What 820 DialAFlight clients thought of Indian Ocean

Lee and the team very helpful and proactive. I knew I’d be in good hands if I got into a pickle overseas.

In the face of adversity Ryan smooths out all the creases and we don’t go elsewhere now down to that relationship. Thank you.

Thanks to Libby, Raphael and Julian for going above and beyond, sending us everything we needed and even changing last minute flights.

Aidan was brilliant

Fantastic service! Always go above and beyond to ensure you get your perfect holiday for a great price! You are my go to travel agents. Thank you!

Gary was great as always, he helped us through the refund process on a holiday we booked just before Lockdown. He was then super proactive in helping us find an alternative trip, double-checking cancellation policies and giving us peace of mind.

Great communication with Teddy - every time!

Delighted with service from main contacts especially Helen and Michael

Fantastic experience and will be using you for our next trip!

Yet another great holiday to the Maldives organised by Rory. Great company to arrange your holiday, great personal service as not many companies do nowadays? Hopefully organising another trip for Xmas 2021 to Mauritius.

I am thankful more than ever to Gary for his amazing attentive service. He expertly navigated me through the covid restrictions and last minute change of hotel due to unforeseen circumstances. I am also very happy at the service he has provided to every one of my referrals who have come back to me so thankful for the introduction. Keep up the great work Gary. Look forward to the next booking

Fantastic communication from start to finish. Personalised service. With the added stress of the second lockdown in November, Miles and his team did a great job reorganising the flights and hotel.

Josh was extremely efficient and helpful especially because we were stranded out of the UK because of the Covid-19. Josh arranged new flights and was contactable 7 days a week.

During a difficult time abroad with the development of the Coronavirus, your assistance and reassurance was greatly appreciated.

Amy and Shane provided excellent customer service. Contacted me in Mauritius and ensured I was able to get back home before airport shut down. They were brilliant. Thank you both.

As always, excellent service

Excellent help, quick with flights - and they have been amazing considering what the country is going through

Thanks Troy for getting us home. We will always come to you for our travel needs

My whole experience of using DialAFlight has gone way above expectations. Brody has been fantastic, but also praise to everyone else who we spoke to during our trip to Mauritius. Our flights had to be changed and it couldn’t have gone any smoother. Whilst others in the hotel struggled we got a flight, got the seats we wanted, didn’t have to pay any extra - it was all completely seamless. Your customer care is some of the best I have ever experienced. We’ve booked with other operators and booked direct but won’t be going back. I’ve recommended your services to every person who has mentioned flights.

Great to speak to a human and not a robot.

Fabulous trip, everything went like clockwork as usual from Neil and his team

Thanks to Finn for arranging everything as promised

Jim comes up with the best suggestions every time.

Would have been nice to know Jan to Mar is the cyclone/rainy season

Eric was outstanding

Gino was great and looked after us well,

A big thank you to Michelle

Great service and help from Barry. Nothing was a bother and he sorted everything we needed. Great service

Another great holiday organised by Ted Millerick. I enjoy being greeted at varying locations for transfers etc. Often when tired from travelling it’s great to have that continuity. The recommended hotel in the Maldives was great. My daughter has now booked her 3 week honeymoon through Ted and I will be using you again in the future. Thanks for a well organised holiday.

Would definitely book with DialAFlight again. Big thanks to Chris Coulter.

The delights of Dodo Island

Its national bird may be long gone, but lush green forests and hills, sugar, rum and serenades on the sand are far from extinct on Mauritius, as Doreen Parry discovered

The dodo's image is everywhere you look in Mauritius, from the moment you arrive at the airport to the cover of restaurant menus. It seems a strange emblem to use to promote the island, considering it was the very place they were hunted into extinction in the 17th century.

Crystal blue sea surrounding the resort

The 3ft-tall, flightless birds were killed by dogs, cats, rats, pigs and, of course, humans who ate them, despite the unpleasant taste, until they became extinct in the 1660s while the island was under Dutch rule. But it's the national bird of Mauritius. And, like the dodo, the island has a complicated history. Replacing the Dutch, the French invaded in 1710 and ruled Mauritius for 100 years.

The population speaks French today despite the British colonisation beginning in the early 19th century (Mauritius became an independent nation in 1968). The majority of the population is of Indian descent, with residents also hailing from Africa, Fiji, China and, of course, Europe.

Mauritius is surprisingly verdant, full of rich green hills, woods and lush farmland. And another big surprise was its incredibly well-maintained road network.

Mauritius is a wealthy island with its sugar, rum and cut-flower exports. I travelled north up the east coast to Shangri-La's Le Touessrok Resort, which reopened at the end of last year after a major refurbishment (previously owned by the One&Only group).

No matter what time you arrive, your breath will be taken away by the entrance to the hotel with its huge mangrove tree filled with fairy lights - and then by the local art and huge, blown-glass light fittings in the foyer.

The resort sprawls across the bay with low-level beachfront villas connected by a path which you can use to pop to one of the three private beaches.

A relaxing massage with the sound of the waves by your feet

Depending on which way the wind's blowing, you will always find a tranquil suntrap; well, mostly tranquil - sometimes you'll get a party boat whizzing by with rum-soaked guests dancing on deck. As well as the beaches, the Mauritius hotel has two beautiful, and very quiet, swimming pools surrounded by tropical plants and trees. Lying in the shade and taking the occasional dip to cool off, the days could not have been more perfect. The hotel also has regular motorboat shuttles to its two private islands.

One is the venue for watersports such as parasailing and kite-surfing, while the other has an 18-hole golf course and a huge stretch of totally unspoilt beach, where we were serenaded by a guitarist who played Light My Fire ('Have you heard of The Doors?' he asked).

You might not want to, but there are plenty of opportunities to leave the resort. You can canoe among the mangrove trees, visit a local rum distillery, cycle along the coast or have a speedboat tour along the coast.

Pristine sea views, interrupted only by a few tropical palms

Our driver Charles was no stranger to full throttle, and we charged along with music blaring, leaving boats of Japanese tourists bobbing in our wake. We anchored at the Blue Bay Marine Park where we dived from the boat to snorkel among beautiful fish. Back in the boat, we were taken to a waterfall where we saw monkeys eating mangos from the trees on the bank, then to Fouquets Island, which houses an old lighthouse built by slaves, and to an ocean sandbank for a great view of the island.

The only view that's better is through the plane window as you leave, but you'll be too sad it's all over to appreciate that one.

A secluded sun-trap on the private beach

Why our customers love us

Amazingly, it is simple old-fashioned service that sets us apart from other travel firms. And yes, we really do answer the phone within 5 seconds!

Check out the reviews on Trustpilot and the word ‘service’ appears again and again. And you’ll find many reviews from customers saying they wasted hours trying to plan a holiday themselves before calling us - often on the advice of a friend - only to find we could offer numerous options not available online, which also saved them money.

Our team of 300 travel managers has been arranging tailor-made holidays for almost 40 years and we believe no one does it better. Judge for yourself.

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