Testimonials
Jacada crafted a great surprise Birthday for my wife, Barb, who only knew that I had arranged a trip for the two of us to an undisclosed location.
I needed a lot of help because I had never stayed in Belize, but wanted to take Barb there for good snorkeling. She didn’t know that I wanted to secretly invite all three of our children to meet us there. So I called Jacada to arrange all of these things.
After explaining our ‘likes’ to her, Lily Bunker chose a great eco-jungle resort and scheduled a program of activities (blue hole fly-over, restaurants, wonderful snorkeling trips, nature trail).
Later, Melanie Vieira took over, managed a secret conference call with my four adult children, putting them in Ambergris Caye one day early and answering all of our questions.
The surprise worked wonderfully—upon checkin, Jacada had left a invitation for Barb and me for a complimentary dinner at a very nice restaurant down the beach from our place!
On our stroll to the restaurant Barb found out the biggest surprise as our children came into view around a palm tree on the beach!!
Barb was flabbergasted and overjoyed to have *all* of our kids from all over the country meet us for a week in Paradise!
She describes the Belize trip from beginning to end as her ‘Trip of a Lifetime’!!
Our Jacada trip to Italy with our family of 5 (all adults) was flawless. Murray was right, from the moment we landed in Italy, every single detail was taken care of. All the tour guides, drivers, adventures, & everyone & everything in between were excellent. We made many beautiful memories our 2 weeks there! It was so nice to have every little detail handled & covered; that usually falls on my shoulders, and all I/we had to do was show up! Murray & Alice, our Jacada team, also threw in a surprise photography session in Venice for our daughter's 18th birthday & somehow got our son a room at our very busy full hotel when he was passing through Italy on a separate trip. It is the little things/small details that make trips like this special, and Jacada got every detail perfectly. If you are looking for a stress free, fun, amazing trip, we recommend you partner with Jacada. They really were THAT great! (Ha! And I am not a relative of anyone at Jacada, when I read great reviews like this I always say to myself, oh that has to be the CEO's mom. :) We are just a random family from Seattle, WA, USA.)
I have worked with a number of travel agents over the years and have pretty much traveled the world. Our recent experience on a luxury 3 week trip to Thailand and Sri Lanka planned and managed my Jacada was simply superb.
The attention to detail was outstanding at every step of the way. Our personal travel concierge, Gilda Tang, reviewed every document to make sure all forms were filled out correctly and caught mistakes that any other person would have missed. I can not complement her enough for her attention to detail in what was a fairly difficult travel period still.
The accommodations, guides, and service were perfect. We were surprised by kind gestures and communication by Jacada throughout our entire trip.
We will only use Jacada for our future travel planning.
Jacada did an amazing job for us for our trip to South Africa. Planned our trip with us every step of the way! Would certainly use them again.
It’s my first time using Jacada for trips to Costa Rica and Mexico,both were really well planned and organised,I don’t need to worry about a bit! Hotels were lovely,tours were amazing,I really like that they really supporting the local hotels and the local guides.
I can’t wait to go to Africa that they planned for me in July!
I have used Jacada prior to Covid and always had amazing trips. My most recent trip to Brazil was the first one I have taken with Jacada since Covid and after the company was acquired. I must admit, that Jacada, once again, did not let me down!
Our trip to Brazil was beyond spectacular! We went to Salvador, Iguazu Falls, Florianapolis, and Rio. The guides were all top notch and the hotels were stunning. I am not sure how Jacada does it, but we always seem to get the best rooms in the hotel. I can honestly say that for the first time, I had ZERO complaints about the trip -- not once did I have to contact anyone to complain about something which has NEVER happened before to me on a trip (I believe that if you're paying for 5 star service, you should receive it). Jacada and their local partners went above and beyond to ensure that this trip went very smooth.
