Jonny at Jacada helped my friend and I create the trip of a lifetime! Every detail was meticulously planned. I would recommend them in a heartbeat and can’t wait to use them again for my next adventure.
Everything was superb, except for a guide in Franschoek named Leslie. She immediately shared her “world view” on controversial topics without knowing us at all; it was very off-putting. She also lacked basic knowledge of several local topics, with a typical response of “you’ll have to Google that,” rather than saying she would find out and get back to us later in trip.
We wanted an amazing trip for our honeymoon to Malaysia and Borneo, we contacted Jacada Travel and from that moment on our travel advisor, Rachel was extremely helpful. She planned our trip based on what we had said we were looking for and even suggested things we’d not heard of to try.
Our experience from start to finish on the trip was just fantastic. All of our guides were waiting for us as expected whenever we moved to a new place and the guides were so passionate and friendly which really made or whole experience special.
My family and I just returned from a wonderful trip to Costa Rica. George and everyone at Jacada were so quick to respond to any questions. They listened carefully to what I said we wanted to do on this trip and planned a great itinerary for us. Jacada made having a memorable, amazing
family trip so easy and enjoyable for us. I would highly recommend them to anyone! We will be using them again, for sure.
Everything was perfect start to finish. I was well looked after and everything happened as the Rachel had outlined. The hotels were excellent and the tour guide was always well prepared. It could not have been better planned. I had an amazing time!
From the very first communication Ciara and Susanne were a delight to work with. Our initial inquiry was for a 3 week trip to Peru and the Galapagos. The proposed program submitted to us was the right length, and it took two revisions to set the quality and standard of accommodation we wanted. The Galapagos offers a variety of ships. Wanting something larger we settled on the Silver Galapagos which offered a range of creature, that met our needs. From our arrival in Lima until our departure from Quito we were met by fantastic guides, and drivers. The knowledge of the guides and service provided everywhere was terrific. Every hotel booked was far better than expected, and the service everywhere was perfect. Little things like receiving a personal note at every hotel from Ciara with personal recommendations of things to see and do, and local restaurants to visit was an added bonus, and a great welcome everywhere we went.
Personal service and detail is something Jacada have perfected. Our travel experience was nothing short of amazing. Everyone wants that dream vacation. Dream vacations have, however to be first created. Ciara, Susanne and the Jacada team did that for us. “Brilliant”
Incredible honeymoon at Fazenda Catuçaba and Pousada Picinguaba through Jacada Travel thanks to Emily Opie
My wife and I had an unbelievable honeymoon at Fazenda Catuçaba and Pousada Picinguaba for 8 nights in April. Our Latin American Travel Designer from Jacada Travel, Emily Opie, was absolutely incredible. She worked with us for months to ensure we got the perfect trip. We had plans to be near Sao Paulo for a few days after the honeymoon, so Ms. Opie scoured the South American continent for places for us to go. Our trip was a bit difficult to plan because we were bringing our dog with us. Emily worked so hard to try and make Argentina work, but even with a doctor’s note, no domestic airlines in Argentina would allow us to book, so she went back to the drawing board and found us these fabulous two spots in Brazil, that turned out to be heaven on earth. I don’t even want to know the number of hours and the contacts Emily had to make, but she never gave us and she was so kind. Upon our arrival at the Sao Paulo airport we were greeted by a driver, who allowed us to the opportunity to go to the bathroom and exchange money. We didn’t touch our baggage. We took the drive out of the city into the countryside that eventually led us onto a dirt road to Fazenda Catuçaba. When we entered the gates of the Fazenda we knew we had reached paradise. We were immediately greeted by the hotel manager, Marcel who told the driver where to take our luggage and then led us to the main house for snacks and drinks. When we went to our room we found our bags put away and rose petals scattered all about the room. Our room was fabulous and very spacious. We had no issues with mosquitos, so we were able to leave our windows open at night to allow the cool breeze in. If needed we would have been provided fans for warmer nights and a fire on cooler nights, but neither were necessary. We had a very comfortable and large King size bed and a beautiful bathroom with both a large two person shower and deep tub. I’ve seen reviews of people complaining that you have to throw toilet paper in the garbage can, but the garbage was always cleaned so it wasn’t an issue at all. I applaud the Fazenda for working hard to protect the environment. Though we were given a nice snack upon our arrival we went and had a late lunch in the dining room. We were always given a little nook that was to itself so that we could have a romantic private dining experience. Our only dining guest was the occasional friendly cat that would come by for a visit. Lunch was served either in the dining room, the porch, or in the front yard under the trees. Our lunches and dinners ranged from zucchini soup, seasoned beets, okra, carrot, green bean, and potatoes amongst other things. We had great vegetable crepes, baked chicken, fish, shish kabobs, pork chops, and the best steak we’ve ever eaten. The desserts were incredible (pies, orange cheesecake, puddings, caramel drizzled bananas, apple tart (which I had to get seconds of)). Our meals were often prepared by Helo, who was a fabulous cook. She knew enough English to translate for us what we were eating (we weren’t familiar with some of the local vegetables and soups) and was so friendly to us.
