There is not one thing I would add, subtract or alter to our vacation in Africa. From the moment we stepped off the plane in Johannesburg to the time we were back in the airport to return home we were taken care of royally. Our trip involved four camps, three countries, border crossings, little 6 seater planes and all of it was handled efficiently and with attention to our needs.
I have dietary restrictions which Jacada informed the camps about and with one exception, which was not the fault of Jacada, my needs were met with delicious, carefully prepared meals. (The exception was sorted out by Jacada to our satisfaction within days of our arrival home.)
Each camp provided us with a different experience, as promised by our wonderful agent, Byron Thomas, but all of them went above and beyond to help us celebrate our anniversary. We had private dinners, lunches in the bush, on a private island. . .
I had ridiculously high expectations for this trip and anticipated it with such exuberance that my husband and I feared it couldn’t live up to our hopes. I have to say that not only did it live up to those expectations, it exceeded them in every way.
I can’t recommend Jacada Travel and Byron Thomas highly enough–I hope to travel with them again in the future!
Our trip to Peru was the second vacation we’ve arranged through Jacada Travel. It was every bit as good as the first one we did to Chile in 2011. George was extremely helpful, working with our schedule and our wish list. His suggestion that we end our trip at Lake Titicaca paid off handsomely. It ended up being one of the highlights of the trip. George’s attention to detail is tremendous, and his good humor made working with him very enjoyable.
I’m happy to use Jacada Travel whenever we want a memorable trip. We know that all the experiences will be first class and the arrangements will come off without a hitch.
Thanks again for a great trip. We’re already thinking of the next one – this time, maybe Africa.
Booked through Jacada Travel for the first time as their website was the best and they offered to tailor my trip to our requirements. Byron phoned me back within 2 minutes of my first email enquiry and immediately had some great suggestions on how to improve the itinerary to get more out of our trip. His passion for Africa showed in his personal knowledge. He put together a first class trip with all the elements and transport meshing together seamlessly. The ultimate was being met off the airbridge on arrival into South Africa and whisked through immigration – fantastic.
We were met on time in a clear and efficient manner at every turn during the three weeks of our travel. Our guides were both helpful and friendly, speaking English in a very understandable manner. They acceeded to our every desire and were available at all times.
Some of the food could have been better, but most was very tasty and appropriate to the country.
It’s hard to imagine a more spectacle-packed trip than what we wanted for our honeymoon in South Africa. Being from the United States, I had reservations on travelling such a far distance to a place I had only read about in school. My fiance (now wife) had been saying for years that an African safari trip was on her bucket list. After 2 years of convincing me to take the dive, we decided to plan our honeymoon in Africa! 4 weeks and 3 travel agents later we landed on the webpage for Jacada Travel. Seeing that they were based out of London, again I had reservations. We emailed Jacada and received a rather quick response from Tess Van Der Walt. Seeing that there was a 6 hour time difference, I was quite impressed. We told Tess that we noticed a travel package on their website called “The Magnificent Seven Safari” that really seemed to encompass everything we wanted to do. After all, travelling that far I decided we were going to do it all! Tess asked us some preliminary questions to get an idea of just what we wanted. Not only did she offer us multiple options for places to say and things to do, she put it all down on paper so we could sit down and review together. We picked out exactly what we wanted with the help of Tess’ wonderful recommendations and expertise and 4 months later set out on what would be the best journey we had ever taken.
We arrived in Cape Town only to be greeted by a nicely dressed man, wearing a name tag and hold a sign with our name on it. This made me feel totally at ease considering I was in a foreign country with no idea what to expect. He greeted us with a smile and escorted us to his Mercedes sedan parked in the garage. Needless to say, I was again impressed. Our private drive took us directly to our first destination with no problems along the way. We checked into the Cape View Clifton guesthouse only to find a bottle of champagne and a fantastic view in our room! Yes, Tess called ahead and informed the guesthouse that we had just been married so they took extra special care of us.
