Even in the midst of Covid and all the complications resulting from it, everyone we dealt with at Jacada was able to put together an amazing adventure for us. We are seasoned world travelers, having been everywhere from the Great Wall of China to a safari in Botswana, and can say that the trip Jacada created for us in Iceland was a once in a lifetime experience. Everything worked exactly as planned and was seamless. From hiking on a glacier with harness and crampons to seeing a calving glacier sail toward our Zodiac, to hiking on a steaming lava field (did you know the hot stuff goes to the bottom?) we had a great time. We highly recommend Jacada and plan to use them again (after we get our booster shots!)
This was our 5th trip with Jacada and I cannot thank the team enough for another smooth and relaxing vacation, even in these difficult times. After a year of painful home schooling, my 11 year old son and I just returned from Normandy, France. From each private transfer, high-end clean lodging, and outdoor activity it was perfect and minimized risk. It was much-needed soul medicine to ride electric bikes along the war beaches, stopping for oysters and ice cream.
Thank you Melania, Marta, and Heather!
Taylor and Rowan
This was our first time working with a travel agency and we couldn’t be more pleased! Lily and her colleagues made every aspect of our trip a breeze! They planned a wonderful trip for us and we’re already in the first phases of planning our next one!
We had an awesome 14 day trip to South Africa in August 2021 that was rescheduled from 2020. Jacada Travel stepped up and delivered a Memorable and an Amazing trip to South Africa. They listened to your wants and needs and delivered High quality service. You tell them what your looking for in your travels. They have knowledgeable guides everywhere to assist you wherever you want to go. If you’re looking for a luxury and no hassle vacation you need to contact Jacada Travel. We went to Cape Town for 4 nights, Kruger National Park for 3 nights and Zambia for 3 nights. Jacada Travel gives you choices based on your needs. We were required to have Covid testing in and out of South Africa and Jacada Travel set up all the testing outside of USA. They strive on customer HAPPINESS and delivered!! I Highly recommend using Jacada travel!!
We had such an amazing trip to Guatemala and Belize. This is the second trip that I have planned with Jacada and both experiences were superb.
It was a great experience from the beginning to the end.
Our travel agent, Lily, did an excellent job making sure that the trip included all of the things that we were wanting to do. When COVID guidelines changed she made appropriate arrangements allowing us to cross the border between Guatemala and Belize on land rather than air. This saved us an entire day of travel on our trip. She also recommended amazing resorts.
Our consultant, Berni, made sure that everything from dinner reservations to spa accommodations were arranged beforehand.
The tour guides were also fantastic. They were very educational and made sure that we got the most out of our time. Additionally, all were COVID vaccinated and made us feel very safe and at ease throughout the course of the trip.
I can’t say enough positive things about Jacada. We will continue to use them in the future.
Iain and Tamara at Jacada helped us plan the best trip of our lifetime. We could not have been happier with our three weeks in Kenya and South Africa this Summer. No detail spared in planning and while we were overseas on vacation. The team at Jacada was highly responsive, knowledgeable and even helped us modify plans mid-trip. They will without question be our first call next time we are planning a vacation with a travel advisor!
Our trip to Belize was great!
Always great service.
I was very pleased with the service provided and the Interest shown in my experience.
I have had three amazing trips with Jacada on three different continents (Ecuador and Peru, Cambodia, Vietnam and Singpore, and most recently Mexico) and another trip to South Africa planned that we’ve had to postpone for two summers now because of the coronavirus pandemic. Each separate travel designer has been able to craft unique experiences that appeal to our entire family.
Due to covid and some cancellations from our airlines this trip was very difficult to plan, however the staff at Jacada stayed with me at every turn and somehow managed to make our trip wonderful. There were really no issues while we were on safari and everything went according to plan. fI don’t know how they did it but we are very thankful for their time and efforts.
Jacada was amazing from start to finish. Having a international vacation during covid was a little nerve wracking but everyone with Jacada made it seamless. Emily was so helpful and supportive and managed ever obstacle we encountered. Will definitely recommend them to all my friends and family.
This was our second trip with Jacada. Both were thoughtfully planned out with attention to detail. Worth every penny. We will use them again.
The Jacada team delivers a level of expertise, care and professionalism that is simply unmatched. I’m a repeat customer and will be again many times in the future.