We were not given a rigorous schedule and were allowed to do as we pleased when we pleased. Dinner was served over a wide period of time, giving you the flexibility to eat when you wanted. Dinner was always several courses and was far more than we could ever eat. It always included a plain lettuce salad, generally a type of soup, a main course, side dishes, and a fabulous dessert. We were asked on several occasions by Marcel, if we were okay eating a certain meal prior to them preparing it. An added bonus was that we had no cell service on the property or phones in our rooms. This was the ideal place to get away and disconnect. This disconnection proved to be part of what made the Fazenda so great. Therefore don’t come here if you plan on keeping up with your work e-mails, skyping friends, or watching YouTube, because it’s not going to happen. You’ll be all the better because of that too. We realized on the first night that the crickets would serenade us to sleep every night and that was all we needed. Some have complained that the cost of activities or meals was expensive, but by going through Jacada everyone was included, therefore we didn’t have to worry about cutting back on certain things or not doing certain things. If we wanted a snack, we got a snack. If we wanted to go on an extra trail ride, we did so.
Prior to our daily activities we would have a wonderful breakfast outside on the porch, which always involved the freshest fruits, eggs, and the most wonderful coffee and juice ever. The key to the meals is that everything is freshly grown and made on site and doesn’t have any chemicals or preservatives. We fell in love with horse riding, which we did nearly every day and in fact was the core reason we extended our stay at the Fazenda by an additional day. My wife’s horse was Catazuza (which she requested each day) and I rode two horses, one whose name was Paradiso. We were accompanied by our fabulous guide Juliette, who was so great to allow us the liberty to free ride since we are experienced riders. We on various days took trail rides that took us through the mountains, other farms, the rain forest, meadows with grazing cows, farmers homes where we were greeted by their dogs, little fields and valleys, and a perfectly hidden little gem of a waterfall, which was an awesome place to swim and relax under the falls. We even got to ride through the town of Catuçaba, which was a lot of fun on horseback. On two occasions we had picnic snakes that Marcel or a member of his staff prepared for us and had ready for us to enjoy. The tranquility of the rides was heavenly. Whether it was the parakeets singing and flying around us to the locals that we met on their farms, there was a sense of peace and old world charm you just don’t get back in the states. It seems that each day we had snacks around 11am and then around 2pm we a full lunch. Even on the day we took our hike to Nuclo Santo Virginia (one of the forests in the Atlantic rainforest), our English speaking guide Fabrico, led us several miles into the forest before he unpacked a wonderful picnic for us to enjoy on the rocks of the river. We never ever were hungry that is for sure.
We loved the lunch that was prepared for us at the lake. We spent the afternoon there and loved that the staff had prepared us blankets to tan next to the lake and a completely stocked guest house with additional snacks and drinks. Granted with as much as we had at lunch we didn’t need any snacks. We were given the option of having a driver come back and get us, but we chose to walk the 2/3 mile walk back to the Fazenda as it was so pretty. On one afternoon Marcel and Juliette arranged for us to go on a cattle drive, so we helped herd the cattle up the mountain from the Fazenda to a mountain top pasture. We were able to ride along with the cowboys and help herd the cattle past a school bus and keep them on the path. On this afternoon we went from there straight to the mountain top for our sunset picnic. Juliette laid out our wine and snacks and allowed us time to watch the sun set as the clouds came over the mountain and engulfed us with a wonderful breeze and beautiful surroundings under the really unique architectural designs. Juliette was so kind that she let us stay later than we probably were supposed to, so we ended up coming off the mountain by the moonlight and arriving back at the Fazenda long after dark. This was probably a highlight of the trip and an experience my wife will never forget. We loved hearing the horses clip clopping on the cobblestone as we came back to the Fazenda that was already lit up by the gas lights that the staff refilled each day.