The next afternoon we were picked up by another private driver who’s task was to take us on a private tour of the city and table mountain. Again, we were greeted by a well dressed man driving a nice car and wearing a name tag. He immediately offered us a bottle of water and explained exactly how the day was going to go. Throughout the day we saw amazing views, learned a lot about the history of South Africa and got some great pics! He dropped us off back at our guesthouse that afternoon safe and sound.
The next day was a full day tour of the peninsula, cape point, wine country and the waterfront. By this time I was at ease and ready to explore! We had the same driver as the day before which was very nice as we developed a rapport with him and made things very fun! We experienced so many things in that one day I could’ve gone home happy!
A few days later we had another private transfer about 1.5 hours away to the town of Hermanus. The Whale coast. What a breathtaking place! We were greeted upon arrival at the Ocean Eleven guesthouse with a bottle of champagne and a box of chocolates. Yes, Tess made them aware of our nuptials. The re was even a note in our room from Tess welcoming us to our next destination!
We spent the next 3 days walking along the cliffs, watching the wales, having romantic dinners along the water and doing a shark cage dive!! Yes, I was very nervous to do such a brazen task but hey, we’re in Africa! The company that Tess recommended was awesome! They picked us up from our guesthouse and drove us to Gaansbai (shark alley) where we boarded a boat andd set out for shark infested water 🙂 All I can say is bring your submersible camera. What an experience!! At no time did I ever feel unsafe or like the crew didnt know what was going on. Excellent recommendation Tess!
Our last stop on our journey was in the Kruger National Park at a safari lodge called Ngala. Due to our finances, we had to pick a “middle of the road” lodge instead of the “high roller” lodge. Boy was I surprised by what awaited us! We again were greeted by a hot towel, a drink and an escort to our room. The rooms were quaint, well maintained and perfect for our needs. We spent 4 days seeing things I never thought I’d see in my lifetime. We were served breakfast, lunch and dinner every day as well as snack and drinks while out on safari in the morning and evening. On our last night there, the staff set up a private candlelight dinner on our porch complete with my favorite drink (which they handily took note of sometime during our stay) a bottle of champagne, and even a live singing performance by their staff members…right on our porch!!!
We made friends with our safari ranger as well as 2 other couples from New Zealand while we were there. I never thought I’d have friends more than a continent away!
All in all, Jacada and the companies they work with are second to none. All of the detail and planning that goes into each trip makes you feel like you are their only client. Tess emailed us the day after we got back to see how our trip went and asked for photos as well. She was genuinely interested in what we wanted, how we felt, how our travels went and what worked for us. I would absolutely recommend Tess and the rest of the Jacada team for any and all of your travels!!
Thanks again and we will definitely be using your services again on our anniversary!!!
Jacada made sure that every aspect of our stay was taken are of to the highest level. Their planning enabled us to feel calm, safe, and welcome our entire trip. Their service start from our step out of the secured area of the airport and continued until trip concluded, again at the airport. The guides provided to us were able to answer and questions related to our trip and/or the country. The flexibility allowed while planning continued during the trip which allowed us to enjoy every moment. I highly recommend Jacada Travel to anyone going abroad.
We had an incredible trip to hike the Inca Trail and visit Machu Picchu via Jen Richt at Jacada Travel. From our tours in Cusco, to all of our transfers and the amazing experience at Enigma Tours (the trek)….we were completely taken care of! It was a seamless, wonderful adventure and would absolutely book through Jacada in the future!
It was going to be the first time for me and my father to South America, and I stumbled upon the name “Jacada Travel” in many articles and thought of checking it out. The website did enough impression to make me decided to contact them.
Since that moment, I have been very taken care of by my travel designer, [Name] Owens. She crafted an extremely beautiful plan that fits almost everything we want to see within our limited time. This plan is refined couple times along the way, including last-minute change due to our visa situation. She has been extremely patient and helpful to us.