We travelled to the Okavango Delta, Botswana from 21 June to 3 July. We stayed in 3 different camps, all of which were excellent. Transport between camps arrived on time as did the helicopter to do our departing PCR test. As a travel company Jacada should do all in its power to ensure that the staff working in the Delta camps get vaccinated. The camps in the Delta are small and accommodate between 10-15 guests only. Therefore, the risk of COVID is diminished. The animal life is still as wonderful as even.
We take our grandchildren who are graduating from Highschool on a two-week trip to any place in the world they would like to go that is interesting, fun, and educational. Our graduating senior in 2020 got hit with Covid issues in traveling to the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador. Berni De Luca of JacadaTravel did an incredible job of multiple changes to be safe from Covid. The trip was wonderful with all the folks of Ecuador being so wonderfully hospitable. We would recommend Berni and her team to all and will use them on our next adventure.
Our trip to the Galapagos Islands was originally scheduled for 2020, but COVID 19 brought those plans to a screeching halt. Bernie at Jacada worked tirelessly to help us rearrange our original plans so that we were safe to travel in June 2021 and saw to it that we had all of the necessary documents for each step of the trip. We had an excellent experience with all of the service providers Jacada used: the LaPinta expedition yacht – Wonderful crew and naturalists with great food, Finch Bay resort was very enjoyable as well, again with great food and attentive staff and EB Hotel, Quito, who went above and beyond to see that we got excellent medical attention for altitude sickness. Thank you Jacada, Bernie and all those who made this such a memorable excursion.
I have used Abercrombie & Kent for all my trips the past 10 years, but after this experience with Iain McConachie and Jacada, I will never go back! The level of involvement and care that went into making sure we had the best experience was unparalleled!
Namibia was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been and definitely the trip of a lifetime. We stayed at 3 Wilderness Safaris camps and were bowled over at each location, not only by how luxurious the accommodations were, but how friendly and accommodating the staff was. Our guides were so knowledgeable and we learned so much about the local animals and climate. Thank you Iain and Jacada for such a memorable trip!
Jacanda planned an excellent trip to Ecuador for my husband and me. We were looking for an adventure in a country open to tourist and Ecuador did not disappoint. Lily planned the trip meticulously and I can say that everything was perfect. Berni made sure we had all of our travel documents in place along with Covid tests and insurance. The guides that Jacanda provided on the ground were excellent and made the vacation special. The accomodations and excursions were all top notch and could not have been better planned. I will definitely use Jacanda and Lily & Berni for future trips.
The team we worked at with Jacada, Heather & Tessa, were wonderful!
They made things very accommodating for us, were accessible even though there was a large time difference while planning, and took care of all of our needs. It was a stressful process trying to plan our perfect honeymoon with all the unknowns through COVID, but in the end, it worked out wonderfully.
Everything exceeded my expectations
The attention to the details and the concierge service throughout my trip
Special thanks to Phil, Heather and Jody
We had another wonderful trip planned from beginning to end by Jacada. Their attention to detail sets them apart from the pack. The drivers, tour guides, hotels, excursions, restaurants; nothing is picked at random. All are excellent. Can’t go wrong with Jacada. We have traveled ro SE Asia and México with them. Both trips exceeded our expectations.
The team at Jacada (Lily and Berni specifically) and their local partners planned an amazing trip to Costa Rica that exceeded all expectations!
From the beginning in San Jose to white water rafting down the Pacuare river (twice!) to ziplining and rappelling in Fortuna to experiencing what has to be one of the world’s most stunning beach in the Osa to chilling out in the warm Pacific waters in Manuel Antonio, the trip was perfect and all the local coordination was totally on point.
We saw sloths (including one hanging out with us at breakfast – literally!), toucans, rainbow macaws, monkeys, tree frogs, and even a fer-de-lance snake up close! And more butterflies, hummingbirds, and beautiful flowers/plants than we can count.
Everything was super clean and covid-compliant with masks being worn, etc. and the Jacada team even helped coordinate testing and appointments at the clinic in Quepos when the requirements changed less than a week before our travel date – they went above and beyond to make it happen!
