Perfect handling of my holiday from start to finish. Thanks again Ross for all you do.
We are always happy with the service that we receive from DialAFlight
It was a wonderful holiday and everything went to plan!
Had a fantastic holiday and would definitely use again. Excellent service from Olivia Holt from the initial booking to the call before we started our holiday
The service was top notch help when need. Prompted about things that needed to be done. Out of hours service is a help in a pinch. Start to finish A1 service
Once again Sally excelled in helping us make the right choice. She is one in a million, thank you.
Specify exactly if there is shuttle to the airport and the baggage allowance
Too many times airlines change flight times which happened twice to us. More pressure should be put on airlines to financially compensate for this. I can't fault DialAFlight.
Aidan was amazing, as always! Helped out a lot especially as we had to cancel due to covid twice and transfer credit but we just got back from our honeymoon trip in Mauritius and it was the BEST holiday of our lives! We enjoyed it sooooo much and cannot wait to go back!
My only negative is the return transfer was booked way too late and we would have missed our flight had we had to wait in the normal check in. Fortunately one of the transfer team at the airport moved us to priority check in to push us through quicker. Everything else was perfect
Excellent holiday - resort was excellent but we had a 24 hour delay at Gatwick with British Arways and had to find last minute hotel accommodation. Not a good start.
Everything was sorted and worked like clockwork. We had the best honeymoon and didn’t have to arrange a thing.
John and his team were super helpful finding the right flights for us working with our budget.Timely updates and friendly reminders before travel so no issues and will gladly contact them again for our next family holiday
Doug was extremely helpful in rearranging the flights when Qatar Airways significantly altered the timings of my flights.
Orlando was a star as always. From the original enquiry to just before we departed he kept in contact and made us feel that we were always in his mind. Great service from a very helpful employee
Fabulous holiday with room we wanted. Thanks as ever, Kylie. We had a great time. Not being a whizz on the computer, we found the Maldivian health online form a bit of a challenge. It worked much better on our phone, in the end.
Mark was very professional and gave us all the information that we needed for a successful and stress free trip
Our flight to Mauritius was great, however the return flight was really disappointing. We asked for the baby bassinet and we were informed that our baby was too big, although he went in it on the way. So it seems pointless having those seats, as you need to hold the baby throughout the flight. We also asked for the baby meal, which was included in the ticket, and told he needs to be 2 years old to get it.
Jordan's knowledge of the hotel definitely helped to improve our stay. Got us upgraded to better rooms and booked into the happy hour. Perfect!
Very good service all round but it would have been really beneficial to have had our passenger ticket numbers earlier than the day of departure. This would have enabled us to check in online 24 hours before departure rather than on the day itself
Great personal service, answering all our questions and keeping us informed at all times, and providing all documentation early on in the booking.
Service was brilliant. Always updated when needed and contact with Niall was always quick and easy if we had any queries. Would definitely recommend and we will be using again to book our holidays
Amelia is excellent, always willing to help!
We had an amazing holiday in Mauritius. Thanks to Karl for his recommendations and sorting it out for us. We will definitely be using DialAFlight in future
Had a great holiday, thank you for an amazing time
Not overly impressed with BA Premium Economy.
Ryan always very helpful
No problems at all - went really ell.
Excellent customer service from knowledgeable and professional agents
Great customer service
English?' asks the wizened old man selling bananas on a street corner in Galle. Well, it's a safe bet. My lobster-pink face has Home Counties written all over it. Ditto my baggy shorts.
Sri Lanka is often one of England's opponents on the cricket pitch and, every few years, the Barmy Army descends on this beautiful colonial port on the south-western tip of the island.
Other foreign visitors have been more wary, not surprisingly put off by the long civil war, which concluded in 2009. And the 2004 tsunami that devastated Galle was shocking. But better times have arrived.
The country is once again very accessible, with a range of airlines offering great fares, and visitors taking an early opportunity to visit have discovered one of the world's most beautiful islands, a lush landscape topped by densely wooded mountains ringed by white sandy beaches.
Probably the first thing that strikes you is the sheer richness of the vegetation. In rural areas, it is thrillingly green. There is hardly a bare patch of ground as fruit and flowers of every description, from mangoes to orchids, pineapples to tea roses, papayas to camellias, burst out of the soil.
There are meant to be more than 20 varieties of banana in Sri Lanka, and my stall-holder friend in Galle seems to stock most of them, judging by the rich palette of colours on display, from lurid yellow to dainty pink. I buy one of the smaller ones and, as I sink my teeth into the sweet flesh, let out a little purr of pleasure.
'Good?' he asks with a gap-toothed grin. 'Magnificent,' I reply.
Galle, 75 miles from the capital of Colombo, was colonised by the Dutch and the old Dutch fort that dominates the town is now a lovingly maintained conservation area.
The ghosts of the past are all around as you stroll through the narrow streets past 18th-century churches, dusty libraries and gnarled old banyan trees that look as if they have been there since the dawn of time.
Its cricket ground, the Galle International Stadium, is considered to be one of the most picturesque in the world. It was severely damaged by the tsunami but was rebuilt - with considerable funding from Melbourne, Australia - and test matches resumed there in 2007.
A cat sleeps under a white Morris Minor parked outside a tea shop. A faded sign promises 'Elocution lessons for age 4 to 15'. A boy scurries past with a cricket bat, his face aglow with excitement. A sea breeze gusts the tablecloths of a restaurant promising 'finest curries' and '99 per cent approval rating'.
If Galle is a hive of activity, with its plethora of shops and cafes, the Fortress Hotel, ten miles along the coast, is a haven of luxurious calm. The only sound is the waves pounding the beach and the wind rustling the tops of the palm trees that soar high above the swimming-pool, bent at crazy angles.
Honeymooners loll in hammocks scented by hibiscus or sip cocktails in the purpling twilight. It is a magical spot.
Meanwhile, the capital, Colombo, is a vibrant modern city. We pound the streets, soak up the atmosphere and pig out at the Ministry Of Crab, a hip new seafood restaurant co-owned by two Sri Lankan Test cricketers. But the mountainous interior is the real glory of Sri Lanka.
The ancient city of Kandy, fabled for its tea plantations, is exquisite, like something from a fairy tale - one minute wreathed in mist, the next lit by bright sun.
The city centre hums with life as women in brightly-coloured saris converge on the market place. Tuk-tuks career through the narrow streets. Donkeys and bullocks pull carts laden with fruit and vegetables.
Our hotel, Mahaweli Reach, overlooks a muddy river that glides off without a murmur into the dark foliage. White birds swoop through the trees. There is a smell of turmeric from the kitchen, promising a slap-up curry lunch beside the pool.
For Sri Lanka's 14-million Buddhists, Kandy is a place of pilgrimage, and the Temple Of The Sacred Tooth Relic, said to contain a tooth of the Buddha himself, is one of the most impressive buildings on the sub-continent, with its dramatic lakeside setting, dainty roofs and gilt interior.
Not too far from Kandy, rising above the rice fields, is Sigiriya, Sri Lanka's answer to Ayers Rock. This craggy pillar of rock, more than 660-ft high, has been a sacred site for 15 centuries.
As we slog to the top, we pass shady water gardens, deep-set caves, some racy frescoes of half-dressed women and, best of all, two enormous lion's paws, carved out of the rock.
I gape in awe. In fact, everywhere in Sri Lanka I find myself gaping and marvelling at its beauty and friendliness.
First published in March 2015
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