The Island Lodge

We spent two nights at the Island Lodge. It was a very luxurious place to stay, but it didn't really work for us. When we booked it we had not realised that it would be two hours from our previous stop by car, and we hadn't realised that the Mekong Delta was in fact quite a highly populated area ond one with a lot of industry. Ironically, we felt more isolated because there were houses nearby and industrial plants just across this vast branch of the Mekong. We were not able to just go out of the gates for a walk in the jungle. Many features of the hotel, though, were excellent. We were given a friendly welcome by Michel, the French owner who lives on site. There are a lot of elements of French colonial style including various old artefacts around the restaurant area and a splendid old map of Indo China on the wall. There were many books about the area as well as other books for guests to read. My favourite was a collection of old photos of Saigon with modern views of the same locations. Our bedroom (one of only 12) was spacious and comfortable. We found the mosquito net over the bed very hard to tuck in but perhaps we succeeded as we did not suffer from any bites. We failed to use the capsule coffee machine properly as there were no instuctions. The wooden washbaisns in the bathroom were not a good idea. Soapy water remained in the corners which could not have been very hygienic. The restaurant offered a fine dining experience incorporating elements of Vietnamese cuisine. On the second evening of our stay there was live music during dinner. Unfortunately we were right by the band which was in my opinion over-amplified. It made me feel dizzy and quite unwell. I had to move into the garden and then go to bed. Breakfast was a la carte rather than the usual buffet, but provided a good selection including eggs and a basket of French-style bread and croissants. The swimming pool was excellent, bigger and deeper than most hotel pools. There is not much shade in the area around it in the morning but we spent some time in the shaded Pavillon Rouge. I am sure that many people will be perfectly happy with the Island Lodge but it just wasn't the right place for us.

We were looking for a place to stay two nights to chill out, in between flights, and no surprises, and when we spotted this on Google, it didn't take us long to want to stay here. Indeed, the choice was perfect. The welcome from Michel, the owner, was warm and personal. And, I was sure he knew what guests wanted in their stays. We even took on his suggestion to use the private boat service to "arrive in style", but as luck would have it, our flight was delayed and we wanted to arrive early, which, thanks to Michel, an early check-in was offered. The 12 rooms were set on beautiful grounds overlooking the Mekong. (The noise from the river traffic, mostly in the morning, was not unpleasant, and was even soothing. Our garden room, one of four, was close to the boundary wall, and if we left our bathroom door open, we could hear chatter (and morning cockerill calls) from neighbours, but in the two nights we stayed, we were not disturbed by party noise at all. We ate dinners inhouse, the food - both French and Vietnamese cuisine - was delightful. The breakfast, ala carte, was filling, nutritious and delicious. I liked the hu tiao and pho, as well as the spread of fruits and bread with fruit jam. We were 20 minutes from town, so we managed well using Grab (about VND130,000), and we even ventured out to Ben Tre to try the macapuno coconut - Ben Tre is one of only three places in the world to grow this wax coconut commercially. We enjoyed our stay very much and hope to stay again. If there's one suggestion i could offer, it is this: some paths aren't even, especially the stepping pavers leading to our room (#10) aren't flush with the ground. If one is used to standards of safety in one's home country where the edges of steps are highlighted in bright paint, then one should be alert to the risk of stumbling, especially at night. Thanks to Michel and the team for providing this gem of a place and impeccable service!

A little oasis on the Mekong. Wonderful to escape the hustle and bustle of the city for a few days and relax in this idyllic location. Pool is great with views over the river and the service is first class. We took advantage of the bike rentals to explore the quiet lanes on the island which was fascinating.

I can only describe the Island Lodge as Paradise. It is a beautiful boutique hotel built and designed by the owner Michel. Michel has done an amazing job, his attention to detail in designing the hotel is second to none with each piece of furniture and artwork carefully selected by Michel. Our room was gorgeous, a huge, very comfortable bed and a wonderful balcony overlooking the pool and river. It was so relaxing to watch the daily river life with the boats passing, I could have happily sat there all day. It was also immaculately clean. The pool was also fantastic, so clean, with an abundance of sun loungers and shaded places to sit. We enjoyed walking around the beautiful gardens which are so well maintained, a credit to the gardener. We ate every meal at the restaurant, Le Comptoir de Marthe et Edouard. Breakfast was a delight with fresh orange juice, fresh fruit, a croissant basket with wonderful warm bread and then anything you wished from the a la carte menu. I am really missing those delicious breakfasts. Lunch and dinner were equally excellent with a menu offering French, Vietnamese or Western food. All the food we had was outstanding, a big thank you to the chefs and those working in the kitchen for producing such delightful meals. Also a big shout out to Michel's team. Ms My his assistant was extremely helpful with any requests we had and Mr Lam and Mr Chuong on Reception were so welcoming when we arrived, made great cocktails for us each evening and organised tours and bikes for us. Ms Bi, Ms Luyin, Ms Hom and Ms Ngaoh were so friendly and kind serving all our meals, chatting to us and helping us try to learn some Vietnamese, such lovely ladies, we will miss you all. Whilst at the Island Lodge we went on two tours with Mr Kha. The first was by small boat rowed by the lovely hotel gardener and his wife around the island. Mr Kha was a brilliant guide, pointing out so many interesting facts about the river life. We were offered coconut milk to drink and fruit which was so fresh and delicious. I loved this trip and would a 100 per cent do it again. We were so impressed by this tour, the next day we booked a sunset tour with Mr Kha. We saw where sugar candy was made, visited a local market, had a lovely lunch of fresh fruit and saw local singers. We also saw where honey was produced and purchased some Royal jelly. We wish we had left more space in our suitcases as there were so many lovely items we would have liked to purchase. On the return trip the sun was setting and it was absolutely beautiful. Thank you Mr Kha for these two brilliant tours. We also hired bicycles from the lodge and rode around the Island. It was fantastic meeting local people and getting a real insight into island life. We would recommend anyone considering a trip to the Mekong to stay at the Island Lodge. Michel is such a gentleman and he has an amazing team, whom he calls The Family, Thank you all of you for such a wonderful time.

Very nice place in a perfect location. The team did everything possible to make our stay pleasant . Food is great. Large room with the river view Unfortunately the weather was against us so we had to avoid many of the attractions the place has to offer .

Amazing stay, this is our 4th time back. We love the food, the ambiance, the service.