My husband and I went to Costa Rica for our 2nd planned honeymoon (first one cancelled due to covid) we didn’t want to go through the process of planning everything out again so reached out to Jacada. We worked with Lily and Berni who hand picked all our hotels, excursions, transportation, etc. based on our interests and asks. Not one detail went missed. Our honeymoon was magical and an experience we will never forget. Our first hotel, Pacuare Lodge was the most unique and relaxing places we have been. We white water rafted in and out of the hotel, It was a once in a lifetime experience! Jacada was always available for questions, concerns, etc. so felt very safe traveling through a pandemic with their guidance. Will definitely be using again for future trips!
My wife and I had planned a 3-week trip to South America for January 2021 (Patagonia, Atacama Desert, Uyuni Salt Flats), with Jacada’s Berni de Luca and Lily Bunker, but it had to be cancelled to due COVID-19. Given the substantial expenses of the trip, I was worried that our prior deposit would be lost. However, Berni was instrumental in ensuring that the deposit could be applied to a re-scheduled trip in January 2022. She and her Jacada team re-engineered our itinerary and reservations for a year later (with special attention to my photography needs and timing of the trip to ensure a new (dark moon) for star photography over Atacama). Berni, Lily, and the Jacada team have been very client-focused, and excellent communicators of travel updates. We used Jacada for a trip to New Zealand in 2017 which was exceptional and we have returned to them as a our travel vendor. Their teams of regional expertise, client advocacy, and attention to detail will have us coming back to them for our future trips.
Our family travelled to the Galapagos over Christmas 2020. We booked our trip in January as the holiday period is in high demand and there are a limited number of spots. Lily Bunker was our agent, reviewed options and steered us to the right vessel and I thought we were done. The world changed with Covid. Jacarda provided us with updates, answered long lists of questions and offered to move our booking into 2021. In the end we decided to go and thoroughly enjoyed the trip (recommend seven days on La Pinta). The covid protocols getting to the boat and onboard were excellent. Transfers are much more complicated due to the covid requirements and we were provided with enough warning and support to ensure it all went smoothly.
We have had the pleasure to work with Lily Bunker on our trip to Costa Rica. Although we haven’t traveled yet she has been very patient and kind in listening to what we want and making great suggestions. Because of covid we have had to move our trip back and we’re still hoping we will be able to make it work. She has been great about making all the necessary changes and still getting us what we want. Highly recommend working with her! It’s certainly challenging times to be making travel plans.
With the world in turmoil and desperate for a week’s break I turned to Jacarda for help organising a holiday. It seemed particularly crucial to have additional support given the potential pitfalls of organising a holiday during COVID. Kate was absolutely fantastic pulling together a fabulous itinerary for a family trip to Sweden. She planned with painstaking care, was incredibly helpful and creative with ideas and suggestions and listened carefully to our requests. Just as we were about to book we went into lockdown and all plans were put on hold. The minute we knew that travel would again be possible Kate sprang into action and with two weeks notice, a few minor tweaks, lots of enthusiasm and with additional support from the wonderful Heather we were good to go. No detail was overlooked, the planning was flawless, every aspect of the trip went to plan, each activity and location were aware of our preferences and requirements, service and accommodation were outstanding and we so appreciated the way they kept tabs on our progress and the personal surprise touches from Kate and Heather at each of our destinations not to mention the brilliant response to short notice requests during the trip. Jacarda smoothed the way so that all we needed to focus on was enjoying ourselves. The activities in remote locations kept us outdoors and away from any COVID concerns. It was a fabulous break and I cannot recommend Jacarda (especially Kate and Heather!) highly enough
My family and I have used Jacada to explore the world on three occasions so far. There is a reason we keep coming back. If you want to hear about how wonderful our trips have been, please look at my previous 5-star reviews.
I would like to share our most recent experience. Due to COVID our summer trip to South Africa and beyond was postponed, then canceled. However, Jacada took care of rebooking our trip for the summer of 2022. The process was seamless and stress-free. We once again have a delightful trip to look forward to.
A special shoutout to Emily Opie and Joyce Choi. They continue to make us feel special and a part of the Jacada family.
I would highly recommend Jacada to fulfill your travel needs. Simply put–they are wonderful.
As Covid-19 unfolded, our Antarctica trip planned for December 2020 was in jeopardy.
Berni and her team were frequently in touch with us through email and video calls. Once it was clear that travelling was not possible, she was very quick in securing places for next year, including transferring security deposits, changing flights etc.
The company was also gracefully postponing payment requirements.
