Your calls always answered within 5 rings.
The whole experience with DialAFlight was exceptional. Rebecca and Stuart from the beginning were so professional and helpful. Rebecca organised my travel efficiently and I was totally confident that all my travel arrangements were in place. On my return journey the flight was delayed due to bad weather so I missed my connection. As I was sitting in Amsterdam airport waiting to board a re-scheduled flight Stuart called to check that I was OK. Incredible service. I will always be using DialAFlight for future travel.
My flight was cancelled. Luggage left behind. You guys were excellent in listening and helping. Thank you.
Trevor and his team did an excellent job after Air France cancelled 2 of our flights then strikes caused another change
We have used DialAFlight for a few years now never had a problem - thank you so much
I was recommended to you and was really pleased with the aircraft, the cost, the spacious seats and staff. I will be booking again real soon.
Only hotel that did not meet expectations was Si No Como
Billy is so helpful - have recommended to many people. Always happy with our trips
Booked party of 10 to Mexico. Great work by Elliott. Got us a great price, prebooked all the seats and great communication. Highly recommended
My transit in Miami on the way back was a little tight. I ended up sprinting the length of Miami airport whilst last calls were being issued. Pleased to say I made it though. Other than that all flights were exactly as promised although there was a noticeable drop in standard on American Airlines compared to BA.
Fantastic service once again
Darren was excellent
Jane was able to transfer our flights so we could fit in my friend's wedding in Phoenix en route to Mexico. She also booked our seats on all 3 flights which made the whole journey so much better. She is a star!
Great service as always
Philippa was on point as usual, thanks
All went exceptionally smoothly and brilliant value for money
Justin went over and beyond to help.
I was kept up to date with everything I needed to know in good time
Bradley, as always, was brilliant.
Alfie at DialAFlight is great. Loved every holiday I have booked and they have all gone so smoothly.
Jack always looks after us well
Tony Judge was always on hand to support and answer questions. He made the booking of our honeymoon and the trip itself go super smoothly
An amazing holiday and Jake again delivered on every request. Would recommend to everyone
Great flights, great airlines and good value
Used you before, always been hassle free!
Kieran was excellent at arranging our trip
Timely updates from my appointed agent meant that I was kept aware of any changes to the bookings I had made. A courtesy call just prior to travelling was a nice touch. All in all 100% satisfied with the service.
Once again excellent, trouble free travel. There is little point in checking every website - one phone call to Eric and the job is done. Thanks again
Always excellent and thorough service.
As always, excellent service from Dominic and our holiday was superb.
It's very reassuring to know that if something goes wrong with my trip there's someone I can call to help sort it out.
The road to Kitulgala winds from the Indian Ocean, past buffalo standing in paddy fields, to the Sinharaja rainforest where parakeets chatter at monkeys swinging through jungle palms.
It's a road I have wanted to travel all my life. It's in Kitulgala where the jade green Kelani River cascades over granite boulders on its journey from the Highlands of Sri Lanka to the ocean. And it's where one of the most memorable landscapes in film history was shot.
The Bridge On The River Kwai is the World War II Oscar-winner about an Army colonel, played by Alec Guinness, obsessed with proving British superiority over his Japanese captors by showing that his engineers could build a better bridge than theirs.
I was still in short trousers when I first saw the film in a suburban cinema. It held me spellbound - not the story but the voluptuous backdrop.
The jungle of wild palm, banana and bamboo, flecked with bougainvillaea - where crested serpent eagles swoop on fish in the river - has more than a supporting role in the drama.
Today, TV travel programmes have made the most remote landscapes accessible, but in those days only the cinema could conjure up such sights.
Although the 1957 film was set on the Death Railway of Burma, where British PoWs built a real bridge over the real River Kwai in Thailand, it was actually filmed in Sri Lanka (still called Ceylon when the movie, directed by David Lean, was shot).
Many decades later, I discovered The Bridge On The River Kwai was shot in Kitulgala, a village with a very remote setting but in fact not far from the capital Columbo.
My aim was to reach the sandbank in the river where the spectacular climax to the picture unfolds. I wanted to stand on the spot where Guinness's character, Colonel Nicholson, dizzy at discovering the bridge is wired with dynamite and filled with remorse, falls on top of the detonator blowing it up, sending a train of Japanese soldiers into the riverbed below.
The jungle has reclaimed the rainforest where Columbia Pictures spent millions to build and destroy the bridge. Today this location is once again ruled by leopards.
The villagers still celebrate their place in film history, welcoming British visitors. A hand-painted sign saying Bridge Road Of Kwai River directs them to the home of Chandralatha Jayawardena, a child actor in the film, who acts as a guide recounting entertaining stories about the production.
At the colonial-style Kitulgala Rest House, informal photos of the stars, Jack Hawkins and William Holden, in swimming trunks, plaster the walls.
Friendly villagers invited me into their homes to admire debris from the bridge, relics displayed like works of art.
Despite heavy logging in other parts of Sri Lanka, Kitulgala has been saved from development and is now protected.
An excellent base for exploring Sri Lanka are the luxury Anantara hotels in the south at Tangalle and Kalutara, both within a comfortable drive of Kitulgala.
Peace Haven Tangalle is set in a former coconut plantation which opens onto a glorious beach, an hour’s drive from the film location, passing tea plantations and temples on the way. There are two swimming pools, and enough wildlife to delight David Attenborough.
The week I arrived guests shepherded 140 baby hawksbill turtles to the sea.
Later I took the road north to Anantara Kalutara passing Galle where Portuguese invaders built a sea fort in 1588.
Anantara Kalutara is designed in the breezy modern style, open sided, allowing a fusion of indoors and outdoors. It sits on a narrow peninsula jutting into the ocean on one side, a lagoon on the other.
It may seem late to capitalise on The Bridge On The River Kwai but the government has a plan to attract major studios to shoot new films against the country’s extravagant beauty. That really would put Sri Lanka back in the picture.
First published in the Daily Mail - February 2019
More articles below...
Not quite what you're looking for?
We can easily customise an offer to suit your exact requirements