We took an independent hike around the property one day. The only drawback, which wasn’t a real problem, was that the directions weren’t very clear, so we made a wrong turn, but after climbing under a fence or two we got back on the right path. You did go through pastures with high grass and bulls and cows, but none of the ever posed a problem and to me just added to the experience. We stopped back by the lake and grabbed some water and snacks and chilled out before we came back to the Fazenda for lunch.
Marcel arranged for Nilton to drive us to Sao Luis do Paratinga for an afternoon of self-touring. Though it would have been helpful to have a guide, the town really wasn’t big enough to warrant one. Nilton didn’t speak much English, but we agreed to meet back on the town square at a certain time and he gave us his card with his phone number in case we had any problems. The town was a nice little town, but didn’t have much to offer, so I wouldn’t recommend it, unless you just want to be amongst the local town people, and walk around the shops. The drives to and from the Fazenda were always neat (though a bit fast, winding, and bumpy) we always enjoyed the various things that would greet us in the road ranging from horse riders to free roaming cattle and mules.
For our final night the Fazenda arranged for us to go to a rodeo in Lagoinha. Our driver took us to the rodeo, which didn’t start until 11pm. He helped us get through the entrance since no one there spoke English and he waited until the parking lot until we were finished. Marcel even met us there to make sure we were okay and had a great time. It was very safe and there were lots of families there. It was an awesome date night and we had so much fun watching the bull riding and then dancing at the concert they had afterward with a live band.
Fazenda Catuçaba was a heavenly place and all the people (Marcel, Emily, Juliette, Nilton, Fabrico, and Helo) made it the greatest place we’ve ever stayed. Marcel is a second to none, top rated, hotel manager. He had to get over burdened as he was one of the few people who could speak English, and all of the guests seemed to speak English and utilize him for translation, but even though he was there at 8am until 9pm (and in the case of the rodeo until at least 2am) he never seemed upset, always worked hard to make sure we were taken care of, and always told us when we asked about something, “yes, it is possible.” He was a true pleasure and great asset to the Fazenda.
We spent three days at Pousada Picinguaba as the second part of our honeymoon after spending five days at Fazenda Catuçaba. We had a great driver who took us from the Fazenda right to the Pousada. The Pousada is located at the end of the road out of Ubatuba. This quaint little fishing village wasn’t bustling with tourists and traffic and had just one street in and out. The road ended at a place where the fishermen bring their daily catch and there was a little elevated walkway that took us to our house. We had a very private 3 bedroom and 3 bathroom house nestled on the winding pathway under the trees above the beach. The views were amazing and the hammock on the porch was luring especially thanks to the sound of the waves and the birds nearby. The house was filled with lots of books to read and a nice music collection. The refrigerator was filled with various drinks that we enjoyed. Some have complained that the cost of activities or meals was expensive, but by going through Jacada everything was included, therefore we didn’t have to worry about cutting back on certain things or not doing certain things. If we wanted a snack, we got a snack. If we wanted to go on an extra excursion, we did so. On a few afternoons we would order off the menu and the staff would bring us snacks of shrimp, rice, refried beans, grilled vegetables, pasta, bread, and various desserts of fruit and chocolate (so a snack was actually a full-fledged meal).
