We have booked through DialAFlight for many years and we are always delighted. Our holiday to the Maldives was magical and Rupert was always available to answer any queries unlike some other ccompanies that take forever to answer the phone or do not respond at all!
My ‘go to’ travel agent going forwards and already recommended to several friends who I hear are using your services too. Thanks for a great service.
Wonderful service from Matthew and a great holiday!
As always, very happy with Jessie's work. Always clear with her communication and very proactive
Saf Patel is fantastic
This is the best that Britain has and beats the others by a mile. Gino is a genius in all he does. He has the answers at the tip of his fingers (while typing) and at the tip of his tongue (while talking). I'll be back with DialAFlight again and again. Cheers to you all!
Thanks Des, 110% as always. Helpful. Thorough. Friendly and best service ever.
I have contacted Jim Camahin with a suggestion for inter island transport to Reethi Beach, ie seaplane instead of scheduled flight plus speedboat.
Thanks to Kennedy for all her help and changing the whole trip last minute! It was wonderful and memories made for a lifetime
Our first trip with you and all went well. Thank you
Thanks for everything, we had a wonderful time. Samuel sorted out the itinerary perfectly.
Megan is an absolute superstar and really looked after us. She is an asset to your organisation.
Simple to follow and thorough itinerary. The transfer company arranged for us in Mauritius (coquille Bonheur) were amazing and helped us throughout our trip.
Hummingbird were efficient and good to deal with once we landed in Male. Thanks for your clear and precise communication.
Everything went smoothly with the booking - the flights and the extra luggage made our holiday well worth it. Will go to Mauritius again next year in November and will be sure to book with DialAFlight again.
The holiday worked out really well and Kurumba in the Maldives was amazing. It was just a pity they have developed the area across the water with high rise flats which spoilt the desert island feel.
Todd has been great
Shame you couldn’t do anything about weather
Everything went smoothly
Always a pleasure dealing with you
Not knowing much about Mauritius we relied on Tony Judge's advice on where to go and where to stay. His advice was spot on, as was his help in changing the seating on our return flight.
Everything went smoothly, not one single hitch. Perfection
This has been by far one of my favourite holidays and the service provided by DialAFlight has been outstanding. In particular Jackson Cowton has been incredible and always on hand to help.
Can’t fault anything about the service or help I was given and our holiday was out of this world.
Roy gets it right everytime.
Dexter was there with information and support when needed. Great company, would thoroughly recommend
Only disappointment was the seating in Virgin Upper Class for the flight - it was awful and not as expected.
No issues. Very responsive on all questions, and holiday went smoothly.
Our trip to the Seychelles was amazing. Manny Mittoo was professional when booking and always got back with any questions we had. Will recommend DialAFlight to family and friends. Thank you for hassle free travel and wonderful holiday.
Libby is always fantastic and delivered an incredible trip. Thank you!!
A BIT OF HISTORY
In his 1891 book Palms And Pearls: Or Scenes In Ceylon, Alan Walters highlights a 14th century Icelandic work which names Paradise as an island off India 'studded with flowers', which he believes to be Ceylon, renamed Sri Lanka in 1972.
And French author Hugo Victor is believed to be referring to Sri Lanka when he writes: 'Paradise is a spot in the Orient productive of all kinds of woods and pomiferous trees: it contains the Tree of Life; there is neither cold nor heat but perpetual equable temperature.'
Arrival in Sri Lanka, with the chaos of Colombo airport and the surrounding roads, seemed some way from that early notion of Paradise.
But once you reach the areas of natural beauty, you'll see why the Paradise description is so apt. There are 26 national parks in Sri Lanka, each one teeming with wildlife. I stayed at the Uga Escapes resort of Chena Huts, in Yala National Park.
Cape Weligama beach sunset
A PLACE TO RELAX
The hotel is intimate, with just 14 luxury suites, and they're spread out to ensure maximum privacy.
A sign on the path to the hotel declared that an elephant had last been sighted here just three days before.
