Guest Reviews

Bassac Mekong Delta Cruises by Secret Retreats: "Brilliant way to see Mekong River"

We only had a limited time in Vietnam so decided that a trip on the Basic 111 would be a good idea, and we were not disappointed. The cabin was small but had a very comfortable bed. There was airl con, small bathroom with shower and toilet. There are lots of photos taken by other tourists. Our english speaking guide was Annie. Wonderful lady who was on hand to offer advice and explain about all we saw. Only three cabins were occupied, us, one Belgian couple and an Irish couple, which made for very pleasant company. we had a superb lunch followed by dinner in the evening. We couldn't finish the supper as we are used to only having one large meal a day. Up at dawn the next day, just in time to catch the sunrise over the river. Worth getting up that early. Breakfast had warm freshly baked bread along with eggs marmalade etc.We also had a visit to Annie's home village where she explained about life there. Later on we visited a floating market, again worth seeing as our guide explained that with improved roads and bridges it most probably won't exist in 4 or 5 years. The trip on the Bassac came to an end with a visit to a market on land. I wish I had taken pictures in the first bit, a covered fish market but I was too busy trying not to step on people or fish! Recommended.

Villa Song Saigon: "Fantastic boutique hotel, plus free speedboat and minibar"

"We absolutely loved this hotel. Beautiful, quaint, great staff, lovely food and wonderful rooms. It's no wonder that this is the top hotel in Saigon on Trip Advisor (at the time of writing). We stayed in a beautiful room overlooking the pool, with a deeply comfy double bed, separate shower room and washing facilities, TV, private balcony and all the usual mod cons included. Their service is second to none. There's a free minibar in all rooms (including beer, water, milk and juice). They serve breakfast at any time of the day (seriously - you could have it at 10pm if you REALLY sleep in), and it's included in the price of the room. And electricity can be left on in your suite when you leave, meaning those devices that keep dying might actually get charged. They have UK plug sockets too. Best of all, as the hotel is not right in the city centre, they put on a speedboat to ferry guests to the main bit of the city, on a first come first served basis. (Although it was never full when we stayed in May). The boat takes approximately 15-20 minutes, but you'd wish it would be longer, because it's brilliant. The last boat is at 6pm, and a taxi back to the hotel should set you back 150,000 VND. If it's more than that, they've got lost! The pool is excellent, as is their restaurant, which is overseen by Kevin the chef from Luxembourg - who will certainly seek you out to say hello, or offer some food and drink recommendations. Food and drink here, incidentally, is a few more pennies by Vietnamese standards, but very fair when compared to the rest of Saigon, and even better when compared to the likes of London. Breakfast, which I briefly mentioned, is very good. The best we had in Vietnam, in fact. And it offers up some really well done variations of Western classics like pancakes or a full English versus your traditional and excellent Pho noodle soup. (If you're really hungry, you can even have both - in fact, it was them who suggested it, which I greedily accepted). Their staff are great, too. When we wanted to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, the front desk organised a speedboat to pick us up from the hotel's own private jetty - and one of the highlights of our trip. If I was to take points off this hotel, and it is being picky, then their airport to hotel transfer service is very expensive in comparison to most hotels we stayed at in Vietnam (all of which have a comparative distance from airport to destination). It was a nice air conditioned private car, but then it was no better than every other hotel provided us. And 1,386,000 VND is a bit steep. Full disclosure: they had quoted this price to me some time before we arrived in Vietnam, and I could have shopped around for cheaper prices, so I can't really blame them for quoting a price to me and then accepting it. But it might be something they could look at in the future! The taxi they booked us for our return to the airport after our stay was much, much cheaper at 300,000 VND. So maybe shop around for your original pick-up. I know there's loads of 'taxi scams' in Vietnam, but you should be able to find a decent service for cheaper transfers if you need. None of that dented out love of Villa Song Saigon, and I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone. I really miss their speedboat..."

Dewakan: "Great local ingredients Fusion"

I have mistaken the this restaurant with another similar restaurant in Cyberjaya Malaysia. Please do disregard the other restaurant I wrote a review on Al Diwan. The review for this restaurant is great as mentioned the Masterchef Australia judges should try this place of marrying local ingredients to western flavour. Great degustation menu . Great place to visit.

Nam Bo Boutique Hotel: "Great hotel"

Excellently located hotel, right by the river front. The rooms (suites) are super - very large and stylishly furnished, and makes for a very comfortable and enjoyable stay. The surprise New Year's gifts were totally unexpected and a really wonderful thought. The breakfast was the best we had on our trip - we could have spent an hour just eating - with a huge selection of dishes to order and a panoramic view of the river. The free welcome drink is also excellent - can choose anything from their drinks menu including cocktails etc.

Tugu Bali: "Restaurant Bale Puputan"

We were looking for a romantic setting for a special meal for our final night in Canggu. We dined at the Bale Puputan restaurant and enjoyed a wonderful rice table served by Sri. Sri looked after us the whole evening and made our experience special. We had a guided tour to their own private beach area and al fresco dining area.

Tugu Lombok: "Authentic !"

Authentic, exotic, very Nice place, people are so kind. We stayed 4 nights with our 6 & 12 kids, they enjoyed the 2 pools, the snorkeling in the sea and the food. The bungalows are spacious, the bathroom Is open on a private garden. The beach is beautiful with a thin white sand both during the day light or for the lunch. We recommend this hotel.

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!

Neeleshwar Hermitage: "Truly boutique!"

"I visited this property while on work and was totally floored by the excellent service and the look and ambience of it. Quaint thatched roof cottages (some with their own private swimming pool and jacuzzi) are named uniquely after emotions like Peace, Love, Joy. Amazing sea views and a sandbar between the sea and the lagoon had me clicking away at my camera!!. The infinity pool faces the sea and looks inviting. The staff from the spa therapist to the restaurant stewards took very good care of me..As a single woman traveller, they made me feel safe and very comfortable. The resort does NOT use mineral water bottles at all! Water is served in glass bottles or copper jugs. The rooms also DO NOT have televisions so it is perfect for a digital detox holiday. The Common Room has a TV for those who cannot do without their daily dose of television bytes......There are two restaurants..One of them has a great collection of books which guests can borrow to read. A WOW experience I would love to repeat with my family! Room Tip: Choose cottages with the sea view...lovely to wake up to the sound of waves!!"

Maduzi Hotel: "Favorite hotel in Bangkok"

What surprised me about this hotel was how spacious the rooms are, especially compared to others in the area. It was also conveniently located not far from the BTS station. But far and away what set it apart from other hotels was the customer service. Highly recommend!

Satri House: "Unbelievably beautiful"

Stunning boutique hotel with a beautiful decor and excellent staff. Highly highly recommend for a luxurious stay. The breakfast was delicious with a good selection and the rooms were comfortable and cozy. No complaints what so ever.