On our first afternoon we took a kayak out on the water and watched the fishermen pull in their days catch in their nets, as well as see some sea turtles come up and greet us. We weren’t as pleased by the meals at the Pousada as we were at the Fazenda, but they were still good. Some of the more exotic seafood wasn’t our thing (baby octopus and fish soup for instance), but it was buffet style next to the pool so you did get all you could eat. We didn’t care as much for the fish that we had each night, but again it was still nice dinners and the desserts were always A+ (loved the key lime and chocolate tarts). I presume that the lighting was only by small candles on each table to keep from having issues with mosquitos, but it did require us to use the flashlights on our phones to see what we were eating. That being said we never had any issues with the mosquitos. We have read where they were a big issue with others, but maybe the time was just right for us (April 12-15). We even told the staff they didn’t need to turn down the mosquito nets on our bed each night because they were no issue. It was really nice coming in from dinner each evening and having our beds prepared, shutters closed, and the air conditioning nice and cool. The master bedroom having its own air conditioning system with a remote control thermostat was a huge plus for us. They also were quick to remedy any problems we had. We were billed for two drinks that we had received one evening, but after explaining to them that they were not what we thought they would be and were not made to our liking, they didn’t charge us for them. That was very kind of them because it really was a “lost in translation” sort of thing where we asked for what we called a Strawberry daiquiri, only to find out after making one they don’t have strawberries and the drink they made us had salt along the rim and more of a tequila like taste.
The biggest highlight of staying at the Pousada was the half day excursion on their large schooner. We were taken for a wonderful trip by our captain to various beaches and islands. The young waiter that accompanied us made sure that we were completely taken care of and had all we wanted to drink. He was even able to point out certain things about various places we passed by. We absolutely loved the first island we stopped at. We were given the option to swim to shore or be taken by a small motor boat, which we did. We were able to lie out and tan on the sand and also go snorkeling. The snorkeling was really good because we saw lots of neat fish and some corral. The water was so clear you could always see the bottom. On this island there were probably no more than 7 other people there when we were, but beyond that we were by ourselves. We were taken to another island where we got to walk around on the sand and play in the water completely alone, until the captain called us back to the ship for lunch. We had wonderful sandwiches and salad. The only thing we didn’t like was the cold fish, but that was just us. They had by far the best watermelon I’ve ever eaten. We did feel slightly rushed on the cruise, but we were able to get the captain to stop at one last beach where we collected sand dollars.
The Pousada arranged for Rosa to take us to Paraty for a half day excursion with a great English speaking guide that had been reserved with Paraty tours. It was a neat town preserved in its original form. We had Italian for lunch at a nice little restaurant that our guide took us to. The Pousada also provided us with a wonderful massage the last evening we were there. We had to leave around 4:00 in the morning to get to an event near Sao Paulo and the staff made sure they took our luggage to the car and even prepared us some sandwiches to eat along the way. Our driver to our next location drove us the five hour drive safely and after dropping off my wife took me to pick up my rental car and then proceeded to work with the rental car agency to make sure that I was taken care of and had the right car. Throughout our journey we were given messages from our travel specialist at Jacada, Emily Opie, asking if we were doing well, and if there was anything we needed. Even though we went elsewhere on our trip for an event that lasted five days, Emily made sure that we had a car pick us up to take us to the airport to get home. We arrived at the pickup spot an hour late, but our driver was there waiting for us patiently and knew that we were pressed for time, so he drove extra swiftly to ensure we got on our flight. He even was very helpful in ensuring that we got our rental car returned and that they car agency we used for the few days we were independently travelling didn’t take advantage of us.
I appreciated the pesonal attention we received from our travel agent, Tess. She was attentive to our particular travel needs and responded to our tastes. We had a wonderful trip to South Africa and Zambia, which included some of the most comfortable accomodations I’ve ever encountered. Most importantly, Tess was always available to answer questions and willing to answer all questions, and make changes when we wanted them. All of the places we stayed were ‘high end’ but they were incredible value for the cost. Absolutely wonderful! I would definitely recommend this travel service, and Tess, in particular.
We have traveled extensively in Western Europe and North America and have always self booked our own tours and accommodations with great success. As experienced as we are, we were out of our comfort zone with Africa. This was our first experience working with a travel agent and Jacada Travel was simply outstanding. Our agent, Tess did an excellent job interviewing us about our interests and travel style and created a spectacular, fully customized agenda for us. Every detail was covered from transfers at the airport to top notch private tours, and excellent restaurant recommendations. This was one of the best vacations we have ever been on, largely due to Jacada’s planning and execution. They truly brought our dream African vacation to life! We are already thinking about planning a future trip to South America or Antarctica with Jacada. We highly recommend Jacada travel for your African adventure!