The trip itself was fantastic. Jacada did a great job in adding many personalized touch throughout our trip. Very friendly guides and drivers who knows our taste, welcome gifts upon arrival to every country and every hotels, and lots of letters from [Name]. Our hotels are all amazing and fits our preference of what a good hotel should be.
There is absolutely nothing bad I can think of. It has been one of the most memorable trip for us. It’s even better to know that the price we paid are only slightly higher than what local tour providers in Indonesia would charge us; but we got WAY better hotels and services.
If there is anything Jacada can do to improve what has already been a really wonderful service, is if they can take care of visa applications as well. Otherwise, all my thumbs up for them!
p.s. If you want to know EVERY single detail and experience of my recent trip with them, check out my blog by searching google and type “Travelog christian leonardo jacada”
(since this review does not allow me to post any link, apologize for the inconvenience lol)
We had a fantastic 10 days in Peru organised by Jacada. We didn’t have to put much into the planning coz Jacada really knew how to make the most of the 10 days. We were met by representatives at every stop and our guide, Oscar was fantastic. The hotels were really magnificent choices. It was great to know that we were not missing anything important since the trip was planned with someone who knew the area. Thank you Jacada for a wonderful experience. We now really want to explore more of South America. Looking forward to planning our next trip.
The destinations were outstanding (excellent advice from George, as usual), the guides all very good and very fluent in English, the hotels as good as they can be in Bolivia. We were picked up on time and taken care of flawlessly. When one of our flights was cancelled due to bad weather, the reaction was swift and efficient. Great job!
This trip when being planned had minor issues with Safari lodge reservation, Once booked and after receiving assurance from Samantha Kelly, JACADA travels provided my family with an opportunity to experience an outstanding and beyond imagination trip that we will cherish a life time. We loved the movement we landed in Cape Town and enjoyed the trip until left Johannesburg airport back to London. We enjoyed the Ngala safari lodge and services. We really like to thank Elliott and Jimmy, ranger and tracker who took all efforts to show us the big five and more. We want to go back and Samantha will be our adviser and planner. she has become a friend and JACADA is truly a outstanding travel company. We had heard about JACADA prior to travel and this trip has demonstrated the JACADA’s outstanding planning and service .
Thank you.
Jacada provided friendly and personal service throughout. Questions were always answered in good time and practical guidance was provided to ensure the holiday was tailored to our requirements.
Throughout the holiday itself the local representatives in Costa Rica ensured that ourselves and our luggage were always in the right places at the right time which is essential for a holiday with multiple destinations and transfers.
We loved our personal welcome notes from Jen at Jacada at each of our different accommodation.
All in all this was never going to be a cheap holiday but you get what you pay for. We had a fantastic holiday tailored just for us and would recommend this travel company.
Everything turned out as planned and outlined by Jacada. Arrangements for airport pick ups/drop offs, hotel rooms, mini tours and guides were excellent.
From the first interaction our entire experience with Jacada Travel was excellent.
When we arrived in Capetown the weather was lousy and this immediately disrupted our plans. Jacada’s in country support Tracey Wren from New Frontiers immediately went to work to reschedule our activities in an effort to get us on a shark boat which they knew was very important to us. They were prompt and highly responsive. While we all know you cannot control the weather our vacation would have had a disappointing start without the diligent work and relationships of the in country agents.
All the reservations, payments, transfers and connections were all on time or early.
If you are ever going to Africa for the first time and want to have a great experience and lower your stress level use Jacada. They have great people who know the area and the activities.
Our family would definitely use them again.
Chris, Sandi and Ben Higgs
The best trip I have ever taken! From the first phone call to throughout the trip to the return flight home I felt 100% taken care of! There was no travel stress because jacada took care of everything! I felt like a celebrity being whisked through the airports, bypassing lines, and having people do the check- ins for me! My next few trips will be with Jacada because you truly get your money’s worth. Tess, in particular, was fantastic! She took the time to get to know us and planned things according to our likes and interests! 2000% better than expected!!!
