Your calls always answered within 5 rings.
Ray Taylor was always very helpful and responsive to any questions. We had an amazing trip!
This was a fantastic holiday and adventure experience of a lifetime as well as a relaxing holiday.
The Lacto OVO vegetarian meal on Thai is not vegan. We eventually found a vegan option for the return flight to UK by ordering something like the European Vegan option.
Efficient team especially Joe Orton.
Jeff provided an excellent service. All transfers went smoothly and we were pleased with the price. We were let down by one hotel which was under construction on arrival and did not offer the services advertised. This was disclosed less than 24 hrs prior to arrival.
Molly was a fab agent to deal with. Very helpful pre and during the trip. Abbie also was helpful in helping me sort out flight delays and chauffeur contacts
Lauren, who dealt with our flights was fabulous. Nothing was too much trouble. The only downside we had was being told by one of Lauren's colleagues that we needed to pick up our bags in Bangkok. This was incorrect
While not everything went to plan, you managed to resolve these issues quickly and without fuss
Matthew was recommended to me. I would have no hesitation in recommending him to others
Assistance organised by DialAFlight was perfect
Brilliant service, would definitely recommend and use again.
Charlie and his team could not have done any more - can not recommend them enough. A big thank you
Absolutely stunning 3 weeks away, beautiful accommodations and everything ran to schedule. Couldn't have asked for better. Well done to Libby Mcgarry
Absolutely fantastic from start to finish (apart from delayed return flight). Many thanks to Elizabeth for her vast amount of help and support!
Thank you Leo Thompson-Persaud for going above and beyond to organise an amazing trip for us!
Not all flights were satisfactory and seat choice was not available on online check in so a bit disappointing
Everything went to plan, well organised.
Very good service from young Fraser as always
Matthew as always was great, thanks for your help
Everything went to plan - no fuss or worry. Excellent.
All went very well, thank you
Received regular emails throughout. Everything went like clockwork. Brilliant flight but did pay more for extra leg room which wasn’t cheap.
Saf Patel was outstanding. Service went above and beyond to help us.
Vinny does all my bookings - he’s always very helpfu looking at all my flight options and he always gives me a courtesy call the day before my flight
Rosie was with us every step of the way planning our trip. We had several hotels and six flights, so it was quite complicated. Her knowledge, advice and professionalism was very reassuring. I had never organised a trip with so many bookings involved and Rosie was brilliant. The trip was brilliant, the hotels were super and the flights all pieced together perfectly.
Excellent service. Many thanks
My trip went as planned thanks to DialAFlight.
Keep up your good work. I would like to thank you again for organising my last trip back from Bangkok and wish you all the best for the future.
We had a fantastic holiday in Vietnam. Marshall Finnimore arranged everything and it all went like clockwork. We did not need to worry about anything other than enjoying our holiday. We will definitely be using DialAFlight again in the future.
Keep up the good work - you never fail me
Many a tropical paradise has snakes in the grass – figuratively, if not literally. Maybe there are jet-skis in the bay or biting insects.
You think you've found heaven – but there's a chance of disappointment.
However, The Datai is perfect. This five-star resort is set in lush rainforest on the north-west corner of the Malaysian island of Langkawi, an hour's flight from the capital, Kuala Lumpur.
An impressive place
There are a total of 121 rooms, suites and villas. The main building stands on a steep hill. Below lie the individual villas, hidden among trees that descend a quarter-mile to the beach.
The hotel has recently had an extensive renovation - but under the supervision of the same architect who worked on the original construction in 1993 to make sure the unique 'Datai DNA' was retained. So all the rooms and villas have been delightfully refreshed and there is a new nature centre to underpin the resort's focus on sustainability. And there's also a new health club right by the beach.
We are visiting this fine retreat for the second year running. Nothing is less than wonderful. At The Datai, every day seems better than the last.
What to expect
The weather, outside the rainy season, which starts in April, is hot but not humid; a breeze keeps the sun's effects in check. High season runs from Christmas to the end of March, then resumes in August.
The private beach is one of the most beautiful on Earth, and runs for a third of a mile below the loungers of the beach club, where we sip cocktails and savour seafood linguine for lunch.
There are four restaurants, in which 60 chefs produce a range of European, Malaysian and Thai food which is never less than delicious – and they also have a good children's menu. And there is the Lobby Lounge for light snacks.
Perhaps to celebrate a special occasion, or just if you feel like it, The Datai can also create a personalised candlelit dinner on the beach for you.
Penny, my wife, accuses me of committing genocide on the local prawn population – but my, they are superb, served with a range of spicy sauces that never get boring.
I pig out on scallops and octopus slices, served on a bed of celery puree with tamarind sauce, followed by lobster medallions and... well, I could go on endlessly.
Penny and I are the world's worst golfers, but play a couple of times a year. The Datai course must be one of the loveliest anywhere, with the sea almost lapping some of the greens. Others lie beneath a towering virgin mountain. I lose more balls than I can count by smiting them into the neighbouring rainforest – but recover plenty by wading into streams where other players have not bothered to retrieve them.
Blissful days
We swim a lot. We collect shells. One evening, we embark on a sunset cruise aboard the hotel's delightful replica Malay sailing vessel.
Penny's favourite active outing is our attempt to circle the bay while standing upright on a paddleboard.
Both of us decide this is pretty good going for a 70-plus-year-old. All around us, young things are falling off their boards. Not that I am any better. My giraffe-like frame cannot hold its balance for more than ten seconds.
Many of the guests are British, many of whom have been holidaying here for years. One-third of the hotel's business is repeat, which is always a good sign – and many of the 420 staff have worked at the resort for more than ten years.
Most visitors stay at least a week, and linger for as long as a month.
Penny strolls to the beach and has the thrill of seeing a big sea otter only a few yards distant, up a little creek. The butterflies are fabulous, too, and the hotel offers guided nature walks as part of its package.
A reason (or two) to return
Fantastic food, natural beauty, stylish simplicity and blissful comfort are the selling points of The Datai. The Malaysians are wonderfully friendly hosts and nothing is too much trouble.
I will not be popular with our fellow guests when we return next year – as we certainly will – for whispering The Datai secret. But we love the place, and it seems mean to keep it to ourselves.
I have stayed in few resorts where we have experienced such contentment, and that sensation is worth a king's ransom.
First published in the Mail Online - November 2018
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