Without reservation, my wife and I would highly recommend Byron at Jacada to plan an African trip. His instincts as to what we’d enjoy, his choice of recommended accommodations, and his personal attention to detail were unparalleled.
From the very 1st email contact until the final drop-off at the Lima airport, Jacada & its staff were EXCELLENT!! Wonderful, knowledgeable guides, spectacular hotels & restaurants, & George & the staff “behind the scenes” made everything easy. We loved our trip to Peru, & would highly recommend Jacada in the future.
During our one-week Peru vacation we visited Lima, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Cusco. Jacada Travel did an excellent job throughout, from planning to day-to-day delivery of services during the trip. Hotels were first rate. Drivers and guides were extremely helpful, personable, professional and informative. The trip was well-planned, well-executed and within budget. My family and I enjoyed our adventure to Peru immensely, thanks in large part to Jacada Travel. We will not hesitate to use Jacada Travel again. Special thanks to Emily, who worked up the itinerary and took care of all the bookings within Peru, and to our wonderful guides, Julia and Julio. Other than purchasing our international airline tickets, we had nothing to concern ourselves with other than enjoying the fantastic sites, foods (including Pisco Sour) and people of Peru. It was truly a memorable and outstanding journey.
Emily and Susann planned our trip to the Yucatan and Flores, Guatemala to explore the Maya. Working with their partner, Catherwood Travel, they put together unique experiences from the guides, meals and hotels to the many Maya ruins that we visited. Four out of six of our I guides were Professional Archaeologists. I have used Jacada in the past and will use them again.
I cannot thank Emily and Susann for their hard work and creativity enough.
Cliff Crusan
I would give Jacada Travel the BEST of the BEST that I could!
I and my wife took a 2 months around the world trip with Jacada travel in February – April 2015. We spent one month in South America and Antarctica and the rest in Europe.
S.America Chile – Torres Del Paine. Ecuardor – Quito – The Galapagos. Peru – Lima – Cusco – Machu Picchu. and And Antarctica!
Then we go to Switzerland. Iceland Chasing the Northern Light with our private plane!!! And continue to Norway before arrive home in Bangkok!
Everything was ince perfect and you could not feel the JACADISM feelings anywhere else!!!! That is what so special about JACADA! You feel safe and at the same time you feel so privileged. And our travel designer Jobi, and Joyce, there are so thoughtful and always think ahead for what we need and what would make it more special for us!!!
I declared to be their life long clients!
We love Jacada! And if you want a life time experience give them a call!!
I had a great experience with Jacada. Their tour guides and drivers were friendly and professional. There were no issues as we moved from one area of Brazil to another. Communication between guides in different locations was seamless. Jacada delivered on all that was promised and I would use them again without reservation.
We just came back from our two week honeymoon in Vietnam and had a fabulous time thanks to Jacada’s Rachel and Alex. They were both very attentive and responsive to our needs from the beginning and made trip planning easy and fun. They were even able to make several last minute changes to our trip after we changed our mind on a few things. They never got upset and were so accommodating. They even did everything in their power to make sure those changes did not cost us a thing! Now that’s customer service! Would use them again in a heartbeat!
Would definitely use Jacadatravel again, our trip was wonderful and fulfilled all our expectations…….and more.
We went to Jacada Travel to plan a trip of a lifetime to South Africa and Victoria Falls for our multi generational family and they exceeded our expectations. Every lodge they chose for our family was the perfect mix of comfortable luxury with great staff who introduced us to the culture and spirit of Africa.
We celebrated 3 birthdays during our trip and Samantha was so attentive to details that every celebration was perfect.
They also made great use of our time so we didn’t waste hours over nighting in Johannesburg waiting for a flight.
Thank you Jacada Travel!
From planning through execution, Jacada did an excellent job on my adventure trip to Thailand,Laos and Cambodia. They even introduced me to a Mekong River cruise which was like icing on the cake. I would use Jacada again for sure.
Travel Specialists that provide all the logistics for your dream trip. Essentially you tell them the dream trip you have in your mind and they put it together along with suggestions that you may not have thought of. A representative is waiting at airports to help with any issues including missed flights which is a great help if you are unable to speak the language. Guides and excursions are provided to fit your needs, but are flexible as it is a private journey. The dream trip with out any of the work doesn’t come cheap, but is worth every dollar spent.
