Testimonials

Excellent 4.9 out of 5

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16th Nov 2014
Verified order
Our Honeymoon experience

We had a wonderful Honeymoon experience working with George and his team. It was our first time working with a travel agent and it was well worth it! We decided to go to Argentina and every stop along the way was special… Chauffeur to and from airports, well informed Tour Guide in each city and restaurants and must see suggestions along the way. Our flight to Argentina was delayed so we lost one day in Buenos Aires but the travel team made changes to our itinerary overnight to accommodate us when we arrived. Thank you!

David
16th Nov 2014
Verified order
The best vacation we have ever had!

Everything was planed and executed perfectly by Jacada. Our accommodations, guides and drivers were first class! We were particularly impressed by the on-time arrival of all personnel at the airports so that we were never concerned about being stranded in a foreign country. We most certainly will use Jacada Travel again for future international travels.

Susan
02nd Nov 2014
Verified order
Wonderful trip to Peru with Jacada!

We traveled to Peru with Jacada in September/October 2014. We chose Jacada because of their flexibility and responsiveness. Our trip encompassed three nights in Sacred Valley, one night in Machu Picchu, three nights in Cusco, three nights at Lake Titicaca outside of Puno, and two nights in Lima.

Each hotel (Rio Sagrado, Inkaterra, Monasterio, Titilaka, Miraflores Park) was beautiful, rooms were comfortable and well-appointed, and each room offered a beautiful view. Our guides were well-informed, courteous, and professional, and the drivers were excellent. We were met at each location and were escorted to airport or train station after our visit there. The sights we experienced in each location exceeded our expectations. Peru is a beautiful country with a rich archeological and cultural heritage which we were so pleased to experience. Everywhere, the people we met were friendly and helpful.

The restaurants in our hotels, those which were part of our package, and those which we chose on our own served tasty, high quality, local food uncontaminated by outside influence. Peru does not receive enough credit for its cuisine

What a wonderful trip! Our thanks to George Warren at Jacada, to our guides and drivers, and to all the people who made our journey so pleasant and memorable. We would certainly consider traveling with Jacada in the future.

L.
30th Oct 2014
Verified order
Excellent Luxury Travel Service!

My wife & I used Jacada to help us plan an incredible trip to South Africa as a celebration of our 10th wedding anniversary. We worked with Sam who diligently worked to meet all our needs and answer every single one of our questions. I couldn’t believe how smooth everything went when we arrived and throughout our trip. Additionally, we were pleasantly surprised with several surprise little touches added to each venue. I’d highly recommend Jacada to anyone, and I will likely use their services for future travel.

Adam
28th Oct 2014
Verified order
Jacada Honeymoon

We had never been to South America, so we entrusted Jacada to plan the most luxurious 12 days for us in Argentina for our honeymoon. From the moment we landed in Buenos Aires, we were greeted by our private guide and driven by our private driver to our hotel. Each hotel we stayed in was amazing. Every time we arrived at a new location, we were greeted with gifts and champagne/wine.The staff at each hotel were very attentive and professional. We were able to visit three areas of Argentina on our trip and the travel guides made it very enjoyable easy for us. We were completely spoiled on our honeymoon and George Warren could not have designed a better trip for us.
I highly recommend using Jacada for your individually tailored vacation. We can’t wait to use them again.

Peter
28th Oct 2014
Verified order
Amazing Chile

Wonderful trip to Chile. Jacada made us feel well cared for and allowed us to fully enjoy the trip without stress. Pretty amazing.

R
28th Oct 2014
Verified order
Jacada put together a truly memorable vacation for my wife and I to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.

