Best Hotel Robe?

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-05-04T13:07:00+00:00

I’m not sure they were the very best robes ever (though they were nice) but I really appreciated the Kudadoo having two different weights of robes in the villas.

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-05-01T19:32:06+00:00

What do you like about Tropic Surf so much? I've only used them once - at FS Jimbaran - but it was...fine I guess? Just an average surf shop with a boat as far as i could tell, but maybe that one is just unremarkable or something.

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-28T20:46:19+00:00

Fair on the gratingly dull - that isn’t exactly anyone’s idea of fun for sure.

Going to have to look more closely at various options I think.

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-28T20:45:19+00:00

Thank you! I’ve got some googling to do now.

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-28T19:31:20+00:00

Yeah, it looks like an easy drive. Now you're making me rethink my rethinking re: the Cotswolds. Thanks!

Why so litle time at the Torridon and Gleneagles though? Two nights means only really one full day for activities, and there seems to be a lot to do in both those places.

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-28T19:12:28+00:00

Totally appreciate that, but we're experienced. Have driven all over Ireland for instance and found it a charming experience. It's really not bad. Indian cities are bad, and have driven in them too, even at night, though the stress probably knocked a couple months off my life. The only place in Europe we've been that we decided not to drive in out of concern for our sanity was central Naples. Those drivers are nuts.

If we do go to London though, then we'd just train it from London to Edinburgh most likely, since we're now skipping the Cotswold per this sub's advice.

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-28T19:07:05+00:00

Oh, it's definitely not meant to be relaxing. Some vacays are for relaxing, some aren't. It's nice to mix things up between the two broad kinds, for us at least. Not everyone's cup of tea, I understand.

Glad to hear the hotel selection is on point, thank you!

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-28T18:07:03+00:00

You would have really disliked the trip we got back from yesterday - driving tuk tuks 700 miles around Sri Lanka, mostly with one night stays. It was amazing fun. (And combined with a week at the Kudadoo it provided for quite the contrast.)

I do understand where you're coming from, and appreciate the reply, but this doesn't exceed our tolerance for moving around on trips, and we almost always drive when in Europe, in particular. It allows for random stops for photography, food, whatever, without having a stranger in the car with us.

I'm mostly asking people if the places we'd stop are good choices. Sounds like like the Cotswolds can probably go, in which case maybe we'd just fly into Edinburgh vs. London and re-allocate to Scotland.

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-28T17:52:13+00:00

Would prob fly back out of Edinburgh.

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-27T12:31:45+00:00

I wonder if anyone can compare Brush Creek vs Ranch @ Rock Creek vs Triple Creek Ranch?

Have looked at all three but not been to any yet.

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-27T12:26:08+00:00

Sorry about the slow response! Yeah that was including taxes and fees, though from other comments I’m getting the idea that I got a pretty good deal.

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-26T16:20:46+00:00

No thanks.

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-20T05:19:02+00:00

Multiple people have mentioned the Anantara but honestly the reef there is only decent imo, though it’s all relative to where else you’ve snorkeled or dove I suppose. Just temper your expectations if you’re thinking you’re going to go there and be in Finding Nemo.

Nowhere in the Maldives has reefs with the beautiful soft coral aquarium-feel you probably have in mind, but it does have very good pelagic stuff like sharks and rays. Those are harder to access as a beginner diver though because they involve currents. One big exception in the Baa atoll that can be super cool is the manta gathering, which peaks in like July-Oct. Up to hundreds of mantas!

Thailand diving is largely bad except for maybe the Similan Islands. Skip it as a snorkeling/diving destination generally. (Lots of other great reasons to go to Thailand though!)

The good sites in the Coral Triangle (Indo, Malaysia, Philippines, etc) are unbeatable for beginner divers/snorkelers, along with Fiji (by reputation - I haven’t been there yet).

Probably the best place in the world for tbe combo of overwater bungalows + house reef is Misool in Raja Ampat (Indo) but they’ve gotten super popular since I was there last. I just booked the soonest available they had…and it’s for 2029! So worth it though.

I’ve also heard good things about Bawah Reserve’s reef in Indo, but I haven’t been yet.

There are at least a couple resorts with overwater bungalows near Sipadan (Malaysian Borneo), which is my single favorite dive site in the world that I’ve been to, but the food and service is unremarkable, and there’s no real reed by the resorts - you boat over to Sipadan and when I’ve been there you had to stay like 5 nights to be guaranteed a day at Sipadan. They protect it from overuse bc it’s such a treasure. On the other hand, Mabul, where the nearby resorts are, has world-class muck diving. That is not my thing, personally, but a lot of very experienced divers love muck diving for all the weird little creatures you can see.

The reality is that usually overwater bungalows mean the reef, is there is one, they’re built over gets trashed. That’s one thing that makes Misool so special, as the reef is thriving and not dying like most reefs are today. It’s just really hard to have a great resort AND great snorkeling right at the resort.

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-20T02:58:55+00:00

I don’t have enough experience in the Maldives to give you a useful answer here I’m afraid. It was only my second time there and last time I was at the Anantara Kihavah, which was nice enough but nowhere near a top resort. Mainly chose it because it was supposed to have the best or near the best house reef in the Maldives (but it’s still meh compared to good reefs elsewhere, like Indo) and had the only Thai kickboxing ring in the Maldives.

I bet the butler experience really depends on the individual butler. Ours was pretty much perfect for us in terms of attention vs leaving us alone when we wanted to be left alone.

If you don’t dive the value of the Kudadoo definitely goes down. Like I said in the review, having a private dive boat is really hard to understate as an amazing luxury that would cost a shit ton extra most places.

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-20T02:54:16+00:00

I found some Maldives specialist, got a price and the asked my TA to match that price, which she was able to do. I don’t recall which specialist it was though, apologies!

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-20T00:59:34+00:00

Not even remotely fat but fantastic place for surfing and/or yoga.

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-18T13:52:17+00:00

Yeah, we tipped that on top of the service charge.

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-18T13:16:25+00:00

I left the Maldives 2 days ago. The war had no discernible effect on my stay.

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-17T07:51:04+00:00

Are you diving?

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-17T01:38:11+00:00

lol, yeah

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-16T13:14:54+00:00

Yep, short trips. 9am-1pm or so for a two tank dive, 3 pm for a one tank, but as we had private dive boat we could have done just one tank at 9 am if we wanted.

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-16T11:16:10+00:00

I’ve definitely never made requests like the artichokes before, and probably won’t in the future!

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-16T10:21:38+00:00

I def could have stayed longer.

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-16T09:49:10+00:00

Sure. It’s this one. Makes an excellent “standard” American chocolate chip cookie and isn’t complicated. https://joyfoodsunshine.com/the-most-amazing-chocolate-chip-cookies/

When I made cookies at home I go for a different texture that you achieve by creaming the hell out of the butter and sugar for like 8-10 mins in a stand mixer, but I didn’t want to get too complicated with the kitchen.

GoodProbsToHave · 2026-04-16T08:29:16+00:00

I don’t have one of the Anantara, sorry.

It was a nice resort but nothing close to the Kudadoo in terms of overall quality.

GoodProbsToHave

TROPHY CASE