpose. For example, the number of open air courtyards is because water is seen as wealth, so the more rain you have naturally coming into the house the better. Once that water was inside, there are winding drainage pipes to keep the water underneath the house as long as possible before flowing outside. There is so much history behind the building that the Mansion runs daily tours several times a dat so you can learn about the Mansion even if you are not staying there. However, I would still highly recommend booking a room because the tours only cover the common areas and not the guest rooms to maintain guests’ privacy. While the tour is still worth it if that’s your only option, staying in the hotel itself allows you to have the full experience and get better pictures! THE ROOMS The Blue Mansion has 18 rooms, each with its own name and backstory. I was in the Escoy room, named after an old smelting company in Penang. Located on the ground floor, the room had beautiful tall ceilings, detailed gold carvings, and plenty of space to spread out. In addition, there are little heirlooms and authentic 19th century furniture scattered throughout to give it even more personality. The rooms all have amenities that would have made Cheong Fatt Tze himself jealous, including a large HDTV, speedy wi-fi and a heavenly rainfall shower. It was truly a unique experience to stay in a place with such history, while still having full access to luxury amenities! THE FOOD Breakfast is served each day in the central courtyard, which is where the “Feng Shui” is strongest. The staff does a great job transforming the beautiful open air courtyard into a wonderful breakfast spread. There is a self-served area for pastries, toast and fruit, as well as made to order hot dishes from the waiter. You can also choose local flavors to be ready for your day! There is also a wonderful on-site restaurant called Indigo which was also great. Located upstairs above the central courtyard, Indigo fuses Eastern and Western culture in both the food and the ambiance. The in-house chef creates wonderful dishes each night, with each dish looking like a piece of artwork itself. The lamb and fish were especially good, so be sure to make a reservation during your stay! THE LOCATION Once you are well fed, you’ll see the Blue Mansion is perfectly located to many walkable sites. Given that Penang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, there are countless beautiful buildings and little areas to visit. These include the Clan Jetties, Little India, and Red Garden, a great night food market which is literally next door! One of my favorite parts of the location was is the short walk to many of the famous works of street art dotting the alleyways of Penang. Be sure to grab a map and ask the concierge for the locations of the art because some of them can be tricky to find but worth the effort! CONCLUSION Staying at the Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion was one of the highlights of my entire trip to Malaysia. The history behind the building itself is extremely interesting and the hotel itself was beautiful. Be sure to bring a spare memory card when you visit because you will take countless pictures of both the Mansion itself and all the amazing sites nearby. The Blue Mansion is a very special experience and I highly recommend staying with them next time you are in Penang! Stayed January 2017, traveled as a couple"

Le Calao: "Superb."

We can’t praise this restaurant enough. It has only recently opened and there are a few minor details that need sorting (like no bread and butter plates for the delicious and generous servings of complimentary home made rolls) but the main thing is the food, and that is exquisite. The ambiance puts you immediately in a good mood and the staff are attentive without being over the top. The Lao menu is extensive and is quite difficult to trawl through unless you have a good knowledge of the dishes and how big or small they are. I had pork stew not realising it was more of a soup. My mistake, but delicious just the same. Two nights later we went again and stuck to the Western menu. My wife had a repeat of the French Onion Soup followed by the Mushroom Ravioli. I had the Pumpkin Soup and Roast Pork Knuckle. All dishes were beyond compare and a testament to the Chef’s expertise. A delicious red and white house wine each topped off a beautiful night and at a surprisingly reasonable price of US$70. Remember, the Ravioli is to die for.

Cuca: "Truly fantastic food"

Wonderful food in a fantastic restaurant. Great care has been taken to create a dish which produced the most amazing combination of flavours and textures. It is unusual to find a restaurant that produces a range of tapas that each dish tastes incredible Derek Simpson Scotland