The hotel in Bangkok wasn't as good as we had hoped
Howard and team were fantastic as usual
DialAFlight came up trumps with our holiday in Bali with stopovers at Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Hotels were excellent and we were even upgraded in Bali. Many thanks to Philippa for organising a perfect holiday. Will definitely use again.
Philippa was great - very helpful!
Perfect, thank you.
Everything was beyond our expectations.
We had a fantastic holiday in Japan and DialAFlight played a key part in making it a success. Flight and hotel bookings were clearly communicated via the app which took away any stress associated with our busy schedule.
Sebastian once again was a complete star. So impressed with your professionalism. Look forward to booking our next trip very soon!
Thank you again for all the help arranging my flights.
Excellent service as usual! I continue to recommend you to everyone I meet
Thank you Les. It was seamless
Keep up the good work
The organisation through Tamarind in India was excellent however when we were not met in Delhi by the Tamarind representative we called your 24 hour helpline and they were able to make contact with Tamarind and connect us to them.
Thanks again - it was a beautiful hotel with stunning views from our balcony.
Perfect service by Stan - friendly and helpful
All went smoothly and incredibly good service from Ewan. Will certainly use again. Much appreciated
A very good trip well organised and provided by DAF
Always excellent service from Kelly
One of the best companies around - staff can't do enough for you
Your service level has always been good. My last Swiss Air flight return from Bangkok via Zurich to London was an awful experience.
It was very clear and straightforward from the DialAFlight team. I was also very pleased to have a quick reminder call on the Friday before my departure to ask me about preparedness e.g. visa status.
We had a very enjoyable holiday.
Wonderful
Matthew was very helpful from the start of booking till the end of the journey
Excellent service, recommendations for hotels were spot on. Flights, transfers, hotels and arrangements were all very smooth.
Always use your company for my flights and recommend anyone looking to book flights to try you first.
This was not an issue with DialAFlight, but on our trip to Japan, we booked a beach hotel for the last four days of the trip. We planned to relax in the hotel swimming pool and on the beach. However, when we arrived, we were told that the pool and beaches were closed despite 36 degrees. The Japanese swimming season finishes on the 27th of August for the season no matter the weather, and pools and public beaches close. (We did break the rules and snuck a swim in the sea! But obviously couldn't use the hotel pool).
We have used DialAFlight for 18 years and enjoyed multiple trips per year. Never an issue, always a hassle free enjoyable time. I know we are safe and all of our bookings are handled expertly. Happy to recommend to anyone.
Joe Orton always incredibly helpful.
Everything went very smoothly. Thank you very much for organising the holiday and making it so easy. We really appreciate the excellent customer service - nothing was too much trouble and the two weeks were problem free.
Hiro raises his bare thigh and slams his foot on the ground, spreading ripples across his man mountain of a body.
He bows at his opponent and, in a vision of manboobs and giant wedgies, they engage in combat; wrestling, pushing, heaving and tugging until one emerges victorious.
Suddenly, it's my turn. I step into the ring and stare ahead towards the sumo wrestler a few feet away - all 26st of him. A moment later I'm pressed up against his folds of flesh, my face alarmingly close to his armpit as I push with all my might. My feet scramble at the salt-strewn floor while Hiro - a wrestler for 22 years - stands there chuckling.
I'm in the small city of Katsuragi, considered the birthplace of sumo. Located an hour from Osaka in the Kansai region, this is a corner of Japan that has just become more accessible thanks to British Airways direct flights from Heathrow.
Kansai is an area of misty mountains dotted with remote shrines, tropical beaches and tea plantations which will appeal to visitors keen to explore what lies beyond the capital Tokyo. After putting Hiro through his paces ('You have great potential,' he jokes), it's time to move on to Osaka.
Home to three million people, the city is a patchwork of 16th century castles and 21st century glass skyscrapers. From my room on the 36th floor of the Conrad Hotel, the view of Dotonbori district, the main restaurant and entertainment area, is dizzying.
This 164-room hotel gives off a Lost In Translation vibe – think Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson – and is filled with 389 artworks including one by local boy turned renowned sculptor, Kohei Nawa.
While Osaka is certainly worthy of a few days' exploration, the experiences awaiting further afield prove to be the real temptation.
Travelling south, urban sprawl gives way to delightful rural scenes. Before long we're surrounded by the crumpled green peaks of the Kii Peninsula. These mountains are the gateway to Wakayama.
Occupying the southern tip of Kansai, this city holds the key to much of Japan's ancient spiritual heritage.
For more than 1,000 years, everyone from emperors to humble farmers has walked these peaks seeking peace and purification. The Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage ranks as one of the world's great pilgrim routes. A network of trails, it has several options, from gentle hour-long strolls to arduous multi-day treks.
Opting for the easier and shorter route, I slice through silent bamboo forests and inch along paths that hug plunging wooded ravines. I pause to enjoy panoramas splashed with cherry blossom. I am feeling more peaceful by the moment.
The climax is our arrival at the grand Shinto shrine of Kumano Hongu Taisha, the hallowed ground where all trails meet. The silence of the forest is broken by the rhythmic chiming of bells and the flapping of flags in the breeze.
I watch as worshippers cross the gravel courtyards, clap their hands twice (to announce their arrivals to the deities) and bow their heads in prayer. This is a special, unforgettable place. Just down the road, in the valley and dissected by a stream of healing thermal waters, is Yunomine, an onsen village centred around natural hot springs.
These healing waters were discovered 1,800 years ago and became an important part of the pilgrimage by offering hot water purification along the way.
Pilgrims enjoy a spiritual soaking by stripping off, as is custom, for a dip in the stone plunge pool housed in a rickety shed. Barely big enough for two, it makes for quite the intimate experience.
I choose instead a riverside dip in the thermal rockpool at the Kawayu Midoriya. A spa hotel somewhat stuck in the Seventies, it models itself on the traditional inn, the ryokan. Expect sliding paper screens and legless chairs.
No trip to this part of Japan would be complete without the glittering jewel in its Imperial crown, Kyoto.
Reached in 15 minutes from Osaka by Shinkansen bullet train, this enchanting city was the nation's capital until 1868. It retains much of its ancient character, particularly in the Gion district where geishas once scuttled between teahouses in their elaborate silk costumes.
From the comfortable Ritz-Carlton hotel, it's a pleasant 20-minute stroll along the Kamogawa River to Gion.
Delving into the backstreets, I discover deserted gardens and teahouses serving fragrant cherry blossom tea and sit with elderly locals painting watercolours of a pagoda.
Hunched over their palettes, they look long and hard and produce thoughtful brushstrokes. They seem lost in their individual reveries, drinking in the beauty. It sums up my experience perfectly.
First published in the Daily Mail - November 2019
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