We started our trip in Rio. It didn’t live up to expectations. The hotel in St Therese was hard to get to especially as the tram tracks were dug up and roads closed. Our guide led us to the obvious places which is, in retrospect, a waste of resources. They are easy to get to and we should have spent time with Jacques seeing less obvious sights. Actually I was a bit under the weather and couldn’t really celebrate my 60th as planned. To add a black mark on Rio my wife’s debit card was cloned!
Leaving Rio behind we headed north to Iguazu. A wonderful 2 days spent at one of the best hotels we have found. Our tour guide (Horst) was not up to the Jacada standard but that was not too much of a worry as the venue speaks for itself. Strangely I couldn’t find any information about the geology.
We flew via Salta to Mendoza and this was the highlight of our stay. Jacada chose a wonderful winery to stay on (Club tapiz0 and our guide (eduardo) could not have been bettered. Suitably wined and dined we headed off to the lake district – Barriloche. Our orientation tour was stupendous – what vistas!! Our guide took us on a “sample” walk – a shame really because we should have gone further while the sun shone. But as if to prove that you can’t have everything the next day nature threw a late snow storm at us. We stayed in at a very well appointed lakeside hotel (El Casco art hotel) but the staff seamed to think they were Swiss/German.: abrupt and unhelpful. The choice of a venue to celebrate our 25th was excellent – a hideaway gormet restaurant up in the hills. As we left Barriloche the sun came back so we left the lake district with good memories. Next stop was the glacier national park. It may be useful if Jacada can make contact with the outfitters who hire out clothes for the glacier trip. we really did traipse around Argentuna with all the snow gear just for four essential hours. Las saucis was another inspired choice of hotel. Jacada didnm’t pre-book the glacier tour which I find strange. Actually the guide provided (laura) was very pleasant but didn’t have a lot to do as we joined the ice trek. Watching and appreciating glaciers and imagining how they shape our landscape was a really worthwhile thing to do. Having had so much fresh air we flew up to the sprawling city of Buenos Aries. French architecture and British engineering to quote our guide (Dario). Perhaps Jacada should have thought of an evening at the Opera/ Alos we hadn’t yet played golf (a nine hole garden in Mendoza and 8 holes in the snow at barriloche dion’t count) and decided that we should get a game in. The local travel company were absolutely hopeless in this regard.
One reson to play was to spend all the pesoes that we’d changed. Jacada ought to have advised us that not only to the local love USD but they give you almost twice (!!) the official exchange rate.
we ended the trip in fine style with a very intimate Tango show.

What agreat trip!

John
27th Oct 2014
Verified order
Fantastic

Jacada Travel did an outstanding job in helping us plan our trip to South Africa. Every aspect of the trip — the in-country travel, the lodgings, the tours, and the restaurant choices — were terrific. I will recommend (and I have recommended) Jacada Travel to anyone thinking of travelling to South Africa (or anywhere else Jacada Travel organizes trips). Samantha Kelly was particularly helpful and always very responsive. I wish all businesses were run as well as Jacada Travel.

Paul
25th Oct 2014
Verified order
We were given first class care from the very beginning to the end of our trip by Jacada

Sam(Samantha Kelley), Sam, Sam is a name I announce with joy. I called Jacada Travel and Sam was my first contact. I told her what I was interested in traveling to South Africa for our 50th wedding anniversary. I told Sam that my wife wanted luxury and first class treatment; Sam delivered. We stayed at the Ellerman House, La Residence, Dulini Lodge, and Royal Chundu. All four places knew about our anniversary and suites and champagne were waiting for us. The food was to die for along with the service at each stay. Kathy was so pleased, she wrote a favorable review concerning the Dulini Lodge to the Trip Advisor site. Finally, Jacada was there when Air France cancelled our flight back to Boston. An airport agent made new arrangements and we flew back without a problem. Now, that is what I call a first class operation. Thank you Jacada.

Leonel
23rd Oct 2014
Verified order
Jacada is “no ka ‘oi”

In Hawaiian “no ka ‘oi” simply means “the best”. My wife and I have always done everything on our own when traveling so going through a travel agent was a first for us and “luxury travel” was also a first. The best I can say for Jacada in general and George Warren in particular is that — every single thing they said they would do they did. It was also done when they said it would be done. There were a few surprises though, like the tango show where when we got there we were seated, literally, front row center.
Also the restaurant where we were seated right next to the kitchen (an honor) where we could watch what was going on and converse with the chefs. Every hotel they booked for us treated us as if we were the most important people they had on the property.

Jacada is truly “no ka ‘oi”.

Debbie
16th Oct 2014
Verified order
SuperbTrip!

everything about the planning and execution of our trip organized by Jacada
travel was truly superb! Six of us went and all are of the same opinion that it was wonderful. we highly recommend them for travel plans.

Beyer
16th Oct 2014
Verified order
1st class service in luxury

As long as price is not a restriction Jacada can be relied on to put together a superb tailor made holiday to fit your requirements. Like all travel companies they have their favourite destinations, hotels etc to persuade you to go to but at least in their case your are assured luxury, good service and well organised trips. Their level of detailed planning is top notch

Brooks
15th Oct 2014
Verified order
JONNY MAKES IT EASY-PEEZY!

Jonny at Jacardi Travel made my first trip to Africa easy. I traveled to Uganda, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe and every detail of the journey was handled with care by Jonny. I never had any question regarding air or ground transportation or lodging and all of the camps were first rate. I’d recommend this trip to anyone interested in experiencing Africa for the first time.