We now keep our fingers crossed that 2021 will be our year to go south, way down south…
We started planning our trip just as the covid virus forced lockdowns. We had We began planning a trip for 8 to Patagonian in January. We had been working with David, but with the covid virus shutdowns everywhere, we paused our planning for several months. When we resumed, Jen Richt took over. The transition was seamless. Jen has very ably completed our plans. She has always responded promptly to every question and has done an outstanding job in getting out trip booked. She has been very professional, capable and pleasant to work with. At this writing, we are now working with Berni de Luca as our concierge. She has also been very responsive, professional and pleasant to work with. She will be our contact in South America while we are on our trip. We are very happy with everyone from Jacada, and we are going to use Jacada again for our next big trip (probably in 2022).
Rachel and Gloria at Jacada Travel planned an epic trip to SE Asia for myself and 3 others. They listened carefully to our desires, kept us informed, and developed a perfect itinerary! We were able to make adjustments and suggestions along the way. Recommendations were
shared and I feel as though we were actively involved in the planning of our trip. The trip surpassed what we could have hoped for in every way. The local guides were awesome! They were professional, knowledgeable, punctual, accommodating, flexible, and very kind – all this with an excellent sense of humor. I would definitely consider another trip with Jacada and recommend them to my friends and family.
Jacada does a great job planning and organizing our family trips — so far we’ve been on two, one to Malaysia and one to India. Rachel O’Leary is a great help, as is the whole Jacada team. Very well done!
All was great
This is our 3rd trip with Jacada Travel and certainly will not be our last. From start to finish Jacada provided us with the best service, recommendations and information for our 6 week South East Asia trip. Keith, our excellent travel adviser, took all the time we needed to help us plan our awesome adventure. Attention to detail is what Jacada does best, and this trip exceeded our expectations. The pace was perfect for us. I have a slight disability and Keith made sure that we had ample time in each place and tours were booked with pacing in mind. Accommodations were all fabulous. We asked for “down time” and it was built in – strategically placed twice during the trip for 4 days of rest and relaxation on island luxury resorts. The guides provided in all places were excellent and in addition to the regular highlights in each country, we had “off the beaten tourist path” experiences – visited remote villages and interacted with the locals. We would highly recommend Jacada Travel if you are looking for a personalized luxury trip.
Great customer care and personalized experiences!
An absolutely wonderful experience. Everyone we interacted with from Jacada was a consummate professional with great communication and attention to detail. The trip design was exactly what we asked for, 5 stars the whole way.
My one request to make the experience perfect would be increased transparency about the details of the trip. I wholly admit this need might be my own character flaw having difficulty conceding control. I found myself uncertain about what to expect next during multiple portions of the trip. Regardless of that, every single detail was attended to and were we cared for with white gloves the entire way. No ball got dropped.
Highly recommended.
Overall a satisfying and memorable one!
Services were great, able trying their best to tackle and meet your last-minute changes/requests. The land operators at most of the destinations were professional enough to provide information and assistance during the trip. The hotels arranged throughout the entire trip were just terrific – does make the best out of the stay!
Restaurants and gourmets selected were also one fine touch! Though we missed Central in Lima due to late booking but the alternative option in Astrid Y Gaston was definitely worth comparing!
Airstream Campus in Bolivia was an unique experience! Photographer arranged for the day in Salt Flats – FANTABULOUS!
That being said, there are parts to be improved – such as the itineraries selected in Mexico – do prefer more scenic activities rather than shopping in the touristic booths and sheds. Information provided by the Tour Guide was sometimes confusing, giving us a bit of hard time during the application of visa in Bolivia; as well as the pick up transfer to Chile. I believe if these were being attended to for improvement. I’d not hesitate to rate a 5 star in my next trip with Jacada Travel.
We have never had such a thoughtfully conceived itinerary proposed to us and which was executed well beyond even our highest expectations.
The local staff were fully briefed on what was to be included at each stop and (with one minor exception) they flawlessly followed through.
And we cannot say enough about our travel designer, Sarah Kounnou. She really “knows her stuff”! She gave us superb advice and was able to meet our every need. And she monitored how the journey was unfolding each and every day. She is a star and was instrumental in our 5 star rating of Jacada.
We are now in the process of arranging another journey with Jacada and we cannot wait for it to begin.
As first-time travelers to Asia, we were so grateful that we had Jacada to help us with the details. From the amazing hotels to the lovely excursions, we certainly had a memorable trip.
