Northern Laos
Currently the best choice in town, the Santiphap has a friendly English-speaking manager who is attentive to overseas guests. Clean rooms include en suite…
Must-see hotels in Southeast Asia
Ko Pha-Ngan
B52’s campus of Thai-styled bungalows sports plenty of thatch, polished concrete floors and rustic tropical tree trunks that lead down to the sea. The…
Pulau Langkawi
This vast resort complex retains a palpable 1980s feel and has tennis courts, a gym, several restaurants and an infinity pool. The airy and brightly…
Hua Hin
Making no effort to be stylish or trendy, the Lemon just delivers good value. Rooms are large, clean and quiet, and the Thai-French couple running it are…
Sukhothai Province
Mukda Resort has tidy, comfortable rooms relatively close to Si Satchanalai-Chaliang Historical Park, the cheapest of which are fan-cooled. It’s at the…
Inle Lake Region
There's nothing very fancy about the 45 dark-wood bungalows at this longstanding resort – bathrooms are a little plain – but they are spacious,…
Gondia International Guesthouse
Jakarta
This modest-looking guesthouse, with hostel-esque signage, occupies a leafy garden plot on a quiet suburban street and has 12 spacious tiled rooms. It's a…
El Nido
A very chilled-out spot 300m off Nacpan Beach with a sociable vibe and a bit of reggae spirit. A diminutive place, it has a comfy common area and snug…
Samar
Calicoan Villa has a pool and restaurant right opposite the surf break. There are four smart rooms in a villa by the ocean, three (large fan-cooled) surf…
Ko Chang & Eastern Seaboard
Right at the main pier, this resort has a string of OK A-frame bungalows, a restaurant and helpful English-speaking staff. Only the top-price rooms have…
Kerobokan
Location! This elaborately carved complex is right on popular Batubelig Beach. The 96 rooms are large and have standard teak furniture plus terraces (some…
Meo Vac
This large guesthouse has spacious sitting areas overlooking the Gam River and is popular with motorbike tours. Choose between the eight new river-facing…
Quy Nhon
New in 2019, this luxury hotel is set just inland from the beach. All rooms are designed in a contemporary style, with subtle greys and pale wood colour…
Pulau Langkawi
This is one of the cleaner budget sleeping options in Pantai Cenang. The wi-fi doesn’t reach beyond reception and rooms are small, plain and lacking in…
Around Manila
A solid choice on the lake, with a popular air-con restaurant and a murky swimming pool. Rooms could do with a refurb, as could the overgrown garden, but…
Eastern Myanmar
The best of the hotels that cluster close to the border – this is where visiting Thais stay – the Nich has large, modern rooms with OK beds and clean…
Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat)
This little hotel patches together an odd mix of styles. The lobby is homely, the rooms are comfy, if small, and the furniture's a little worn, but it has…
Eastern Visayas
This basic crash-pad has eight tiny rooms; bathrooms (which are kept moderately clean) are shared. Service can be spotty. Its location is superb, facing…
Pulau Langkawi
Friendly service, genuine efforts towards ecological conservation and its location on a quiet stretch of beach are the reasons to stay at this large…
North Sulawesi
This Balinese-style resort gets top marks for service, and has many returning customers. The pool area, strewn with day beds and loungers, is gorgeous,…
Manado
A gleaming white fortress on a hill in the middle of town, the Sintesa has all bases covered: a marble-clad lobby, spacious rooms with fine city views, a…
Ba Be National Park
The Hai Dang is raised above the main road in Bo Lu village and so has great views from its terrace towards Ba Be Lake. Rooms are comfortable, some with…
Vang Vieng
The 38 rooms at this veteran are spacious and comfortable if not desperately stylish, although not all have views or balconies. Vansana does, however,…
Ho Chi Minh City
Friendly guesthouse located in a quiet lane in an emerging area of town – it's walking distance from Pham Ngu Lao and Dong Khoi. Dorms have decent air-con…
Sanur
Set 150m down a gang (alley) from the noisy road, Keke welcomes backpackers into its genial family (who are often busy making offerings). The five quiet,…
Aceh
Oong’s Bungalows has good-value rooms in basic tin-roof cottages hovering back from the water. Cheaper options share bathrooms. The on-site restaurant,…
Mae Hong Son
This exceedingly tidy, family-run place by the lake has three rooms, four attractive wooden bungalows and two penthouse-like suites. All come with air-con…
Southeast Luzon
Pacific Surfers' Paradise has six adorable bamboo-with-thatched-roof cottages facing a garden area and a two-storey family cottage that sleeps up to eight…
Bukit Peninsula
Back 20m off the main road, this friendly family-run homestay has 11 immaculate hot-water rooms that include breakfast. The tiles on the outdoor verandah …
Sumatra
This dependable, well-priced chain hotel has rooms decorated in vibrant colour schemes, ambient lighting and wide beds to go with plasma TVs, air-con and…
Manila
Inside a beautiful art-deco building, this quiet, long-running pension is popular with Peace Corps volunteers and families. Consider staying elsewhere if…
Ko Tao
New Heaven – part of the diving operation of the same name – delivers colourful huts perched on a hill over impossibly clear waters, air-con sea-view…
Siem Reap
Set in the semi-rural suburbs of Siem Reap, Navutu Dreams offers a selection of open-plan villas set around lush gardens and three swimming pools. There…
Bac Ha
Right in the middle of all the action in Bac Ha is this tidy, pleasant place. Rooms are clean and inviting, if plain, while the dorms, little more than…
Sukhothai
New Sukhothai's longest-running guesthouse, Ban Thai is a relaxed, friendly spot. The cheapest rooms are plain and fan-only but the cute and compact…
Cat Ba Island
This small family-run place has basically furnished, clean rooms, some boasting four beds (600,000d). Negotiate hard for a front room and wake up to sea…
Samar
This creaky old house with a sunny patio and garden out front will suit those looking for homey accommodation. The rooms are simple, clean and well kept …
Chiang Rai Province
There are clean, comfortable and decent-sized rooms, some with balconies, at this tidy villa compound just across the road from the Mekong River. A new…
Mt Kinabalu & Kinabalu National Park
These four split-level suites with rain showers can be found in the Liwagu Building. While they sleep up to four people, they're best for couples as they…
Eastern Cambodia
One of the smarter options on the riverfront, with spacious rooms featuring heavy wood furnishings. The lavish suites have private balconies grandstanding…