Leatherwood
15th Oct 2014
Verified order
Ciara did a brilliant job in putting our trip together and we had a really great holiday.

Putting us in the Belmond Rio Sagarado in the Sacred Valley of Urubamba for the first 3 nights instead of Cusco was an excellent move as it is at lower altitude then Cusco. The experience of the valley, hotel, people and the guides were very good indeed. Even though it thundered, lighting and hail stoned on our first day at Machu Picchu our guide did his job with a smile on his face and good humour. What a site to behold by the Inca. Lima was good too for 2 nights and we had a very good guide there too. Lake Titikaka and the hotel Titilaka was very good and going to the island Tikila and the reed islands and the local weavers was good. Our room had both dawn & dusk views and the sunsets were brilliant. Enjoyed Cusco too and the history of the Temple of the Sun and the Sacsayhuaman complex was very interesting. Going onto stay at Das Cataratas on the Brazilian side was a very good choice made by Ciara as it was excellent and we don’t think we would have enjoyed the only other hotel in the park on the Argenginean side having seen it when we got there. The view of Iguassu Falls from the hotel room and the sound of the water and the grounds were great as was the Falls. We really enjoyed Buenos Aires where we had a trip to the Tango at the best hotel in BA, the city tour including La Boca with the cemetary and history by our guide Dario was most enjoyable and we enjoyed a trip to a Guacho farm where we had horse riding with them, lunch, music and how they train their horses. Exceptional and once in a lifetime trip that was great. THANKS CIARA

Patel
14th Oct 2014
Verified order
Vacation of a lifetime!

George at Jacada arranged the vacation of a lifetime through all of Peru – Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, the Nazca Lines, the Amazon basin!
Every hotel was impeccable. We ate the choicest meals. All arrangements were made for us, and the local guides were knowledgable and friendly. Even the cook on the Inca trail was able to cook a vegan menu for my wife, which was quite a surprising and welcome touch.
I’d recommend Jacada highly!

Ronan
13th Oct 2014
Verified order
Stress Free Travel!

Jacada handled EVERYTHING for our 12 day Peruvian adventure. From the planning to the guides to the in country assistance, everything was top notch and no detail was left unmanaged. Jen Richt planned an exceptional trip for us and our itinerary was filled with the most interesting sites, and most luxurious accommodations. Our Peruvian guides were knowledgable, amiable, proud and fun! I would recommend Jacada to anyone who wants stress free travel where every single detail is handled and you are tended to from start to finish.

Marisa
07th Oct 2014
Verified order
You made it so easy!

Our Jacada experience made this a trip of a lifetime! It was always going to be a great trip but the selections of accomodation, experiences, guides, tours etc from Jacada jetted it into the awesome category. Everything had been chosen from personal experience and you could tell – even some of the people looking after us complimented Jacada and commented on how lovely Sam was.

The Jacada experience smoothed the way through South Africa for us – never once were we waiting at an airport or lost on where to go as there was always someone there for us!

The personal touches left for us were appreciated and unexpected and the responsiveness of Sam when we had a minor hiccup (unrelated to Jacada!) was outstanding.

Highly recommend Jacada and can’t wait until we talk to you again for 2016!

Sarah
05th Oct 2014
Verified order
Inca and Amazon combo was great

Great hotels and service all the way through the trip. Peruvian food and service was excellent. The Amazon boat was luxurious and alll the staff were very knowledgable. The only complaint was that the airline connections were painfully long.

Barry
27th Sep 2014
Verified order
Thank you Jacada Travel for an amazing holiday!

My family has recently returned from a wonderful holiday in South Africa. Sam from Jacada was excellent in helping us to plan our itinerary taking into account our individual preferences, and giving recommendations which were based on personal experience. All our accommodation was of the highest standard and our tours and Safari experiences were amazing!
Everything went smoothly and all transfers were on time and very professional. We were given lots of helpful information before our holiday, our many questions were answered in full, and we felt confident that we would be making the most of our holiday in South Africa. I can highly recommend Jacada Travel to anyone looking for a special holiday!

H
27th Sep 2014
Verified order
They were the only agency to actually LISTEN to what we wanted for our travels.

Emily heard what we wanted, sent us choices, asked questions, gave advice and in four short days our plans were finalized. So nice to work with someone so professional. Everything on our trip was exactly as presented, no mistakes, mis communication, excuses. Really nice to have such a great experience. And they follow up all along the way, really a quality experience.

MacFerrin
26th Sep 2014
Verified order
Ecuador and Peru perfect from the very beginning ….

