What 923 DialAFlight clients thought of Indian Ocean

I would like to thank Ben for sorting out a lovely holiday for us both - we had a fantastic time and we would recommend you to all our friends and family

The trip was excellent and all went to plan. Good communication from Des during the whole process. Will def use again.

Totally fantastic service, recommendations and flight times - will definitely be booking again.

Excellent service all round that's why I keep coming back to you.

In the past we dealt with Rudi but this time it was with Mark who dealt superbly with all our requests and made sure all went smoothly. Their sevice was excellent and will book our holidays/flights with them in the future.

Holiday destination was fantastic. Everything ran extremely well and DialAFlight did a amazing job for us. All bookings and changes we were kept informed of and all ran smoothly. I would have no hesitation in recommending them.

Thank you very much Zoe for all your help and support

Always willing to assist and help with even the silliest of questions. Thank you for everything.

Stafford was brilliant, and kept us in the loop. He was really friendly and helpful, made our holiday process so easy and made sure we were happy with everything. Would definitely recommend DialAFlight.

I will use DialAFlight again and again

Shelley was excellent and will be booking with her again - thank you so much

It was a pleasure to work with you. The only hitch was that the airline website did not allow us to check in and select seats.

We spent a lot of time searching for the right destination and the right place, then we expanded the group and one more person flew in from another country and then we changed the location in the middle of our holiday. It all required a lot of patience and time and Teddy was brilliant!

Craig was brilliant from the initial enquiry to dealing with final requests and ensuring everything was OK a few days before departure.

Dylan is fantastic. Our operator changed the holiday twice due to Covid. Not only did he rebook but took the time to find best flight options and this was made 10x harder due to the final trip being in the Easter holidays. Always loved dealing with him but this time he really proved invaluable. Thanks so much!

Declan was brilliant. He was super patient and kind. He even called us just before the trip. We rebooked it 4 times due to lockdowns and illness and he wanted to make sure everything was in place and we were ok. Anyone else we spoke to was professional and helpful. There are not many companies you can say that about these days!

Sarah is absolutely fantastic. We will definitely be booking our next holiday with her

Niall was excellent - could not have been more helpful and responsive

Colin was fantastic from initial enquiry through to departure over a 2 year period. A superb, proactive and seamless service. Our trip was disrupted 3 times due to Covid - would highly recommend DialAFlight to friends and family in future.

Mike and the DialAFlight team are always very helpful and friendly. They're the best!

Excellent service as always and trip went according to plan. Maldives in particular was amazing

Stacey helped us book our holiday back in 2020. She was super helpful and then again when it all had to be changed due to Covid.

Damian did a great job of getting everything organised to ensure our honeymoon went very smoothly. We had one small issue and when we contacted him he assisted us in resolving it immediately. We were very happy with DialAFlight and will certainly use them in future.

Les and Teddy, absolute stars!

Harrison was brilliant all the way through and would definitely use again

Tony was excellent throughout the whole booking process and always responded very quickly to any requests. Even when there was a slight mix up with our rooms he arranged a refund with the hotel for us.

Sean literally made our dream holiday come true. He’s amazing and we will hold the memory of this beautiful place in our hearts forever. Unforgettable holiday. We certainly found paradise in The Maldives.

Attention to detail, fast response and very polite and friendly staff - could not be any better.

Great service. Will definitely use you again.

Thank you so much Libby for clearing all the fog around travelling! We had an amazing time and everyone was helpful and courteous

Perfect for families

Honeymoon heaven? Maybe, but it's paradise for kids too

Imogen Edwards-Jones thought the Maldives were just for romantic couples - until she took her children there and found they fitted in perfectly

The idea of taking two small children to the Maldives is not something anyone of sound mind would usually entertain. The Maldives is a honeymoon destination, right?

The 26 atolls are renowned for their serenity… I'd been promised that the LUX* South Ari Atoll was different. Beloved of hand-holding couples but also child and eco-friendly, with a marine biology programme.

But on the flight, with husband Kenton, four-year-old Rafe and Allegra, eight, I was still questioning my decision to head there as a family.

On arrival there followed a 25-minute seaplane hop to our final destination.

LUX Resort's overwater bungalows

South Ari Atoll is a big island resort by Maldivian standards. There are just over 190 villas and suites (either on stilts or nestled along the beach), nine bars and restaurants, a delicious ice-cream parlour, two pools, and countless watersports. But their ethos is to be a bit different from the usual family-orientated resort.

It is full of little secrets and surprises, such as a bright red phone box where you can call home for free, or the open-air photo-booth where my children amused themselves for hours by pulling funny faces at the camera.

There were messages in bottles hidden all over the hotel every morning, offering the lucky finder free pizza or bottle of wine. And a bar that popped up in various palm-fringed coves, where you could help yourself to a cocktail or three.

There were fresh coconut stalls, and stashes of chopped fruit here and piles of nuts there. In short, the walk to breakfast was fun. There was no better way to motivate Rafe to make the ten-minute walk down the beach each day for his boiled egg and soldiers than the prospect of finding a hidden treat along the way.

South Ari Atoll knows how to cater for children: there's a kids' pool, films on the beach, a kids' club with arts and crafts, and, best of all, the marine biology centre run by Italian powerhouse Francesca.

My daughter became rather obsessed with Francesca, a gorgeous polyglot, with a degree in marine biology and a passion for whale sharks with which she managed to enthuse everyone.

The resort has a major whale shark-spotting area on its doorstep, and Francesca and the rest of the marine centre staff photograph and monitor these gentle giants (they can grow to 40ft and weigh 21 tons) as part of a global preservation plan.

Swimming with giants

We spent most of our week on, or in, the water, either swimming in the crystal-clear ocean, snorkelling, or sailing. One evening, instead of going to watch stingrays being fed outside the Umami sushi restaurant, we fished for our supper. As a storm came in and the rain lashed down, the children became all the more determined to land any sort of catch - but to no avail.

Fortunately, some Japanese tourists who came with us caught plenty so gave us some of theirs. And what a delicious meal it made. There's nothing more glamorous than having your chef barbecue freshly caught fish while you sip a glass of rosé.

The best was yet to come. On our last day we went sailing on the resort's catamaran and we were joined by 30 or so over-excited dolphins that showed off their swimming skills for at least half an hour, much to Allegra's delight.

Just then the call went out from Dolores, from the marine centre: 'A whale shark! Over the starboard deck.' There was a mad scramble for masks and snorkels before we all threw ourselves over the side.

By a stroke of luck, as everyone else was swept in the wrong direction, I landed within a few feet of the whale shark's head.

Dark grey and the size of six London buses, it was one of the most beautiful, serene and impressive animals I have ever seen. For ten minutes we swam side by side, one of its large soulful eyes staring at me, and me staring right back. It was a heart-stopping, privileged moment I will never forget.

The hotel food was delicious, particularly the Umami sushi. However, it was the ice-cream parlour ICI that drove my children wild - choc, double choc, or choc with extra choc delight. There were marshmallows and sprinkles and Smarties to throw over the top. It was as if Willy Wonka himself had set up shop.

LUX South Ari Atoll is a delightful family resort

On that final day, as we stood on the jetty with our bags packed waiting for the seaplane, I did feel a terrible twinge of jealousy as a group of new guests arrived for their week of delights, while ours was over.

Whoever suggests the Maldives is not for families doesn't know what they are talking about - ask my children, one of whom came home a stingray-feeding pirate, while the other discovered she is actually a marine biologist.

First published in the Mail on Sunday - March 2016

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