Tessa, has the impeccable ability to plan an exciting itinerary. We had eight different airline flights, and the planned assistance and transfers at each airport was very helpful and appreciated.
Each location we stayed had luxury accommodations with a wonderful restaurant. It was great experiencing such elegance and style.
Riding the Blue Train was a unique opportunity – fantastic food, amazing views and comfortable accommodations. This was opulence on rails.
The beautiful Royal Malewane safari was marvelous. We had spectacular drives and was able to see the Big 5 the first two drives.
We also enjoyed a massage at the lovely spa. The lodge is lavish, with the dining area outside with a view of the surrounding bush.
We had an amazing trip with some wonderful memories.
We highly recommend Jacada Travel.
We used Jacada travel for the first time when we decided to use them to book our honeymoon. Overall, we had a very great experience! Jen (our travel designer) did a really great job of listening and choosing the perfect itinerary for our dream honeymoon to Guayaquil, Galapagos, Quito and Otavalo. Throughout the trip there were extra details that made us feel special. The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars is because I would’ve liked to have more details up front, such as the exact times we would be meeting up with our guides or the times of our flights to and from the Galapagos. It was my understanding that we would receive a complete packet with this information when we met our first travel guide. As the vacation progressed we would only receive details for the following day the night before. If you are Type A personality my suggestion would be to get more details up front…
As a result of the expert guidance and planning by Jonny at Jacaranda Travel, everything we asked for happened more or less like magic! We were met and guided throughout our South African adventure which was absolutely great, as we never had to worry if we were going to get our flights on time or be in the right place at the right time. The venues were fantastic and everything we were promised came true. I would recommend this company to anyone – actually we already have!!
We booked at the very last minute a 3 weeks family vacation in Vietnam. We did not have the time to prepare the trip so we decided to go with a travel agency. It was our first experience with that kind of trip but we surely will do it again! We traveled with two kids (7 and 12) from Canada and we wanted everything to go smoothly. With the help of Kate and Alec, everything went without a glitch. All the Hotels were to our taste and the planned activities pleased us all. We traveled from the north, Hanoi to Ha Long Bay then to Hue, Hoi An, Saigon and then Nha Trang for a week a the beach. The beach resort was amazing, secluded, reminding us of a vietnamese fishing village but with 5 stars accommodation. Jacada offered a personalized and highly professional service from the first e-mail contact to the welcome back home phone call. We could have booked with a canadian travel agency but Jacada website attracted us and we dont regret it at all… We are thinking of a safari in south Africa and Jacada surely will be part of our plan! Thanks again
Our private tour of Vietnam arranged by our travel agent Joyce Choi at Jacada Travel was excellent. We did a 3-day 2-night cruise at Halong Bay, followed by a 3-day private tour of Hanoi. Joyce helped us arrange a private cooking class with a local chef at his home. He brought us to the local market and demonstrated the cooking of several popular local dishes. Everything was pre-arranged for us before we arrived the cruise and the hotels. Both before and after the trip, there was close communication between the agent and us to make sure everything went smoothly. I would definitely recommend Jacada Travel to my family and friends.
Must see places are Hoi An and Halong Bay in Vietnam, Luang Prabang in Laos. The crowds around Angkor Wat at sunrise are a pain
Loved Myanmar–if we would change the trip we would leave out certain areas and stay longer in other areas.Myanmar is a fascinating country and there is much to see and do. Our favorite places were Lake Inle, Bagan and of course the lake area. We only had one full day in Mandalay and could have stayed at least one more day.
Whenever we arrived at a new hotel there was a note from Kate which was very sweet.
Jacada did a very nice job of putting together a vacation package that my husband and I will not soon forget. The rep, Jonny, listened to what we had in mind and worked with me to arrange all the details. He and his team were quick to respond to emails and made the process quite painless! The accommodations were all brilliant (really, beyond expectations) and the local tour guides very informative and personable. My only constructive criticism is that the vendors on the ground varied in quality. Willro (the outfit in Johannesburg) was amazing: They were prompt, flexible, and the people were all super knowledgeable and helpful. Ilios, who provided drivers in the Cape Town area, was more hit or miss. But that is picking nits. Everything else was just lovely.