One lunchtime, we were enjoying a watermelon martini at the bar when four monkeys sat down just yards away. And on another occasion, we wandered down to the sandbanks below the resort and heard a huge crash. Turning around slowly, we came face to face with an elephant. He was unfazed, but we were overcome with emotion. It was one of the best moments of my life.
You might think that the staff would become blasé about living so close to wildlife, but they delighted in showing us photos of leopards, crocodiles, wild boars and elephants which had all meandered into the hotel grounds. The private suites at Chena Huts are similar to safari lodges: vintage camping lamps, a freestanding bath, a huge bed, colonial style rugs and - a safari essential - Nespresso machine.
There's a plunge pool in the garden of each suite, too - as well as an enormous, lagoon-like pool moments away.
Meals and alcohol are inclusive and you can turn up to eat at any time. And once you've tasted the Sri Lankan fish curry, you'll want to sign up for the cookery classes offered by the head chef.
At 6.30am every day you can set off on a safari tour of the park (or at 3.30pm, though morning gives you a better chance of leopard sightings). Driving through the park, you'll suddenly come to a clearing which looks as if you've been transported to Africa, with huge lakes covered with water hyacinths, and mountains looming in the background.
We saw toucans, elephants, leopards, monkeys and water buffalo - a fabulous experience.
Following our stay at Chena, we set off on a three-hour drive to Weligama, a popular surfing beach on the south coast. Here we stayed at Cape Weligama resort, perched on a clifftop.
The resort has an activities centre where you can take out surfboards, snorkels and paddleboards. There are also scuba-diving courses. I was happier sitting by the Moon Pool - an infinity pool fringed with palm trees where you can watch the surfers bobbing like buoys, waiting for the next big wave.
Rent a bike and start your day with some cycling at Cape Weligama
A VISIT TO GALLE
The nearby town of Galle is one of the most distinctive on the island. It features a 16th century fort built by the Portuguese. We had tea at the Galle Fort Hotel, the most chic destination on the coast.
Back in Colombo,Residence, another Uga Escapes hotel, is the
perfect sanctuary. It's a ten-minute walk from the Town Hall and near the
Gangaramaya Temple, so ideal for sightseeing. We sat by the hotel pool sipping
a gin and tonic and plotted how to return to Paradise as soon as
possible.
First published in the Mail Online - September 2018
More articles below...
Not quite what you're looking for?
We can easily customise an offer to suit your exact requirements
Clients range from TV companies to Space agencies, investment banks to firms recruiting nurses, doctors and teachers around the world. One saves tigers, elephants and and orang-utans, another clears landmines around the world.
But they all have one thing in common. They love the unique DialAFlight approach. Read more here
Let us extend the personalised service of your booking into your holiday with great prices on business class flights ready to add a touch of class to your trip.
Take the stress out of travelling with a host of wonderful perks on offer from priority check-in and premium lounge access to chauffeur service and fine in-flight dining, plus the supreme comfort of a fully-reclining seat.
Call us to see how much you could save on Business Class flights.
Airport Lounges from £25
Once you’re through security leave the crowds, kids and chaos behind you with a visit to one of our comfortable airport lounges.
All offer complimentary food, drinks, wifi and newspapers with some also including Fastrack through security. Prices from £25.
Use our speedy private transfer service to avoid the stress of finding your way out of the airport terminal and looking for a taxi or bus on arrival.
With our meet and greet service, our driver will meet you in the arrivals hall. They will monitor flight arrival times giving you peace of mind that someone will be waiting for you with a name board even if your flight is late.
They will then assist you with your luggage and organise a private transfer directly to your hotel - there’s no waiting around for other passengers for shared transfers!
So no queues, no delays and less stress.
What could be better than giving someone the Gift of Travel?
Starting at just £50, with no maximum value, DialAFlght's 'Gift of Travel' vouchers make the perfect present for any occasion or celebration.
And it couldn't be simpler to organise, just contact one of our travel experts today and they will organise a personalised travel voucher to be sent out.
BACK TO TOP