I have used many other bespoke travel agencies in the past and I can honestly say that Jacada outshines them all! The level of attention to detail, the follow-up, and the overall experience makes this travel agency stand out. We have already booked another trip with them for December and planning another in April next year. Huge thank you to both Lily and Melanie for all their help and patience in making such a memorable 50th birthday trip for me!!
Amazing lifetime trip made even better by the thought and care put in by Lily and team …including a special chocolate shop tour birthday surprise for our eldest
They made my trip special and glamorous. Everything was in time and better than expected. The ground team was always helpful as well as the planning team where very accommodating and help tailor make my experience
We had the most amazing family trip to Costa Rica - Jacada handled all the details and everything went so smoothly. Loved loved loved it!
Our Costa Rica adventure with Jacada was perfect. It proved to us, again, that travel is an investment in life, and that you should seek out expert specialists who devote their lives to creating experiences that vacationers cannot even imagine -- not to mention being relieved of all the effort involved and having the confidence that, if anything untoward happens, those experts "on the ground" will be there to solve any problems.
We just returned from an amazing Galapagos family vacation. Jacada and the teams in Ecuador took care of all the details, so we could just focus on enjoying ourselves.
We traveled with Jacada to Uganda for our honeymoon for two weeks in February 2022 for safari and treks to see the mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, and golden monkeys. It was the trip of a lifetime. This was no cookie cutter itinerary either. We were paired up with one of Jacada's expert trip designers, Emily Opie, who had lived in, and was well-familiar with, the destination (Uganda). Emily worked closely with us to understand our interests, goals, preferences, and personalities so that she could design a trip that was carefully tailored for us. Every detail of the trip was handled by Emily and her team on the ground in Uganda--including logistics handled by Angela behind the scenes--from preparing for the trip until we returned home. Emily, Angela, and their team were absolutely incredible. The only downside is that I am not sure how we will be able to travel again on our own without Jacada, who made the entire travel and trip-planning experience seamless, simple, comfortable, and luxurious. We look forward to our next trip with Jacada!
when we first started planning our trip to Iceland we were looked after by Heather and the team who were absolutely amazing, she made sure every excursion we planned would be personally suited to us and their professionalism was amongst the best we have ever received.
When we arrived in Iceland we had a private guide collect us from the airport which is when our adventure began, we started in Reykjavik and were supposed to move onto Vik for a couple of days but a huge storm hit and all access was closed. The Jacada and Eskimo team were quick off the mark at changing our plans and rearranging our trip to make sure we didn't miss out on anything. We were taken to a National park to hike along the tectonic plates,Saw the most mind blowing waterfalls you could imagine, crawled through ice caves, the children 10 and 11 were doing things they never thought they could and it gave them a complete boost of confidence.
we ended our trip by doing a few nights in the Torfhus Retreat which a fantastic experience, this is where we saw the geysers, had the most amazing day with our guide visiting the wonders of Thorsmork and learning the local stories of old. We were also blessed by seeing the Northern Lights not once but twice.
I can honestly say this was one of the best holidays we have ever been on. we experienced things we never thought possible and this was only achieved because of the thought and organisation put in by Heather and the team, we can't thank them enough, nothing was any trouble, even though we did change things around a few times.
we were so impressed we are making plans to go on our next trip with Jacada very soon. If I could give 10 stars I would
Jacada Travel is a wonderful travel agency that assisted us in creating a truly remarkable honeymoon! David, Melanie, and Berni all were terrific! They were quick in responding, reminded us of deadlines in a polite manner, and scheduled each activity seamlessly! David always managed to get us excited about the trip, Melanie checked in on how our wedding planning process and lives were, and Berni helped remind us of the small details. They worked with our budget and were transparent about each trip costs! The information given to us by Jacada Travel prior to arriving in Costa Rica truly prepared us to enjoy the beautiful country! Our honeymoon itinerary allowed us the flexibility to venture out on our own, change tour times and transportation times if requested, and enjoy the incredible excursions right on time! I unfortunately lost my passport at the airport in Costa Rica and the hotel staff at our first hotel were very patient and understanding. Jacada and their travel partner company, Travel Excellence were able to rearrange the first day of activities so I could return to the airport and still be able to enjoy the Cultural Tour! It was a relief when I recovered my passport and everything else went without a hitch! This team even pleasantly surprised us throughout the trip and we could not be happier with our experience!