My mom and I took a mother-daughter trip to Thailand and Cambodia as a last hurrah before I get married. Jacada and specifically Rachel Beck were amazing to work with. Rachel ensured we got the perfect mix of outdoor adventure, culture and history. Every step of the way the representatives of Jacada were friendly, helpful, flexible and comforting. We were taken care of at every turn so that we could simply focus on having a once in a lifetime experience. Specifically to the trip itself, I would HIGHLY recommend visiting the Elephant Nature Park and taking a Thai cooking class. I have no hesitation recommending Jacada and Rachel to friends and family!
I dealt with a lady called Rachel Beck (she really should get a job training tour operators, first class).
The cost of the trip wasn’t cheap but my partner and myself felt it was worth every pound we spent.
From start to finish this is one classy company, nothing was too much trouble.
Some companies take your money and that’s the end of it, not Jacada. Small example, after each excursion they organised we got a phone call to make sure we were satisfied with the service they provided. I could easily write several pages on the great service we received but I don’t have the time. In short if you want to spend your hard earned money on a trip of a lifetime with a company that goes the extra mile stop thinking about it and book with them. I promise you it will be money well spent.
I went with Jacada Travel to Costa Rica for 12 days. I had used Jacada a few years ago on an excellent trip to Patagonia and Easter Island. Arranging the trip went smoothly and my agent, George, always seemed to be available even though I’m in NY and he’s in England. My flight was four hours late in arriving in Leberia but my car and driver was there and ready. All the hotels that George recommended were wonderful with very decent food and terrific service. The same for all of my guides who were on time, knowledgeable, and very aware of me. It was a wonderful experience.
We were very happy with the service we received at Jacada Travel. It was a pleasure to arrange our trip with George, and then everything worked flawlessly. Hotels were excellent, as were the guides, and the drivers. Notes from George along the way were a nice touch. No complaints!
With less than a month’s lead time, I decided to spend a week in Vietnam in early February. I found Jacada via a Google search, read the reviews, and decided to give them a try. Best travel decision I’ve ever made.
Kate Edwards described a variety of destinations and activities based on her first-hand experience, and together we tailored the perfect itinerary for me. All accommodations were excellent, and on-the-ground guides were knowledgeable, professional and friendly.
Best of all, I got to do exactly what I wanted, not what someone else planned for me.
The end result was a trip filled with memories that will last a lifetime. Could not be more grateful to Kate, Alec, and the rest of the team at Jacada.
This is the second time of having Ciara from Jacada Travel to organize our vacation to Latin America (Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia). We had wonderful time for both trips. Right from the beginning, Ciara listened to our needs and made lots of excellent suggestions in refining our vacation plan. She always put herself into our shoes and made valuable recommendations. On the ground, Jacada in-country supports are always attentive and responsive. Ciara keeps tab of our progress along our journey and made necessary refinement to our travel plan to ensure what is best for us. After we’ve engaged her at the start of the vacation planning, we know all we need to do is to sit back, relax, knowing that the only thing we need to do is to enjoy a fabulous vacation ahead.
Jacada Travel arranged a memorable experience in Peru. The whole trip went very smoothly and the hotels were as expected, and even exceeded expectations. The personal service from the local guides was exceptional!
We would highly recommend Jacada Travel and Ciara Owens.
We were thrilled with our experience in South Africa. Jacada arranged the entire itinerary for us and there was not one flaw in the choice of lodging, accommodations, flights to and from the lodges, transportation to and from the hotels, or service overall. All in all, a magnificent trip!! Yes, indeed we saw the Big Five and many other animals also! Kudos to Byron at Jacada!!!
Byron and his Jacada team were amazing. Everything went as planned and our family had the best time.
We just completed a 17 day journey to South Africa, Zimbabwe & Benguerra Island in Mozambique. The arrangements and transfers happened just like clockwork and were absolutely stress-free. We stayed mostly in smaller boutique hotels and they were all fabulous with 5*+ service and amenities. The tour guides were knowledgeable and fun to be around. Of course, the highlight of the trip was our Safari at Chitwa Chitwa. What a captivating place that will always be an indelible memory of ours. Tess and the Jacada staff were spot on with their recommendations and attended to every detail of the trip.
