Great service
Once again another great service with my booking - would highly recommend
Yet another perfectly organised trip. Thank you
As smooth as ever
Amazing holiday and the transfers all worked perfectly
Amazing Thailand. Cathay Pacific are an excellent airline - one of the best. Thankyou DialAFlight!
Had a blast, logistics worked great.
Superb service again by Kirsty Farmer
Great communication. Love the app. Great choice of itinerary. Thanks.
Everything on our trip toThailand and Laos worked out just fine. Thank you Philippa for all your help and assistance
Great holiday experience.
Excellent communication from Glen
Great service and will use again. Becky was great
Absolutely first class as always - used for many years - would never go anywhere else. 110% do what they say on the label and trustworthy.
Other than Emirates I also flew with Star and they must be the worst airline flying. I never wish to use them again.
Great customer service.
Only bad point was the Emerald hotel didn't have an adult pool. It was geared up for young children which spoilt it a bit.
Great communications - would definitely use you again. 5 star service
Howard Crafter and his team were excellent in organising my trip. Extremely efficient team who kept me informed of any changes. Very pleased with the overall organisation
Everything was excellent from start to end. Great service from travel manager Ryan
The service I received from my initial booking to travelling was exceptional. The flight bookings and hotel recommendations were perfect. I would always book with you again and have advised friends and family to do the same.
Liam and Matilda and their colleagues were brilliant. Would have no hesitation in recommending them
Sadie was excellent in organising Eleanor’s many flights including changing them. Everything went smoothly. I will definitely recommend her to family and friends
We had to make a small change to one of our local flights during the trip and your 24 hour helpline were brilliant at supporting us in getting it arranged. Not sure what we would do without you!
Isaac was great
Always good service
Your arrangements were fine. However my trip was less than enjoyable due to no gluten free food available on either of the return flights.
Everything working like clockwork
Excellent customer care looks after you before and after travelling. Highly recommended - cannot thank Conrad enough. Thank you so much for your kindness
Everything as discussed and delivered
When it comes to island paradises, Phuket is a winner. Located off the south west coast of Thailand, it has wide beaches, blissful temperatures and clear, inviting water with a distinctive blue-green hue.
You can spend your days lazing on the soft sand, hiking through rainforest, enjoying world-class spa treatments or snorkelling, scuba diving, surfing, windsurfing or Hobie Cat sailing.
Your evenings might well be taken up enjoying delicious food (the island will soon, for the first time, be included in the Michelin guide to Thailand). The cuisine on the island tends to be a wonderful blend of complementary styles - an alluring mix of Asian and western delicacies - and it's one of Phuket's major attractions.
Chefs here seem to know better than anywhere else in the world how to use delicate flavours and fragrant spices and the seafood is heavenly.
Spa treatments here take on a new concept as they are married with the ancient traditions of natural healing, including herbal baths and meditation. The levels of tranquility and relaxation that can be reached are remarkable.
For a change of pace, Phuket Town has temples, markets and cultural attractions. And the Old Town has street after street of colourful colonial-style mansions and townhouses now the home to shops and small restaurants.
Breathtaking views
And a simple but enthralling experience can be had by heading for one of the noted viewpoints, such as Kata, Rang Hill, Leam Singh or Promthep Cape - they give a magnificent vista of the entire island. One of the best views is from the site of The Big Buddha (the majority of Thais are practising Buddhists) - it's a 45-metre tall white marble statue that is worth a hot walk up to see close.
Phuket is one of those destinations that can be delightful at any time of year - it has such a wide range of attributes that it can come up with the goods for whatever type of holiday, active or otherwise, that is required.
November to April is generally cooler and drier - a great time to escape the British winter. Some of the more popular hotels and resorts book up quickly at this time.
It is often at its warmest in July and August, when temperatures can occasionally reach 40 degrees - and often accompanied by some intense downpours. But this is also when your hotel of choice may well be available at particularly good value.
If you’re looking to stay at a beach resort, you are spoilt for choice. There are many from which to choose and each has its own distinctive character and personality.
You’ll find upmarket resorts – with equally upmarket accommodation – on Surin and Ao Bang Thao, family-oriented spots on Rawai, a party atmosphere on Patong, culture in Phuket Town and wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in the north.
There is accommodation of every conceivable type to suit every conceivable taste - from intimate boutique properties to expansive wellness retreats.
Something for everyone
Patong and Mai Khao are both popular options for beach stays. For undeveloped beauty, Mai Khao is hard to beat - it has an 11km stretch of coarse white sand that has remained untouched thanks to its location inside Sirinat National Park.
Patong, on the other hand, is all about having fun, with lively nightlife, watersports and activities available during the day.
Many decide that they want to mix a stay in Phuket with a visit to other parts of Thailand. The multi-centre trip is becoming ever more popular.
The obvious partner for a Phuket beach stay is the buzzing capital city of Bangkok. A twin-centre holiday such as this delivers fabulous contrasts.
Or you could also have a different type of beach and city experience by combining a sandy sojourn in the Phi Phi Islands with an exploration of the towns and interior on Phuket. This can be very rewarding.
This combination of stays, for example, could see you based at Wanaburi, on the doorstep of the beautiful Kho Phra Teaw National Park.
Whatever face of Phuket you choose to focus on, you'll find yourself captivated by this deceptively diverse island.
First published in the Mail Online - March 2019
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