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Professional service as always - excellent service and communication.
Was so helpful to have transfers booked and the best day to fly on for the cheapest price available .
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Joey Verner was excellent. I was concerned my daughter going away without me. He made me feel at ease and reassured me that all would run smoothly. It was perfect she had an amazing time. Transfers were on time, hotel was great value. I also felt happy having a 24 hour emergency phone number which gets answered by a real person if needed and not just a robot. Overall fantastic I wouldn't book a holiday with anyone else.
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City Break to Madrid. Petit Palace is good central hotel / base for getting about. Not the most luxurious on first sight, but clean, comfortable, good breakfasts and friendly, attentive staff.
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We suggested to the owner of the property that he leave specific instructions for opening and closing the doors. Modern flat with all black fittings. Minimalist and modern, but definitely not suitable for 4 people. Positive in that it's a few minutes from the station so very central and a good base for sightseeing.
Some items were lacking on the Virgin cruise. No music available in the cabin and the live music was too intrusive making conversation difficult. Otherwise all very agreeable.
We were slightly confused when looking for the right office to collect our hire car from because our paperwork said Keddy. In fact it turned out to be Europcar.
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All was wonderful. Eve was so knowledgeable and helpful. We have returned feeling relaxed and rejuvinated.
All documents received on time - very efficient - that's why we book with you every year.
My fellow travellers were delighted with the service provided by DialAFlight when a small matter arose which was dealt with quickly and efficiently, which is exactly what you need when on holiday. I use DialAFlight regularly and am reassured that they continue with their commitment to provide an excellent service to their customers.
The holiday was great. Flight times were perfect both ways and the airline (Turkish) was good for Economy seats. Hotel transfers were on time and very comfortable and the hotel was excellent and in a really good location to see all the major sites of the Old City.
I have been booking with DialAFlight for over 2 years and am extremely happy with the service. Thank you Liam for taking the stress out of planning
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All the connections came together without any problems.
Just one small comment which will help in future flights to Nice. Our reservation for our departure flight on BA2575 was listed as leaving Nice Terminal 2, when in actual fact it should have been Terminal 1. A minor point which could cause confusion in future.
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A statue on Funchal's quayside of the footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has golden boots, hands and groin, the bronze buffed by the touches of adoring fans. I take hold of his right hand and have my photo taken.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player is Madeira's golden boy – the island's airport is named after him and here on the quayside is the CR7 (7 is his shirt number) museum, shop, hotel and café.
You can also have your picture taken inside, where there are models and a computer simulation of the great man, now plying his trade for Juventus in Italy. There are cabinets of fan mail, signed footballs, shirts, boots, medals and trophies. There are also detailed instructions on 'how to score a free kick like Cristiano'. I'm sure it'll come in useful, even to a non-football fan such as myself.
In the museum shop I note that you can buy mini replicas of his golden boot and Ballon d'Or trophies at the knockdown price of €80 per pair. In the hotel my travelling companion Kate is astounded to find that the door handles in the lavatories are shaped like Ronaldo's hands – put your hand in his.
Despite him plainly being the most famous person to come from Madeira, this, we agree, is a step too far.
Until Ronaldo opened his museum of greatness in 2013, the most quirky tourist pastime was being pushed by men in straw hats down the steep streets of Funchal, the capital, in a wicker toboggan.
The Portuguese island, 250 miles north of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic, has been named by the Association of British Travel Agents as one of the 12 hot destinations to watch. In its Travel Trends report, it says: 'The island is increasingly gaining a reputation for adventure and activity holidays, with mountain biking, canyoning and climbing in its dramatic landscapes.'
And indeed a short drive from Funchal we find ourselves surrounded by lush tropical mountains and steep-sided valleys. We decide to leave hiking along the island's irrigation canals, known as levadas, for a longer visit and opt to cover the greatest distance in the shortest time with a four-wheel-drive tour.
Our driver, David, is a talking encyclopaedia, barely drawing breath while pointing out the different types of vegetation on the steep terraced fields as he negotiates numerous tunnels and hairpin bends.
'On the right you see bananas, our main crop. On the left sugar cane, from which we make rum. We use the rum in the traditional poncha cocktails. Oh, look at the waterfalls. Winter is the best time to see them; it's too dry in summer.'
We emerge, slightly shaken, on the north coast. Here you really appreciate the rugged beauty of this small volcanic island. Its red cliffs drop straight into the ocean, occasionally giving way to a narrow beach of black sand. We stop to admire the scenery, and in Santana we stop to admire traditional A-frame cottages, some with thatched roofs.
The skywalk, a glass viewing platform at Cabo Girao in the south, is one of the best places to appreciate the dramatic scenery. In the north, less scarily, we have lunch on the terrace of the Quinta do Furao restaurant in Santana, noted for local delicacies such as garlic limpets, beef kebabs barbecued on laurel skewers, black scabbardfish in banana sauce and sweet potato bread. While we eat we admire one of the most stunning views on the island.
We burn off the calories with a walk in the restaurant's vineyard and lush garden, where there is a huge traditional grape press, the site of harvest celebrations in the summer.
Almost every restaurant we visit produces its own wine. The beachside restaurant of Faja dos Padres in the south is famous for its dark vintage that dates from the 15th century – and its inaccessibility. A cable car transports you down a steep cliff into its vineyard and garden. Mario Fernandes, a winemaker, claims that the soothing sound of the waves, and the classical music he plays while working, helps to improve the taste of his wine.
He tells me that Ronaldo's mother recently used the garden to film an advertisement for Madeiran bananas. 'Maybe it was these bananas that helped to make him so famous,' he says. I immediately eat one.
First published in The Times - April 2019
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