All aspects of the trip was expertly handled. The lodges where we stayed were beautiful, the food was wonderful, all staff were helpful and friendly and finally, our guides were the best and showed us the animals and the wild beauty of Botswana, Zambia and Kruger National Park. It was a trip we will never forget and we look forward to another adventure with Jacada Travel.
Finally, Sam who organized our trip was very knowledgeable, charming and very helpful.
We cannot recommend Jacada highly enough.
Ciara at Jacada did a superb job in designing or organizing a family trip to Chile. It was one of the best trips ever.
We felt educated and well taken care of. Guides were knowledgeable and kind. Changes happened and everyone worked hard to accommodate us.
Everything thing was amazing and beyond expectation. The team are very professional and evrything was well organized even the small details.
Geroge Warren and Sussan were amazing and so helpful, they are simply the best.
Great service right from the begining. George Warren was fabulous. Helped with every detail. The trip was wonderful. Hotels amazing in great locations. Only one exception, hotel in Valparaiso, didnt meet same expectation but emailed George and he helped out right away. Regardless it did not detract from enjoyment of trip. Great guides, superb location of other hotels , great food, and excursions. He definitely knew Chile and Patagonia! I was not sure how this would turn out as this was my first expereince with Jacada, but it was really amazing! And we have travelled a lot with many tour companies. We will use Jacada again, and recommend to others, but I have to say, it was mainly because of George’s excellent service!
We enjoyed travelling with Jacada for the 3rd time, this time to Thailand. This was another unforgetable experience. Thanks to Kate and the team for such a well orchestrated trip! Everything from the moment we landed in Bangkok up to the last day went very well. Once again we were quite impressed with your recommendation of hotels and quality of guides.
George and staff did a great job arranging a custom trip for us and another couple. Just the right balance of comfort and adventure
Our experience with Jacada setting up our Safari, Wine Country and Cape Town adventure went off with only a few small glitches .
The hotels were first class with only a small hiccup at The Bay in Cape Town. They weren’t ready for group of 16 and left us sitting around for a couple hours in the lobby. While they treated us to coffee and soda, it was quite an inconvenience. On the other hand, our lodging in Kruger, Simbambili, was outstanding and exceeded our expectations. The Residence in Johannasburg was incredible and the service impeccable.
The transportation was good not great. They didn’t have enough seats and luggage storage on one of the legs and that was very uncomfortable for some. Other than that, I was very impressed by the timing of airport pick-ups.
Overall, I would highly reccomend Jacada for any trips. I will be using them for my next adventure to Africa, no questions asked!
We had a nine day window to fill in between tours that we had booked previously. I chose Jacada Travel from the Internet by googling tours in South America. After submitting my request on line I was very surprised how quick I had a response from Jacada agent. (Emily Opie)
from there on the booking procedure by email and telephone was extremely easy and professional.
After explaining what we required and informing Emily that we didn’t know much about South America. In no time she came back with options that were tailor made to fit our time frame and requirements.
The actual tour involved several flights through Argentina and Brazil so therefore many different guides.
Every guide was absolutely fantastic punctual,informative and easy to converse with. We have traveled the world a lot in the last seven or eight and the guides were definitely the best we have en-counted.
The standard of accommodation was excellent with some being off the beaten track which was great. You can see that they were hand picked as the hospitality at everyone made us feel so welcome and at home.
The little notes and gifts from Emily along the way also gave the tour a personal touch.
We will definitely use Jacada Travel again and will have no hesitation in recommending them to our friends.
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We had an amazing trip. Everything was well organized. I recommend Jacada highly.
Exceptional from start to finish. The staff in London and over in Peru were all incredibly helpful, knowledgable and went beyond the expectations on every level.
Very impressed. I will be traveling with them again.
This is my second trip planned by Jacada. Both trips have been fantastic- wonderful adventures with superb lodging, excellent guides and a mixture of off the beat adventure .
I found my travel planner Kate available at all times and she was a wealth of information. She was able to contour our trip to suit us perfectly. I would not hesitate to recommend Jacada to anyone looking for a seamless trip which combines adventure, luxury and attention to detail.