What 11129 DialAFlight clients thought of Asia

You have been excellent as always. Will book soon.

Love DAF! Debbie always makes everything so easy and seamless.

We were dealing with George who made the whole process easier and enjoyable. Will certainly use again.

Wonderful service. Lloyd could not have been more helpful.

Very happy with the service, thanks to Adam.

Sally was brilliant in sorting the trip out for us

All went well. Kylie was brilliant as always. Really felt she was watching our backs on this trip ,

Jonathan Greaves was excellent. This is why I keep coming back to DialAFlight.

Samuel was very helpful and went above and beyond for us which was very much appreciated

As always great service

Thank you Jordan our trip to Dubai to visit family went well. You never let us down.

Great service as always

Excellent service from Matilda and will continue to book with DialAFlight

Excellent service from our agent Jake.

Thanks to Niall for a wonderful and unforgettable honeymoon.

Very helpful and professional team, rare these days.

Will use in the future .. loved the clear way things were dealt with and the way checks were made. Love the personal service.

Despite difficult times in Sri Lanka we had a great trip and flights were seamless thanks to Mason.

Jake Chudasama is always very polite, efficient and helpful. Thank you

Great suggestions for hotels, flights and timings, all worked out well

Great staff, always on the ball.

As always a fantastic service in difficult times

Extremely helpful and appreciated call prior to departure

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

With things changing from day to day Darren and staff were amazing. We thank all of you.

Great service as always - very thorough and helpful

Great holiday and good flight with Scoot, but don’t want to fly from Gatwick next time. Heathrow every time with whoever is going at a decent price

Fantastic service from Ryan as usual - already booked next holiday with DialAFlight and looking forward to more.

Really liked the follow up calls and check in's before departure. The App is fantastic, used it every day while I was away and regularly leading up to the trip.

Malcolm was great and extremely helpful with all my questions.

Foodie Heaven

Breathtaking Vietnam

From vibrant street markets to havens of tranquillity and heavenly food - this is a country for every mood and Harriet Mallinson loved the contrast

In hindsight, spending my first afternoon in Vietnam pounding the busy city streets, visiting every incense-filled pagoda and finishing at the heaving Ben Thanh market in Ho Chi Minh City was a baptism by fire on my first day.

I can’t deny it was a relief when I returned, footsore and weary, to my hotel, the Park Hyatt Saigon - an oasis in that buzzing city.

Huge bouquets of flowers and dazzling chandeliers greeted me in the cool lobby while the luxurious French colonial style rooms featured delightful white wooden shutters and a superbly soft carpet tastefully decorated with a bird motif.

When I woke next morning in the vast and very comfortable bed and delightfully appointed and furnished room I found the whole place exuded relaxation – a feeling that was ramped up when a tiny Vietnamese woman arrived for my massage. She used her knees, elbows and hands to pummel my back. It really was an excellent massage, vigorous but highly relaxing and diffusing knots of tension I hadn't realised I had.

Dinner at the Park Hyatt proved mouthwatering, with salmon tartare, pomello salad, pork with prawn crackers and bread with anchovy tapenade. This was followed by succulent Australian wagyu steak, with puréed potatoes, sweetcorn and asparagus.

Breakfast was also divine and I couldn’t get enough of the buttery croissants and yoghurt with figs.

When the time came to haul myself away from the luxury of the Park Hyatt, and bid farewell to Ho Chi Minh City, I made my way south to the Mekong Delta - a vast maze of rivers, swamps and rice paddies.

I stayed in the city of Can Tho where an absolute must is the floating market which sees traders take to their boats and sell their wares from the middle of the river.

Visiti the bustling floating markets for a taste of some fresh local produce

Huge mountains of melons, pineapples and gourds filled the boats while sellers cried out to anyone passing by what they had to offer. Others busied themselves with weighing the fruit or sprucing up their boat with a fresh lick of paint. Some stall holders simply lazed aboard their vessel, gossiping with friends.

The Victoria Can Tho Resort organised the morning’s river tour. Just like the Park Hyatt this hotel was decorated in a colonial style. A bowl of exotic fruits welcomed me upon my arrival, many of which I couldn’t begin to name.

The room looked onto the huge swimming pool in the courtyard below, the fourth ‘wall’ of which was lined with towering palm trees, providing privacy from the gardens and river beyond.

Visit any of the beautiful pools at Victoria Can Tho

If it’s real escapism you’re after in Vietnam, the island of Phu Quoc is where you want to be – and it’s just a very quick plane ride away.

It boasts breathtaking white sand beaches, a wonderfully temperate sea and dense, tropical jungle – not to mention its world-famous fish sauce.

It’s no wonder that many an A list celebrity including Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have been drawn to the island’s serene and sparkling shores which offer privacy from the outside world.

I stayed at the divine La Veranda which is right on the sea-front. It feels secluded and peaceful in the resort itself, but venture onto the beach and you'll see bars and eateries up and down the sands blaring out music and attracting relaxed backpackers cradling tumblers of beer, the water lapping at their toes.

Explore Gam Ghi - La Veranda's own private island

La Veranda’s delightful terrace, shaded by palm trees, offered a brilliant view of the picture-postcard seascape, while at night waiters brought out huge flaming torches to light up the restaurant tables set out on the sand.

Before dinner I took a swim in the blue, blue sea and was delighted when the most amazing sunset began to form on the horizon, the sky filled with reds and orange gold.

My trip may have started with a hectic whirl of activity, but this haven of peace and quiet highlighted the incredible contrasts that Vietnam offers.

First published in the Mail Online - October 2017

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