Our guides were very knowledgeable which helped us get so much more out of our Cambodian and Thai experience. Jacada and the people who guided us through our journey were reliable and completely flexible. I’m extremely comfortable recommending Jacada Travel to friends and family!
Our small group of four arranged a private tour of Southeast Asia using Rachel in London and Gloria in Hong Kong as our primary contacts. We gave them a general idea of the countries we wanted to visit, and they set up everything, including timing in each city and activities. The hotels were uniformly excellent, as were the drivers and local guides who really enhanced our experience with their own personal life experiences and intimate knowledge of the local environs, food, culture and politics. We all felt that the trip exceeded our expectations in every way. There was truly value for the money, and honestly we felt the cost was extremely reasonable for the experience we had. We cannot recommend Jacada and these particular representatives strongly enough. It would have been impossible to plan this vacation on our own. We are looking forward to using Jacada in the future and recommend the without reservation.
we felt taken care all throughout the journey.
Jacada was with us.
Communication before the trip was excellent and all guides and excursions were great as well.
Excellent in every respect! Jacob took the time to discern our needs and travel style and crafted the perfect holiday – we were completely spoiled. Thank you very much – we certainly recommend Jacada.
– Excellent itinerary; perfectly matched our interest
– Provided great accommodation
– Staff is very friendly and helpful. Our flight has been cancelled from Cusco to Lima, James who was our local staff provided a good arrangement until our flight was rescheduled.
We appreciated Jacada’s flexibility, follow up and attentiveness, our trip would not have been as fantastic as it turned out. The locations, restaurants and hotels were great picks. The itinerary gave us a wonderful taste of the beautiful areas of Chile.
Our guide in Santiago, Juan Manuel, was absolutely amazing. We really felt he went above and beyond taking care of us, through the airport (multiple times), the tour and being accessible throughout our trip. Juan is caring, positive, knowledgeable and just plain fun to be around. He really is a wonderful representative of Jacada. And Susanne, special thanks to you on your insight in planning and Roberto for making the adjustments to our schedule. The attention to detail you provided (including our in country flight seat selection) were spot on, and the bottle of bubbly and massage at our hotel arrivals were greatly appreciated!
We had an absolutely incredible and memorable time in Chile, which was only made possible by “Team Jacada”!
Another excellent Jacada trip . This time we wnt to Thailand . Although we were close to ” the eye of the coronavirus storm ” it didn’t impact our holiday . In fact it enhanced it . No crowds !!! Now is a great time to travel !!
Gordon and Hilary
It’s not enough to say perfect because everything Jacada has provided for us on two trips (Japan, Argentina/Chili) has been so far beyond our expectations. And I do mean everything: the hotels, the guides, suggestions, any and all transportation. Most importantly in times of trouble (I broke my leg) the support is incredible.
We wouldn’t travel without them again.
Jacada continues to impress with their personal approach to travel planning and their choice of local tour partners. We’ve never had any glitches during our trips with Jacada. They really do go above and beyond. The fact that the travel planners have a lot of local knowledge goes a long way to ensuring a wonderful trip experience.
We, a group of 18 seasoned travellers, have just accomplished our 1-month journey to Antarctic and South America. We have safely returned home – Hong Kong.
This is definitely one of our VERY MEMORABLE travel journey together. Kit, Berni and earlier on, Jobi, the travel planners of Jacada Travel are top on our list of APPRECIATION.
Patagonia, Antarctica (in traveling pass the Polar Circle) and Atacama Desert are three VERY EXTRAORDINARY places on earth, of their habitat, wild life, landscape and weather. Their articulated planning and ground staff support have enabled ordinary travellers like us to enjoy and participate comfortably in all the activities in these places. Also, learnt a lot and gaining new travel experiences.
The stop at Iguazu for the waterfalls and rainforest is a very nice interlude between these unique landscapes and urban settings. Gran Melia certainly provides a relax environment to start winding down.
Buenos Aires is very worth visiting for its beautiful townscape, tango and as well a stop for some urban shopping and nice restaurants, before going home.
The Tierra Hotels that they have arranged are very recommendable, the local guides are highly professional and attentive and the transports are efficient. We also had very good meals and drinks in this trip, yet the activities through the whole trip have kept us in good fitness.
Certainly looking forward to work with Jacada Travel again.
