What 11011 DialAFlight clients thought of Asia

We have been booking our holidays through Gavin Dattani for years and he always gets it right and makes our trips so easy. He booked everything for our last trip to Dubai and Qatar and it was amazing.

Shelley was very helpful

Another great holiday planned through yourselves

Trip was a success. Thanks Isaac Price - so very helpful.

Very helpful staff, was kept well informed about flight,

Samuel was very helpful and attentive. Thank you for all of your help.

Ryan was really good and found us an amazing package.

Always a good service

Fantastic service from Elliott from start to finish. Would definitely book with you again in the future

The staff at DialAFlight are always helpful and supportive

Excellent customer support and great recommendations for restaurants at my resort

Good service all the way

Brilliant trip - superbly organised. Great value for money. Ticked all our boxes. Highly recommend.

Excellent service from start to finish and the aftersales is second to none. I have used them for a number of years and can't find a better service and value for money provider

Thanks for providing up to date information

Very good professional service.

Your service with Warren is simply fantastic. Just a shame that Heathrow is a disgrace. Thank you for your great service. We had an awesome holiday.

Excellent service - great app and all backed with the security and comfort of a direct number to call in case of any emergency while away

We would like to thank Stacey - a big thank you again for another great holiday

Jonathan never lets us down with our trips, excellent service, thanks again

Shelley Dimes is a superstar. My trip was organised to perfection and could not be more pleased with her help, advice and planning

Marshall as always was fantastic dealing with my family's booking. On this occasion the Emirates flight from Bangkok to Dubai was less than satisfactory but that is no reflection on DialAFlight's masterful booking admin

Spencer Ormerod was brilliant and kept us informed throughout the booking process.

Marshall is always on the ball. Looks after his customers very well.

Alan is brilliant. I have been booking through him for over 5 years and I love having someone to talk to at the other end of the phone.

Zoe delivers as always!

Fabulous company - efficient and highly professional

Will use DialAFlight again.

Tristan Chatburn was extremely helpful and professional. Highly recommended

This was the best holiday ever - thank you for everyone who helped us.

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

More articles below...

For more inspiration, read what travel writers have to say...