Our entire trip was AMAZING from start to finish!!! We had very timely and professional guides. Every hotel was top notch and exceeded our expectations. I couldn’t have even come close to planning something like this on my own. I will definitely be reaching out to Jacada for our next trip!!!
Lily and Berni (and their partners on the ground in Argentina and Chile - Wanderlust and Aonken Experience, respectively) are our heroes!
We recently visited Argentina and Chile and with all the COVID testing and ongoing changes it could have been hectic, but the teams made everything go super smoothly from the initial arrival to our return home. Even including ensuring we got on a few last minute flights and making changes when our schedules changed!
Some highlights - seeing pumas and horseback riding in Patagonia, standing in front of the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires, and white water rafting and the helicopter ride in Chile's lake district!
It was (another - this is our third trip with Jacada) magical trip of a lifetime and they did a great job executing it in a complicated time to travel.
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Just back from an absolutely wonderful 12-day honeymoon to South Africa, planned and executed by Emily and Angela at Jacada. Nothing but positive things to say about the trip and our experience -- they took our input and direction and planned a trip that met all of our (high) expectations and requests. We are "explore places by mouth" people and they planned wonderful food experiences and dinners in Cape Town (Fyn, Wine Fairy food walking tour) and the wine lands. Booked us spectacular lodgings in both places (One and Only and Mont Rochelle). And the safaris they planned (in the Kalahari and near Kruger) were amazing. My wife and I are Type A planner type people, so it was a bit of a leap of faith to trust such a significant and important trip to Emily and Angela, but we are so so glad we did.
Would absolutely recommend, and hopefully will be able to use Jacada again soon to plan another trip.
very well organise ,helpful and sweet
January 2022, my husband and I had a trip of a lifetime in Chile. From the earliest planning stages until the end of the trip, we felt confident, secure, and always in good hands with our guides, lodging, and our trip planners, David and Berni.
Our adventure could not have gone smoother thanks in large part to our Chilean tour guide, Juan Pablo Canete. JP was fantastic, guiding us thru the airport, answering every question we could think of, absolutely punctual, and all-in-all fun individual.
Our favorite location was Torres del Paine, Patagonia followed by Atacama. The scenery was breathtaking, food and service was A+, and we felt like we were living a dream.
The notes that the Jacada team had put in the various lodges/rooms was very thoughtful. I looked forward to seeing what each would say as we got to our latest location.
I can't say enough good things about how well the trip was designed and executed. A big shout out to the Jacada team and thank you for making this dream trip come true.
We had a FANTASTIC experience with Jacada travel (specifically Jen and Melanie). We really only had a vague idea of what we wanted to do (countries: Chile, Argentina, Uruguay) and what we wanted to do (a little bit of hiking, wine experiences, getting to know the cities) and they took that and created a fantastic itinerary that exceeded our expectations.
I think what set Jacada apart was the local guides they were able to connect us with; it was so wonderful to have a contact as soon as we landed to the point of departure, and alleviated a lot of stress which allowed us to enjoy our trip that much more.
We will definitely be using Jacada again and recommending them to friends.
Everything was perfect. A very well planned 2 week vacation in Chile that Jacada put together. We were in the far north in the Atacama Desert, to the far south in Patagonia, finishing the trip in the central wine country. All of the accommodations were excellent, food that was great and guided tours throughout the country with English speaking guides. All transfers were coordinated by the Jacada team and everything was seamless. We did not have to worry about anything. Jacada took care of us from start to finish. We have used Jacada in a previous trip and they are a wonderful group tp work with and we will plan our future travels with them. Truly a 5 star experience.