Where to begin…………The four Wheelers came away from this experience individually and collectively using words like “life changing”; “profound”; “unexpected”; “beyond expectations”; “different”; “more than expected”; “awe inspiring”. We all agreed that our 2015 vacation will most definitely be a return to Africa……..I have personally travelled to over 50 countries and the place that I want to go back to is Africa….certainly Tanzania, but perhaps more broadly to encompass South Africa; Botswana; Uganda; Rwanda and more.
The accommodations : outstanding but very different in each locale.
Legendary Lodge : made completely welcome by Russell and his staff…..superb quarters but next time we’ll start our trip with two nights there not one.
Crater Lodge was like living in The Shire (I’m sure I saw a Hobbit or two….although it might have been a baboon with big hairy feet)…………………quaint, but the ultimate in luxury with staff that excelled and seemed genuinely (as opposed to it being their job) wanting to please and make us welcome. The walks back from dinner accompanied by our Askari knowing that Cape Buffalo or Elephant lurked yards off our path was exhilarating and an adrenalin rush….food was outstanding and accommodations themselves were 6 star….including the rose petal bath each night for Candace
Chem-Chem : great food; charming hosts/hostesses/ loved the baby mongoose/ walk with the giraffes; discovering the “Little Five”; breakfast amongst the Baobab trees; and the spectacular Sundowner on the (dried up) lake…………truly luxury at its most decadent. Mwiba : the highlight of the trip…….stunning property; delightful hostess (Ann-Marie); incredible experiences — 15 feet from a roaring lion at 10pm….in an open Land Cruiser, in the dark (adrenalin rush bigtime); watching an angry matriarch elephant trying to find us in our blind at dusk…..with her breeding herd of 12 standing right behind her!; leopard eating her kill, in a tree with hyenas lurking directly below……and on and on. Great food and a willingness to feed us at any hour whenever we came back after dark; service from the local staff who would put the best restaurants in the world to shame………………who’s “you’re welcome” always seemed to come from the heart with a smile. A day at a Maasie boma…………seemingly not as tourists but as guests who were glad to see us (except the tribe that was willing to shoot us with poison arrows if we took their photos (sorry, no pictures of them to share!). If we only return to Africa to visit one place, it will be Mwiba. How could you not want to go back?
Mobile camp : great experience and the only way to get amongst the migration. Saw every animal and bird in existence I think.
How else to describe it other than “life changing”…..maybe “perfect”? Thank you Sam and Byron at Jacada. You were superb!
Because I was planning a wedding, I decided I needed help planning the perfect honeymoon in Indonesia. It was *the best* decision to work with Kate Edwards and the Jacada team. They helped me find locations that would have been difficult to find, given that I had never been to Indonesia. Once we were there, decisions were all made and we felt gently guided and cared for the entire time. In addition, there were many small touches that couldn’t have been experienced if we were going alone. Flowers on beds, kind notes, gifts, etc. It was magic.
My husband and I found Jacada online when we were looking for honeymoon ideas. The different travel options look AMAZING, so I left an inquiry and received a call back from Kate. Our initial plan was to go to Thailand, and Kate helped put together a wonderful trip. When the election riots began, however, we decided to play it safe and choose another country. Kate gave us some great advice, and we ended up putting together a package for Indonesia. She was so patient with all of the changes we made, and it turned out to be a fantastic honeymoon.
Jacada makes everything so easy, from being picked up at airports and hotels with a private driver and guide, to putting together the itinerary with everything you want to do, to notes checking at each of your stops. Everything is seamless and easy. I will say, however, even if you are adventurous like I am, there is room for that as well! Kate planned some rafting, elephant riding, and hiking for us as well. Whatever you are into, you will be able to find it stress-free with Jacada.
You can trust Jacada and Byron, met them online and did not what to expect. Every expectation was exceded.
The customized safari tour of southern Africa arranged by Jacada was fabulous. All the places were top notch, service was great, food was excellent. I would highly recommend Jacada for arranging a private safari tour.