When our intention to visit the Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu became more concrete, I started to search the internet for travel agencies and stumbled across Jacada. After I sent an e-mail on a Sunday afternoon, neither did I expect to receive a first call only hours later, nor a complete first draft itinerary few days later. What followed were very professional communications with the Jacada representative, great advise and suggestions upon hotels and sight seeing options to get everything we wanted on our schedule, but even more we could imagine. Being a critical customer, after that perfect start with planning, I was very curious how the promises would be turned into delivery, which in my opinion is the only thing that counts. Now after having returned from a 3.5 weeks trip I can confirm: All promises were kept and our high expectations on a luxury travel provider were fully met! Top hotels everywhere, a great cruise through the Galapagos Islands, experienced and knowledgeable guides in Ecuador and Peru, and the feeling of being taken care 100% every day of our tour made the difference for us. Having met other many other travellers with problems with the altitude in Peru, we really appreciated the sequence Jacada put together for us (Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Cusco, Lake Titikaka), so we could enjoy every moment at these places. Personal letters and individualised additional suggestions for visits restaurants etc. at each of our stops just topped all the selections. Honestly, I was a little bit sceptical about travelling with a tour itinerary only and not the usual booklet with a number of tickets and vouchers (which in our case with all the different hotels, transfers and visits would have been rather thick), but everything was prepared optimal; we did not have to care about anything. Well, as a summery: When ever we will be travelling to places Jacada is represented, they will be our only service provider.

Vogl
26th Sep 2014
Verified order
Jacada delivers on their promise of luxury travel with personalized trips, trust them, use them you will be thrilled!

I came across Jacada while searching the web for luxury vacations in Peru. I honestly was not familiar with the company so I did a bit of research and found them to be a well rated and very reputable firm so I proceeded to work with them.

I’ve reached a point in my life (50’s) where I am willing to spend a bit more to ensure I have more upscale accommodations, personalized / private tours, and a well thought out itinerary that reflects my interests and affords me the opportunity to make changes along the way (e.g. starting the tour an hour later, spending less / more time at a place depending on my level of interest, etc.).

Jacada is just the place to arrange such a trip. From the beginning, George, our “Director of Travel Design” worked with us inquiring about our likes, dislikes (e.g. city vs. countryside, types of foods we like, activity level and interests, etc.). From there he proceeded to develop a detailed itinerary that we further fine tuned. He also provided extremely helpful guidance on the timing of flights (to avoid issues with fog, etc.) that demonstrated a high level of detailed knowledge of where we were traveling. This expertise became even more evident as our trip progressed and all the well orchestrated pieces of our trip flowed smoothly together. George had a knack for knowing when we would need a break and built that into the trip, but also ensured we were situated in hotels that could easily and cheerfully facilitate relatively spontaneous requests like “we would like to go on a horse back ride today” or please get us a taxi to the ruins of Ollantaytambo (both of which we did!).

The planned private tours on the trip were provided by absolute top notch guides. They knew their profession, country and sites and really made you feel welcome and ensured the tour was meeting your expectations. In fact one day my wife was feeling a bit off and the guide immediately said lets go the pharmacy and get her an electrolyte drink (which was what she needed!). He proceeded to go in and buy it for us as it was clear his concern was for her well being. His quick thinking and generous nature allowed us to enjoy a tour that otherwise might have been quite miserable. When we wanted to start a tour an hour later (which we did a couple of times) we simply asked, they made a quick phone call and all was set (one of the beauties of a private tour!).

The accommodations were all at a minimum excellent and a couple were truly outstanding with one being the nicest hotel room I have had in my life – and I have traveled a bit for work and pleasure and stayed at some nice places in Europe, Asia, South America and the US.

The sites we saw were all terrific and indeed reflected what we had shared our interests were. Having the private guide allowed us to tune them as we went along, for example at the Maras salt ponds we decided to walk through them and take about a 1/2 hour hike down the mountain (with our guide) to meet our driver vs. simply jumping back into the van. Had we wanted to not take the hike that was OK too.

The entire trip was nearly flawless in terms of execution and meeting expectations, though we did have two relatively minor glitches, and in many ways how these were handled speaks volumes to the quality and reputation of Jacada. The first happened when one of our in country flights was a bit early. I could not find our guide. I called the local contact provided by Jacada, who immediately picked up the phone, assured me the driver was there and asked me (while staying with me on the phone) to look again. Sure enough I quickly found our guide. The issue seemed to be that our flight was (as mentioned) early so while he was likely there he just had not gone to the greeting area early. Had the flight been on time this would likely not have been an issue, but it does demonstrate that Jacada had planned for such things and ensured I had a contact.
The second minor issue was our tour at Machu Picchu was listed as a private tour but we ended up in a small group (5 people). While I didn’t think much of it at the time, I casually mentioned this to George upon our return, he investigated, indicated it was a mistake and promptly provided us a refund for that tour, now that is integrity!