Jacada did an outstanding job with our trip to Costa Rica. David was excellent at listening to us and understanding what we wanted to experience in Costa Rica. Melanie was part of a wonderful support team that helped make it happen, including the covid tests required to return home. We had a memorable ten days in Costa Rica. The lodging was amazing! All of our excursions were led by professional, friendly, and knowledgeable naturalists - we saw and learned so much about Costa Rican plants and animals. Our transfers were smooth, with superb drivers. Great job!
Our vacation with Jacada was thoroughly enjoyable. They paid close attention when we explained what we wanted, and they delivered accommodations and experiences that were right up our alley. We especially appreciated the individual travel guides and tours in this age of COVID, when we were a little anxious about testing negative on the last day! The guides were excellent and the hotels were wonderful. The safari at Ngala was GREAT (we saw the Big 5)! I highly recommend this group of talented individuals who will pay attention to all the little details.
We had a great trip to Patagonia even during the COVID. Jacada did a great job to ensure each logistic and activities are safe and memorable. They took great details on the hotel selection and room assignments to give us the best view of each hotel.
Very impressed with the attention to every detail! Never had to worry about a thing. Someone was always there to help us with transportation, lodging, meals…. Will definitely travel with Jacada again.
The arrangements were spectacular and everything was perfect and planned with our approval. Our family was very happy with the food tour, hotels, Iguazu falls, hike, sugar loaf mountain, tijuca forest. All of the guides were very friendly. More people were wearing masks than in US. We have the most amazing experience eating at Lasai.
We had a great time on our honeymoon in Thailand. We enjoyed working with Gilda and we appreciated the flexibility of moving around the location, dates, and activities around due to the pandemic. Our itinerary included Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket. The local guides were all very knowledgeable, friendly, and welcoming, and we learned a lot about the local culture and history of each city. We felt taken care of every step of the way and we were happy with how the trip turned out.
I had the best travel experience with Jacada. The costumer service was out of this world. Local guides were extremely knowledgeable, and friendly. The team was flexible, paid attention to every detail, and was very organized.
This is the second trip we have taken to South America with Jacada and every detail has been perfect both times. The trip works seamlessly, there is always someone to meet you at the airport (and help you get your pcr test!) One of my favorite things about these trips is the local agencies they partner with have the best guides. We have loved all of them!
Jen and berni were our travel designers for our honeymoon in Costa Rica. They did an awesome job. We actually had to delay 2 years due to Covid and they were super helpful through the process of delaying, changing plans and actually picking a new itinerary. In the end, the trip was wonderful. Everything was 5 stars. What we liked best was how accessible our travel planners were. Always responded promptly and answered all of our questions
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Belize organized by Jacada. Accommodation was great, guides were excellent and our whole trip flowed seamlessly. I really appreciated the 24hour support line so last minute changes could be accommodated. Wonderful getaway, we will definitely travel with Jacada again.
The Trip of a Lifetime. We traveled to Thailand over the 2021 winter holidays and spent time in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket. The whole trip was seamless. Jacada even helped us through the complicated Covid protocol. Thailand is very serious about masking, vaccinations, and testing so we felt very safe everywhere we went. All of our tour guides were top-notch. The properties we stayed in (COMO Metropolitan, 137 Pillars, and Keemala) were luxurious and welcoming. 137 Pillars was my favorite! In Bangkok, don't miss the street food tour! In Phuket, do not miss a boat trip to Phi Phi island and the cooking lesson at The Blue Elephant. I honestly do not have a single complaint about the whole experience.
Emily and Tamara were such a joy to work with! We used Jacada to plan our honeymoon so we would have had limited time to really plan our trip properly in the middle of wedding planning. But Emily and Tamara were so helpful in putting together a perfect itinerary, answering our questions and preparing all of the logistics. It was truly a once in a lifetime trip that would not have been possible without Emily and Tamara of Jacada!