Our trip designed by Tess at Jacada Travel could not have been better. She took care of every detail and we were treated like royalty. She booked us into lodges that were gems and they had all the amenities that first class travelers should have. Tess was a dream to work with, listening to all our concerns and wishes. She was easy to contact and responded in a timely manner after hours. This trip turned out to be much more than we imagined it would be. We highly recommend Jacada Travel and be sure to ask for Tessa Van der Walt for your African trip.
Tess did the most amazing job organizing our trip to match out wants. South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, johanesburg and Mozambique with never a hitch. Never a single late driver, perfect transfers through many countries, and a trip tailored to our desires with the right amount of direction. Would use again in a heartbeat!
Byron at Jacada did an amazing job organizing and planning our trip to South Africa. Everything ran smoothly and we were able to do things only locals know about. My husband and I were able to focus on our adventures (safari and shark cage diving) instead of worrying about the details. I highly recommend this service.
We already had a safari in South Africa we bid on at an auction. So I was researching other options to add on to the trip. I contacted Jacada travel online and Sam immediately reached out to me. She was so friendly and helpful in helping us put together our itinerary. Within just a few days we had everything put together for an amazing trip. She recommended the most amazing places to stay and the best tours. When we arrived everything was taken care of including our transportation. It was such a relief not having to worry about the details. The trip was absolutely amazing and everything went according to plan. A truly memorable trip that we are still talking about months later. I cannot recommend Jacada travel and Sam enough. Thanks for the trip of a lifetime!
I would recommend Byron at Jacada Travel to anyone – he designed a trip for my daughter and I that was absolutely perfect! We were taken great care of and the hotel and Game lodge that were chosen for us were gorgeous! The day long cape tour was unforgettable and our driver was very knowledgable! So glad we included several days of Safari per Byron’s suggestion – an incredible experience that we will never forget along with gourmet food at every meal! The Londolozi Varty camp was breathtaking and luxurious at the same time, and the staff was everything we could have asked for – not a thing we would change, except to stay longer!! Jacada took great care of us!!!
This is the second time that we have used Jacada Travel, and we could not be more pleased with the professionalism and attention that we have received. Both trips to South America were well planned and came off without a hitch. Even when there was a miner strike in Peru, the agency took care of us beautifully.
Thank you, Jacada.
Tess listened to what we were looking for and followed through in every way. No detail was left unattended, and we loved every one of the properties she selected. Can’t recommend her heartily enough! We can hardly wait to get her help planning our next big trip.
We choose Jacada based on the easy to use and informative website. We had a very good experience planning our African honeymoon with Jacada. They provided us a dedicated agent and really listened to our opinions to personalize every detail of our trip. We had many locations and flight transfers in our trip. Each transfer was seamless, we were met with personal greeters and friendly guides at every stop. I loved the attention to detail from the travel package to champagne waiting for us at every hotel. I also think we got the best rooms because of booking through Jacada. I would recommend Jacada and Tess to anyone and will continue to use them over and over again. We already booked our next trip through Jacada to Ecuador!
We found Jacada travel through the internet, not a usual means for us to make complicated and highly particularized travel arrangements in a country unknown to us. We found them extremely thorough, detailed, and perfectly reliable. In every instance our guides, drivers, pilots, boat captains, etc etc showed up precisely on time and carried out every arrangement impeccably.
When I had some questions about an arrangement, on a Sunday after hours, I sent an email and received an immediate reply, followed by a telephone call from a local agent who obtained and forwarded the requested information. Turns out, I had already received this information and was unaware of it.
My only cavil – on one private flight with light aircraft, we had only a pilot, and no co-pilot. Since we were being fetched from a remote location, it wasn’t possible to remedy this on the spot. Other than that, absolutely no issues. I would definitely use them again without hesitation, would be clearer about the co-pilot issue.
George worked with us to prepare and execute a fantastic trip to Peru where we saw fantastic sights.
The trip was very well organised and went faultlessly. The hotels were excellent and the food was excellent throughout.
