What 10915 DialAFlight clients thought of Asia

Very helpful all the way through

Ash, who helped me with everything, was an excellent travel agent - our 4 week holiday to Thailand was perfect

All went well thank you.

All worked really well. Special thanks to Calvin Ali who dd a great job!

Everything went very smoothly. Communication excellent at all times. Thanks to Russell Harrison for all his help. Would definitely use DialAFlight again.

Jerry Bushnell and team always go the extra mile and are ever helpful. Always there to reassure and help. BRILLIANT

So good to be able to talk plans through with a real person! Would definitely recommend

Great assistance whilst away travelling

Everything went like clockwork. Many thanks for everything!

Great service. Many thanks

KLM has too many delays - in the Philippines it was a two hour delay and same in Amsterdam on the way back to Scotland

Always a great service from Cody...been using them for over 20 years

Tony was brilliant as always with a “personal touch” you will struggle to get with other tour operators

All went according to plan. No fuss, no problems. Great job.

Excellent service from start to finish. Expert advice with excellent communication and updates.

Tara never fails in doing everything she can to help with a booking. I have used her many times and recommended her to others. She is professional, extremely helpful, knowledgeable and friendly

Brilliant service from DialAFlight

Very helpful when I booked my flight First class service

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Extremely helpful - could not be happier with the service you provide. 10 out of 10

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All went like clockwork and my questions were answered promptly and were informative.

Ewan and his team are the best! We have worked with DialAFlight for close to two decades. Keep up the good work and customer focus.

I always use DialAFlight and find them very competitive and responsive

I have experience booking my own world travel but was recommended your company by a friend. Staff were polite, very helpful and efficient. The updates and tips on visas etc. for my flights were also very useful and could not be happier with the service I received

The accommodation at Centara Villas Samui was nice but not ideal for older people because it has lots of steps down to restaurants and the beach. But could not fault the food.

Great communication with Declan

All flights were as booked and I felt comfortable while travelling that Tammy was only a phone call away should any problem arise.

I dealt with Declan as I have done on many occasions, and as usual his advice and guidance was excellent. Plus the follow up phone call gives the service a personal touch.

Spencer was great from booking right through to contact when we ran into a problem. I would definitely recommend him for future holidays.

From war to perfect peace

The 2,700-mile Mekong endured decades of conflict and heartbreak; Henry Philips tells how it has become a source of beauty and wonder

The long transition from war zone to fashionable holiday place has happened several times before, but never perhaps with such pace and style as that accomplished by Vietnam and Cambodia.

Until relatively recently Vietnam's Mekong Delta summoned up thoughts of the epic 1979 war movie Apocalypse Now, in which Martin Sheen's soldier journeys upriver on a patrol boat in search of a renegade officer played by Marlon Brando.

A highlight is to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat

A BIT ABOUT THE MEKONG

The Mekong played a key role in the war. Former US Secretary of State John Kerry commanded a Swift patrol boat on the river 50 years ago - he was so appalled by what he saw during his period of combat that he became a fervent anti-war campaigner. He subsequently entered politics, becoming the Democratic nominee for President in 2004.

Last year, Kerry returned to the Delta and discovered that the free-fire zone he had served in was now the starting point for one of the world's great cruising experiences.

The 2,700-mile Mekong begins as snowfall on the Tibetan plateau among the Himalayas - and ends at the Mekong Delta in Vietnam where it flows into the sea. Like most rivers, through history it has been a source of life and hope. Its waters play a vital part in irrigation: in the Mekong Delta the rice fields thrive because of it. Politically, it acts as a border between countries - it passes through six.

Visit the Cu Chi Tunnels near Ho Chi Minh City

ALONG THE RIVER

A Vietnam and Cambodia river trip needs at least a fortnight to do it justice - beginning for example in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, and ending in Siem Reap near the extraordinary Angkor temple complex. A highlight of any trip here is to watch the sunrise over Angkor Wat.

As with most river cruises, a key attraction is the service on board. Much sought after is the cuisine of Luke Nguyen - an acclaimed chef, author and TV personality who serves his own brand of local cuisine paired with quality wines. In Ho Chi Minh City, passengers can enjoy an exclusive dinner at the stylish Xu restaurant, inspired by Luke, with a range of exquisite dishes that offer a contemporary take on traditional Vietnamese favourites.

There is also the possibility of having a Vietnamese cooking class on some boats, as well as a dance show by children from a local orphanage, a water blessing by a monk and a visit to a local farmer's home.

Guests can visit the Cu Chi tunnels, which were used by the Viet Cong. There is also a chance to enjoy the Rex Hotel, famous as the place where during the Vietnam War the American military command held its daily news conference, referred to by war correspondents as the Five O'Clock Follies thanks to the absurd optimism of the American officers. The Rex's rooftop bar was a well-known hangout for military officials and war correspondents.

There are more harrowing reminders of troubled times in Cambodia, where tours are available from Phnom Penh to the Killing Fields at the village of Choeung Ek, the site of a Buddhist memorial to the victims and a genocide museum commemorating the genocide.

A memorial park has been built around the mass graves of many thousands of victims, most of whom were executed after interrogation at the S-21 Prison in Phnom Penh. Tuol Svay Pray High was turned into a torture, interrogation and execution centre. Of the 14,000 people known to have entered, only seven survived.

But the most memorable feature for most visitors will be arriving at Siem Reap, from which tours depart to Angkor Wat.

Take a tour a long the Mekong Delta

SIEM REAP

Siem Reap used to be a stopping-off point. Thanks to the growth in tourism it has become a destination in its own right. It has attracted a burgeoning community of Cambodian and international artists: the Angkor Wat International Film Festival, for example, has become a major event.

The prime attraction, however, is the temple complex at Angkor Wat, where you will be taken to watch the sunrise. The temples are on top of a hill; on arrival you will enjoy a fabulous view over Tonle Sap lake, the Kulen Plateau and paddy fields.

Built more than 1,000 years ago, the temple is beautiful, particularly when the frangipani trees are
in bloom.

First published in the Daily Mail - September 2018

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