Jacada has helped create wonderful memories for my family
Amazing trip to Iceland. All of the details exceptionally well managed and the overall itinerary was outstanding. Thanks to all the folks at Jacada for the planning, and great experiences at the Blue Lagoon, and especially at Deplar Farm- truly extraordinary!!!!
Jacada planned the most memorable trip our family has taken. In Botswana, the camps were each unique and special. They planned a variety of terrains so we could have different experiences with each stop. The service, hospitality, and food was outstanding. The guides were beyond amazing at finding animals. Wouldn't have changed anything! Every future trip will be compared to "When we were in Botswana...."
Jacada planned a last-minute trip for my family to Africa. Despite the time constraints during a busy travel season, Jacada planned us the most wonderful holiday including stays and guides. They were flexible in accommodating our last-minute change requests and always kept our initial conversations about preferences in mind while making suggestions. We have recommended Jacada to family and friends and will travel with them again on our next holiday.
We traveled with our older children from the US to CapeTown and Sabi Sabi in South Africa, and then on to Botswana during the recent Christmas and New Year’s vacation. The trip was planned perfectly and felt incredibly safe from Covid-19. Ironically, we were most likely safer in Africa than we were in NYC!
Jacada had every detail organized from a wine tour outside of CapeTown,
To food tour, Table Mountain hike and then on to safaris. The guide and staff at the lodges could not have been more friendly and welcoming to us all. We truly had the trip of a lifetime. If you get the chance, book a trip now!
My husband and I have just returned from an amazing 2-week trip to Argentina. Jacada planned an immersive and well-rounded experience for us while maintaining the fine details of our trip behind the scenes. We received first class attention and service during the planning process and during the trip. This trip with Jacada can be categorized as a luxury private guided vacation. We were extremely impressed with the variety of excursions planned for us that incorporated so much Argentinean culture (e.g. food, lifestyle, dance, music, philosophy, history, architecture). We visited Buenos Aires, Mendoza/Andes Mountains, and Iguazú Falls. All 3 areas were beautifully different in their own way and essential to our understanding and appreciation of the country as a whole. I can honestly say that throughout the trip I felt very safe, well-guided, and prepared. We were one of the first U.S. tourists to visit Argentina since their post-covid reopening on November 1, 2021. The people of Argentina were welcoming and clearly elated that their country is open. Everyone was wearing masks indoors, hand sanitizer was readily available, and people were maintaining distance when appropriate. We were required to be vaccinated and have a negative PCR covid test to enter the country. These precautions gave us peace of mind as we travelled. I am so excited that Argentina is once again receiving tourists because this wonderful country deserves to be seen! I will definitely be looking to book another vacation with Jacada in the future because no other company can match their customer service and organization of such a luxury vacation. Thank you Jacada & Argentina for giving us the experience of a lifetime!
Jacada exceeded our expectations on our recent trip to Namibia! We are fortunate to travel frequently, so the bar has been set pretty high. First, Iain our travel consultant was incredibly knowledgable and passionate about Namibia and made excellent selections for us when it came to activities and the game camps. Right out of the gate, we had problems with the airlines cancelling our flights - Jacada helped us change our plans accordingly. Then my husband tested positive for Covid right before we were supposed to leave - Jacada was super accommodating and moved our trip to November without any hassle or penalties.
I felt like our consultant really listened to the type of actives we enjoy and planned a trip that reflected that. He also encouraged us to do the hot air balloon trip at sunrise, which my husband was really against - it ended up being his favorite day of the trip. All of the lodges were stunning and the food was amazing.
I have already booked another trip with Jacada for Chile next year. I will continue to use them for my travel planning for sure.
We had the most memorable vacation to South Africa due to the incredible planning by Jacada Travel. Every detail was handled, the hotels were beyond incredible with the absolute best customer service, our guides were knowledgable and covid safe, the restaurant recommendations top notch, and the overall planning took the pressure off of me! We could not have been happier with the overall customer service, especially since there was a new covid scare during our visit. We never felt alone or abandoned, we had someone 24/7 to call for advice and guidance. I could have never planned such a trip on my own! This was most definitely our dream vacation and we will be sure to use Jacada again for future travel.