The itinerary was well thought out and took account of the altitude in such a way that we did not suffer from it at all.
The guides were very good and made the sites and museums come alive in a brilliant way.
All done in a very cost effective way compared to the opposition.
We had a wonderful trip to South Africa and Zambia. No detail was left out and we saw everything we were looking for. The staff at Jacada were always available before and during our trip to ensure everything went as planned. All accommodation’s were first class.
We had an awesome holiday and packed a lot into 20 days with moves by plane, rail or coach every 3 days. Everything was organised for us everywhere with minimal delays throughout. The Hotels were excellent and to the standard we expected. All the guided tours were brilliant, very informative and a must in certain areas especially Lima where we visited sites that would not have been obvious to the average tourist. We visited Lima, Puerto Maldonado , Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu , Hirham Bingham (superb) , Cusco , Andean explorer, Lake Titikaka, Colca Lodge Colca Canyon , Arequipa and finally Lima. A really memorable trip.
My wife and I are probably not easy to plan a trip for. We want both the excitement and educational experience of wandering into a new country and culture, while also getting a nice vacation with great food and relaxing, beautiful hotels. If we are going to spend the money to travel abroad, we want to feel like every dollar contributed to a great trip. Add to that the weight of creating a successful Honeymoon, and I have no doubt there was a lot of pressure on our planner.
We found Jacada online and they passed the eye test (good looking site, solid reviews, experts in the region we wanted to travel) so we contacted them online. Emily, our Travel Designer got back to us right away and encouraged a phone call. On the phone, she was incredibly helpful, explaining where we should spend our time and making sure we understood important details around each potential stop. As an example, she asked where we were from and when finding out we had lived in Miami for some time, she made sure we understood that the beaches in northern Peru were very different than the ones in Miami. One of the worst things that can happen on a big trip is a drastic departure from your expectations, so I really appreciated the care and time to make sure we knew exactly what we were getting. We happily booked a few days later.
The trip itself was amazing. The attention to detail from Emily and Jacada was fantastic. They sent lots of materials beforehand that were really beautiful and helpful. I would explain, but it was nice surprise so I don’t want to ruin it. During the trip we were cared for flawlessly throughout, with drivers and guides wherever needed, and plenty of advice for great things to do on our free days in each city. The guides for our day trips were personable, knowledgeable, and most importantly, fun. All the personal touches like notes at hotels were appreciated, as were the Honeymoon related surprises.
I would recommend Jacada & Emily to anyone looking to book a fantastic travel experience.
-Taylor
We are so glad we went to Argentina, and equally pleased that Jacada was our guide.
Positives: The right amount of time on our own and with the guide, just my husband and myself instead of a group of strangers traveling with us,fabulous food, small boutique hotels, local guides, and best of all: very customized to our wishes and interests.
Negatives: none
My family and I have travelled with Jacada Travel twice now to South America – Peru and Ecuador/Galapagos. Both trips have been at the top of our bucket list for years, and Ciara at Jacada made sure that the trip met every one of our high expectations! Ciara and the team at Jacada helped tailor the accommodations and tours to our style, taste and budget, including a luxury camping trip along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru, and a wonderful cruise with my 10-year old daughter in Galapagos.
Jacada ensures every detail is taken care of, arranges all your transfers and tours, truly allowing you to have a car free vacation. Everything is first class and better than you expected. Jacada and their local guides also helped arrange a flight back from Peru when my grandmother fell ill while we were away.
We are working on a trip to South East Asia with Jacada next!