There is no doubt Jacada is a first class operation to be trusted. And while the tours they arrange are “luxury” they are not what I would call obnoxiously expensive. Sure they are a bit more than being carted around on a bus with 30 other people and staying at mass market OK hotels, but the benefit of doing it through Jacada is a tour that is yours, providing a personalized experience and the flexibility to make it meet your needs and wants as you go along.

Arrange your next holiday with Jacada – you will be glad you did!

Home
25th Sep 2014
Verified order
Perfection!

5 stars service! (I’d give them more stars if your scale allows).
Professional, knowledgeable, friendly, helpful, sincere, responsible, highly organized and responsive (note: I do have huge time zone difference, but that doesn’t seem to stop them from exceptionally swift response time), etc…there is really nothing more I can ask for.
They really care about what you want, and they sincerely want to make your trip fantastic, and they did!
I don’t know how it works, but Jacada seems to have the best local contacts, so we felt really well taken care of the whole way thru. Would recommend Jacada in a heartbeat.
Tess, you are truly awesome!!!

Elaine
23rd Sep 2014
Verified order
Works with you until you have the perfect plan

Because of a relatively short timeframe, we were having a hard time finding the perfect safari lodge and the perfect dates. Byron kept looking until we found it. He made sure that everything on the trip was well timed and that we were always taken care of at each leg. The accommodations he selected were beyond expectation. There were little surprises throughout and quite honestly it felt like being royalty.

L
22nd Sep 2014
Verified order
Fantastic company

Jacada Travel were great from day 1, very professional, always willing to help and offer their opinion to help tailor the trip to our needs. I will definitely be using their services again in the future and would recommend them to anyone.

Timothy
18th Sep 2014
Verified order
Utter Perfection

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!

MITTMAN
18th Sep 2014
Verified order
Excellent service, superb travel experience

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.

Matt
17th Sep 2014
Verified order
WAY BEYOND MY EXPECTATIONS

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.

Christopher
12th Sep 2014
Verified order
This was the finest trip I ever participated in

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.

Bruce
07th Sep 2014
Verified order
Look no further than Jacada!

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!!!

Tyler
02nd Sep 2014
Verified order
Jacada worked while we enjoyed!

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.

Bethany
01st Sep 2014
Verified order
Jacada Travel provided a First Class Experience

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!

Mulkey
31st Aug 2014
Verified order
Live Up Its Promise of Personalized Luxury Travel

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)

Leonardo
30th Aug 2014
Verified order
Our Peru Review gets the thumbs up

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.

Avi
29th Aug 2014
Verified order
Marvelous trip, flawless organization

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!

Anne-Marie
21st Aug 2014
Verified order
Superb south africa and Zambia trip

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.

Sudarshan
12th Aug 2014
Verified order
Fantastic service from beginning to end!

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.

Sarah
11th Aug 2014
Verified order
Wonderful, hassle free experience…

Everything turned out as planned and outlined by Jacada. Arrangements for airport pick ups/drop offs, hotel rooms, mini tours and guides were excellent.

Vijay
10th Aug 2014
Verified order
Everything was as promised and more!

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

Christopher
01st Aug 2014
Verified order
Jacada delivers!

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!!!

Lindsay
01st Aug 2014
Verified order
Life Changing

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!

Wheeler
28th Jul 2014
Perfect for a honeymon

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.

Flannery
18th Jul 2014
Verified order
Perfect way to honeymoon and travel!

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.

Abby
18th Jul 2014
Verified order
Helpful

You can trust Jacada and Byron, met them online and did not what to expect. Every expectation was exceded.

Remberto
14th Jul 2014
Verified order
Fabulous

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.

Jean
11th Jul 2014
Verified order
Dream Makers

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.

Karl
09th Jul 2014
Verified order
Perfect and amazing African Safari

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!

Jennifer
30th Jun 2014
Verified order
We had a great South African adventure for our honeymoon!

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.

Christina
24th Jun 2014
Verified order
Jacada and especially Sam on the South Africa team are the best.

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!

Roger
19th Jun 2014
Verified order
Jacada Travel designed the trip of a lifetime for us – absolutely wonderful!

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!!!

Mary
Ariel view of waves breaking on a forested shoreline