My husband and I used Jacada to travel to Ecuador and the Galapagos. It was the most amazing experience! The partner tour company, Metropolitan travel, was top notch. We felt safe and supported the entire time, and everything was arranged as per our exact requests. I cannot say enough about Jacada travel, will definitely use them again.
Jacada listened to us and designed the itinerary and accommodations according to our preferences. The scheduled activities were just what we were looking for - great guides and well-planned itineraries. Accommodations and travel were first class. Jacada was available to us before, during and after our journey, so we always felt that we had someone to reach out to if any issues came up. We will definitely work with them again.
Melania and Marta helped us to craft an unforgettable experience on our first visit to Greece. It started with a quick call with Melania when she asked about our interests (food, culture and history) and preferences (a good blend of seeing historical sites and enjoying nature). She put together the perfect itinerary for us where we had a perfect blend of everything. Marta gave us the best possible recommendations for restaurants – every single restaurant she recommended was top-notch. The attention to details throughout the trip was amazing – from planning the perfect time to leave each morning for a day trip so that we could miss the traffic, to giving us enough time to recover after a day long hike and getting us to the airport. Thank you for the unforgettable memories! We look forward to planning another trip with Jacada.
Jacada gave me two options based on my interests and budget for going on an African safari. From the time we landed to the time we left Jacada arranged every step of the way and we were never left to ask questions. At each safari camp we stayed we were left personal notes by Jacada and I thought that was a very nice and thoughtful touch. I would and will work with Jacada for any of our future travel needs. They make you feel like you are the only trip they are planning.
My partner and I just returned from another Jacada trip. This one was to Mexico with a requested food focus (taco tour, cooking class, reservations at the best Mexico City restaurants). Once again, everything was smoothly organized and stress-free, including the required COVID testing at our hotel the evening before our return flight. We appreciate the nice touches like sitting down at a top restaurant and being told by the waiter that we are starting with wine tasting, compliments of Jacada.
Thank you Melanie, Lily, and Berni.
Taylor and Sheila
Jacada was great to work with especially Iain he listened to what we would like to get out of our month long African Safari and he gave us some great feedback and helped us design a awesome trip. From our first stop in Uganda gorilla trekking to our 14 or 15 bush airports we went threw Jacada had it all set up. The little things that they set up for us were a surprise so even the parts that we thought were just filling time were way more than that. We had a bush walk with a Messi warrior and we just thought it was a little walk around camp but it was so much more than that it ended with a sunset cocktail bar set up on a hill side watching the most beautiful sunset then as we thought it was over a group of Messi came walking out of the bush and danced and sang songs we it was so cool. Thanks Jacada you exceeded our expectations. Jeff
First Iaian McConachie has been an inspiration for your holiday in Namibia. We have been stuck in the US for over a year and we escaped in Sept this year for an unforgettable 3 weeks in Namibia thanks to Iain and Jacada. Our stay at the Olive Exclusive in Windhoek was great , nice helpful staff esp Yvonne at reception. All flights were on time . Walwedens was a breath of fresh air wonderful accomodations at the Dune Camp, Henrich was a superb host good food, and our guide Willie was great, very knowledgeable, Oryx and giraffe galore. Next Little Kuala was a well operated camp by Selma the lady with the personality, Johathan her asst was very helpful, food was wonderful. Our guide Obie was so full of information great animial photos, Looks like I can't review Honanib, serra cafima, Ongava or Okajima no more space. These places were fantistic, really! Would like to write more. Thanks for the memories. Bill Daum
We recently traveled to Kenya & Tanzania with Jacada. Perfect luxury travel and top notch service the entire trip. Will always book with Jacada.