I dragged my husband on a vacation he didn’t want to take even though he was the one to arrange it through Ciara in Jacarda Travel. He eventually had to admit that he loved the trip as much as I did. He has always been a keen photographer and the Galapagos’ are a photographers dream. I was happy to be his equipment carrying assistant. We had the benefit of meticulous planning by Ciara. We relied heavily on her recommendations and they all turned out perfectly. She was cheerful, efficient and good humoured as well as extremely knowledgable about her specialist area. I think she thought we might end up lost as she kept in touch frequently until we were safely on board the Grand Odyssy and then again afterwards until safely on the plane home. I suppose any complaint would be that we could have stayed longer. The smaller boat, the Grand Odyssy suited us much better than a large ship. The accommodation was surprisingly spacious and comfortable. The captain and crew did their best to make us feel at home and we did. Our Naturalist guide, Jamie ruled our days like a military commander. He was determined we should made the most of our visit but in a gentle and patient way. He gave us enough information without making it seem like a school outing. Our fellow passengers turned out to be an enjoyable crowd and we all got on well together as we shared and laughed about ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ landings!
Altogether a five star experience and we would not hesitate to travel with them again. I can highly recommend Jacarda Travel. We met other people on our trip who had arranged their vacation with Jacarda and they were as impressed as we were.
If I could, I would give Jacada six stars. I have traveled extensively over the last fifty-five years everywhere in the world except Sub-Saharan Africa which was an unknown region to me. I decided to rely on a travel firm to arrange this trip due to my ignorance. Having looked at several travel organizations, I decided on Jacada due to the positive information available and the outstanding way in which they handled my initial inquiry.
I was not wrong. The entire process of finalizing the trip was a pleasure and I was treated both courteously and efficiently. I more or less went along with their recommendations and have to say that the trip was one of the most pleasant of my life. Everything was perfect, both from a logistic standpoint and cultural one. All of the guest houses, lodges, and hotels were wonderful as were the sightseeing which was arranged for us. Before leaving, I wondered how it would be possible for so many arrangements to work as planned but they did! I was amazed that there was not even the slightest glitch.
The places we visited on our sightseeing were exactly what we wanted to see and do. The travels around Cape Town took us to places which are stunning and unique. A gourmet tour of Cape Town was special including visits to local eating places.. Our stays in the game reserves near Kruger Park were a grand success in all senses. We saw all of the different animals, the accommodations were stellar, as was the food, and the attention both from the guides and the house staff incomparable.
I cannot recommend any firm more highly and without question will use their services on my next trip to Africa. They know the area and what their clients like to see and do. I congratulate them on running such a good organization.
From the very beginning to the end of the trip, Bryon was superb. He listened to our interests and guided us in selecting the best itinerary and lodgings for us. Every detail in country was handled perfectly. We were met by knowledgeable in country airport guides and drivers. The hotels were marvelous and we usually were given free upgrades. The private guides were knowledgeable and took us to all of the places that we hoped to see. Worth every penny of the cost.
Emily Opie who was our travel consultant did an outstanding job. Lima, Sacred Valley, Cusco and of course Machu Picchu were outstanding experienced. The guides, the food, the accommodations were all wonderful.
When we contacted Jacada we knew we wanted to go to southern Africa and had a vague idea of what we were looking for (safari, young animals, nice accomodations, etc.) But other than that we were clueless. Tessa Van Der Walt from Jacada listened to us, took into account our budget and time allowance and designed the PERFECT trip from start to finish. It far exceeded our expectations and was the trip of a lifetime. We saw and experienced much more than we thought possible; not only the big five, but youngsters of every species. The people we met along the way were incredible and the accomodations, food and service were fantastic!
My husband and I took a trip to Chile with Jacada Travel. We visited Santiago, Patagonia and the wine country. George, our agent with Jacada, helped to plan a perfect trip! Our accommodations were incredible, all of the transfers arranged by Jacada were perfect without any glitches, and everyone involved very friendly, helpful and professional. I would absolutely recommend traveling with Jacada to anyone. It was an amazing vacation, exactly what my husband and I were expecting.
We are big travelers, and have only worked with one other company in planning our travel. Jacada went above and beyond, and George was a pleasure to work with. We always had reliable transportation waiting for us, helpful guides, and best of all discovered towns and restaurants that we would not have stumbled across. Would recommend them to anyone traveling in uncharted territory that wants quality service, accommodations, and advice. Thanks for a great trip!
