For my holidays I have booked through a travel agent; booked directly with the company; booked through Expedia and also done everything DIY. I don't think there is one right answer. I find I just have to research all options. What was the best one year may not be the following. I DID however decide to go through a company( Qantas) for our Bali holiday as I felt safer- if something( god forbid) had happened when we were there someone else had to worry about getting us home. This was probably a flawed view but it made me FEEL safer!
By the way, what I liked about Qantas is they give you flexibility to do some of your hotels stay DIY. I think we just had to have 5 days hotels booked through them. We booked our own hotel in Singapore.

Hi rickt,

We vary how we book flights and hotels. Earlier this year we travelled to Thailand in February - booking in November 05 (as we usually find that the best flight prices are available approx 3 months before departure).

We tried t'internet for flights, but could not find a reasonable deal (EVA Elite). We tried direct bookings with hotels (expensive) and through agents (UK and in Thailand).

Believe it or not Premier got us the best price - because their EVA flight prices were so much cheaper than anywhere else we could find. We needed hotels in BKK (Landmark) and Hua Hin (Ananatara) - we could have saved a little on each, by booking through a travel agent (UK owned) in Bangkok, but the flights were a few hundred more expensive.

When we took into account the private transfers included in the Premier price (Airport to BKK hotel, BKK to Hua Hin, Hua Hin to BKK) then the cheaper hotel costs disappeared.

You still have to shop around and although I take on board the fact that Premier seem to have raised their prices rather a lot, you can still get a good deal.

By the way EVA Elite on the new 777 was not a patch on the old Evergreen D/L on the 747 - it was claustrophobic and the Elite cabin is next to the engines, over the wing - noisy.

Getting back to your original point however, the only real negative of DIY, that I can think of is that if something does go wrong, with a good tour operator, you do get some assistance. With proper insurances however, this should be no major problem.

Afraid you still have to shop around - there's no magic formula - and DIY is not always cheaper .

Cheers

Peter

Although I DIY one of the reasons is because I frequent properties and sometimes destinations that are not in UK brochures. However there always is the slight worry of what happens if something goes wrong (I'm not talking minor things like the room being rubbish but serious things like being in an accident, falling seriously ill). Should something seriously go wrong then without a tour operator you are on your own...maybe your hotel might help but maybe not. OK you will have insurance, buts that not going to help in sorting things out on the ground if your incapacitated.

I once did EVA and the Bangkok Marriott DIY then found myself kicking myself because it would have been cheaper to use Premier for exactly the same thing.

Interesting to here PeteB's views on EVA Elite...always prefer 747 to 777 as they do feel less claustrophobic.

I have always liked premier and have used them alot and have never been disapointed but the Kuoni experience this year left me annoyed and disapointed considering how much the holiday cost hence the reason I was looking at DIY has any one had any DIY disasters

Yes of the ops out that way Premier were my favourite...not always the cheapest but they used to have some great added values ...I've stayed in suites for the price of staying in ordinary room, free weeks etc.

I've been DIYing it to the Far East since 96...never had any problems...usually do two or three centres (sometimes four) so plenty of room for potential problems yet have never had any.

I have found pretty much like fiona says that the operator that is cheaper for 1 holiday is not always the cheapest for the next.
I have in the past found Tradewinds to be very competetive and have used Kuoni a few times.
This year I looked at every angle for Bangkok, Siem Reap and Samui and eventually found that if I booked BKK and Samui with Thomson worldwide using emirates as the carrier, then my Bangkok airways flights through Opodo and hotel in Siem Reap through Travelbag it was the best and cheapest option , but 2 years ago we did Bangkok , Mae Hong Sorn, Hua Hin and Samui - this was much cheaper with Kuoni than DIY.
A good operator for different hotels and a huge choice is THG based in Cardiff, they have a massive choice of hotels which are not in thier brochure, premier holidays can also obtain rates on unbrochured hotels too

I must be just unlucky with Premier- they have never worked out cheapest for anything I've asked quotes for!

Some of the best tour ops deals I've had were with Premier - flights with Thai, suite at the Marriott and a fortnight at what is now the Anantara for just over £600 pp in high season...those were the days.

you're lucky to get the flight for that now!

I dunno its still possible to get the deals... I was tempted by an offer to the Marriott/Anantara July 2004...two weeks for £660 using Eva through an operator. Could not get the time off, plus I'd rather do Thailand in our winter months. Still not a bad price considering it was during the school holidays.

Sunbear, do you mean the Anantara in Hua Hin? I love that otel and you can get great deals there in the summer months i.e pay for 5 nights get 5 nights free, works out as cheap as Cyprus and I would say a much better standard.

ShirleyV
The very same....ten years or so ago when these were called Royal Garden hotels you used to be able to book 3 nights at the Royal Garden Riverside in Bangkok and 4 nights at the Royal Garden Village and get your second week at the Village free even in high season (Jan Feb March)...of course these hotels and Thailand have got so popular that they don't need to give out such good offers. However as you say you can still get them in our summer months...and probably much cheaper than say Cyprus for the same quality of hotel.

What was the weather like there in the summer months out of interest?

Of course these hotels are still owned by the Royal Garden group just rebadged as Marriotts and Anantara.

Sunbear, shirleyV

I have posted this year's review of the Anantara (Hua Hin), as Sunbear says formerly the Royal Garden, in the reviews section here: http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/reviews/thailand/prachuap-khiri-khan-province/hua-hin/anantara-resort-and-spa/.

Sunbear, my review of the EVA flights is posted on Skytrax (25 March 06) - it seems that I am not the only one who doesn't rate Elite on 777s too highly. http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/eva.htm .

Has anyone tried China Airlines Business class via Amsterdam? Their prices were not much higher than EVA Elite.

Cheers

Peter

The only thing I think I will book this year is the flights and hotel in Bangkok. I found you get a much better deal if you just turn up. Also lets you be a lot more flexible if you dont like a place.

Sunbear - I was at the Anantara in August 04 and we were there just for 3 days - the weather was beautiful and sunny the whole time apart from one almighty rain shower which was torrential but probably only lasted half an hour - then everywhere dried up and the sun came out again , I would go to Hua Hin in summer again

Sadly due to a couple of DVT's I've cut down the number of long hauls I do in a year...I suppose just doing one a year is still tempting fate otherwise I would be tempted to do Hua Hin in the summer or a cheapy to Malaysia and take the slight risk with the weather (I actually like tropical rain any way...memories of childhood swimming in monsoon drains ).

I don't know about just turning up...some people I've spoken too have had good deals...others ended up spending more than if they had pre-booked....depends I suppose how tight for time you are on your holidays...don't really have the time to spend a few hours going to a few different hotels to see who's doing the best turn up deal.

I Don't know if I would just turn up either I think I would contact the hotels via email to see what they would offer or call them.

I know on my last holiday in Thailand I booked through latestays.com. I had contacted the hotel direct, but they would not even match the price latestays were doing.

new website to me Sunbear- thanks!