What 676 DialAFlight clients thought of Phuket

Very helpful and professional team, rare these days.

Fantastic service as always. Guy stayed in contact at all times to ensure the journey went as smoothly as possible.

Having DialAFlight support me during my journey to and from Thailand was a bonus. Travel isn't easy these days and airlines don't always deliver what you expect. The team at were there for me at the end of the phone ready to offer help when I needed it.

Nicky was fantastic!

Many thanks to Jordan. Our holiday was amazing from start to finish. We will never book a holiday with any other tour operator. DialAFlight never disappoints. All our dreams came true

Dominic, as always, amazing

Cheers Brody, see you in November

You provided an excellent service and I have already recommended you to a lot of my friends,

My experience with DialAFlight in such challenging times was excellent. Graham has the patience of a saint

Philippa has been excellent helping with changes and providing clear information in these challenging travel times

Everything was perfect

Disappointed in Thai Airways food and Business Class not worth the money but travel agent excellent

Great service, really impressed. Will be in touch later this year for some Australia flights.

Gareth delivered again!

Michael was exceptional

All staff I spoke to were excellent - courteous and extremely helpful

I was impressed with the service given to us by Roray. Flights and hotel bookings for a group of 14 were seamless and everything worked out perfectly. I would definitely recommend you to my friends and family.

Once we were on holiday it ran like clockwork. DialAFlight were always on hand to deal with any issues. Would definitely use again and recommend if you like the personal touch.

Great customer service provided by Riley throughout. Would definitely use again and recommend to others. Thank you for all your help with this trip I originally booked in 2019

Thank you for "holding my hand" through the whole process.

Thanks to Colin for organising our flight - I'll definitely be using you again.

Amazing service every step!

No problems, no delays

I would like to thank Amy who is 100% a star

First Class as always!

Excellent service

I could not have done this trip without Jessie’s help. Excellent does not sum up the service she delivered in such a professional, calm, prompt, friendly manner. I have shouted about her and the organisation to friends and family on various social media. Her colleagues have also stepped in too in her absence (outside hours) with such efficiency and friendliness. Huge thanks

As usual, another painless, well put together trip.

Eve certainly helped us through a difficult trip and came to our rescue on more than one occasion

The team and especially George have been exceptional. 5 stars!

Perfect Phuket

The many fabulous faces of Phuket

This island gem offers a huge choice of different holidays - let Jo Gardner guide you through the possibilities

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.

Ko Kaeo Rawai, also known as Buddha Island, has many beautiful statues along its shoreline

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.

Stunning pools and gardens at the contemporary designed Twinpalms Resort Phuket

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.

Longtail boats moored in Maya Bay lagoon on Ko Phi Phi Lee

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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