We have just completed a two week adventure to Tanzania and Zambia with a day trip into Chobe National Park in Botswana. Planning for a trip to Africa is not like planning a trip to other North American destinations. It requires a lot of research and is very different from we are used to arranging. Accommodations vary from hostels to luxury. With what we wanted in mind we contacted several companies and the one we chose was Jacada Travel based in London, England. Jacada planned an amazing safari for just the two of us. Everything was totally planned and that is what we wanted. Questions were answered quickly and the trip was exactly what Jacada set out for us. We couldn’t have been happier. Way to go Jacada!
George Warren at Jacada was easy to work with as well very informative and knowledgeable. He was responsive to emails and willing to answer any and all questions we had. His itinerary was excellent and priced well. George stayed in touch with us during our trip and when we wanted to make a change to our plans for the last day it was done without any extra charges and we had a great day!
We look forward to working with George and Jacada in the future.
Wonderful service
Externally Efficient
Attentive to clients needs
Detail oriented
I used Jacada to book my honeymoon and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. Our agent was Samantha Kelly and despite the incessant questions, she was always incredibly patient and attentive to all our requests. All of the accommodations and events that she recommended were stunning and perfectly suited for our tastes. The beach hotel in Cape Town, celebrity chef lunch, safari lodge near Kruger, and the resort in Livingstone all were organized exceptionally well and was a perfect ending to a perfect wedding.
I sincerely thank Sam for all her hard work however I blame her now for being depressed back at work and no longer treated like a king. Thank you Sam and the rest of the Jacada team!!!!
Matt and Meg
Overall the trip was a huge success. As we noted the planned transportation was greatly needed, as the roads are treacherous and we were able to enjoy ourselves while relaxing in the vans. The hotels were top notch and had all the ammenities we needed. The only comment I would have about dining options, we were hoping for more local restaurants to try. All the hotel and tour staff were friendly, informative and talkative.
All the planned activities were enjoyable and fun – the rafting, ziplining, golfing, hiking were exceptional. The only tour that was a disappointment was the Kayaking. It was boring and the guide was not able to spot any wildlife. The beer was cold though. Overall we would recommend this trip to friends. It was nice to be with our friends and have many memories to share.
The only unfortunate event was I lost my camera on the day of the hike/spa visit. We contacted the local travel agency but they were not very responsive nor helpful. Needless to say losing my camera with all my photos put a bit of a damper on the rest of our stay. They did not say they would follow up. We told them exactly where it could be. A bit more urgency would have been warranted and appreciated.
Before taking this very expensive and unique trip, I contacted many agencies including the well known A and K.
NO ONE paid attention to my concerns, requests and concerns like Byron Thomas from Jacada travel. It was really a collaboration that with his knowledge and my desires led to the most amazing trip ever!!
Cannot wait to do it again. Here’s to you Byron. Cheers and thank you!
I’ve actually made the following review below and already made recommendations to my friend. Can’t beat Jacada, especially in Africa.
My good friend, Byron, was a big help in arranging this wonderful trip. Since the destination doesn’t have to be limited to South Africa, take a look at the website for a full range of choices and price. The trip is fully customized to your needs and taste (not to forget flexible price range), so feel free to browse and ask Byron for any questions.
I initially tried to book the African honeymoon through a travel agent in Korea which I personnally know (someone quite famous for arranging trips with Samsung partners and so on). But honestly speaking, professionally, I have no doubt Jacada Travel was a better choice. Personally as well, Byron’s a good sport. You won’t regret choosing Jacada and especially, Africa.
With many thanks to Byron who organised a pretty fantastic last minute week in Cape Town. All went very very smoothly although we organised our own flights and a two night stay at a guest house the connections between the whole week was the best. He worked very hard from the start to find us accommodation in what was a very busy time in the city. We were even met airside by their ground staff. The Cape Grace hotel organised by him was fantastic and only wish we could have stayed longer. We think we must have had the best room.
A very special thank you to him.
