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.
I have had the opportunity to work with George Warren of Jacada to plan two trips – last year to Argentina and Uruguay and this year to Costa Rica. I have also used Jacada’s ground services in South Africa. I have found that Jacada executes flawless vacations to some of the best locations in the world. They pay special attention to the specific details and interests of the client and then create an itinerary that meets those expectations. It is done so seemingly effortlessly that it is often only after the trip is concluded that you realize how exceptionally it was choreographed. You get the best rooms in the best locations. In every trip the logistics were as described and drivers and transfers were on time. George is especially attentive and interested in making the experience as wonderful as possible. He travels to the destinations and accommodations he recommends so you know you will be treated well.
I would recommend Jacada without reservation.
Anna and Jen really helped us structure our vacation (where to go, where to stay and what to do). We loved the places they recommended to us. Once we were on the ground in Costa Rica, everything was taken care of — it was a completely stress free vacation.
George Warren (Jacada) tailor made a vacation to Chile/Easter Island for my group of friends. Because he has visited Chile many times, he was able to suggest the best places to visit and offered great hotel accommodations. He prepared us for the 4 seasons of climate one might experience in Patagonia, which we did. A representative was there every step of the way (7 flights). Overall we had a great experience.
We use Jacada to arrange our trip to South Africa last year. Their service was excellent. They started taking care of us since we got out from the aeroplane, through the immigration, and luggage collection. The hotels that they chose for us has an excellent service. Overall we were very satisfied with Jacada and will absulately recommend them to friends.
This was a great experience working with Jacada. They really customized our Brazil experience to what we needed!
Two places in the world you have to go too, Peru & the Galapagos. and make it easy on yourself and book with Jacada!
The organisation was without fault despite lots of toing and froing as they tailored the holiday to us, the hotels they recommended where all excellent both in quality & location.
All the excursion where perfect.
Can’t recommend the destinations or Jacada strongly enough!
Celebrating fifty years of marriage was a joyous experience in Argentina. The planning with Jacada was easy and first class all the way, Showing up was our only responsibility and everything else was done or waiting for us. Having our personal agent who was totally familiar with Argentina made the custom planning for our wants, a cinch. Food, guides, estancias, and side excursions were superb
quality. Personally, Patagonia stole my heart along with the wonderful horseback riding at all of the establishments. The staff and the gauchos only added to our comforts. We will most definitely go through Jacada again.
Jacada helped our family plan a trip of a lifetime. The value of working with an agency with local contacts was clear when we faced travel delays. Jacada’s people were on the ground in Santiago, greeted us as we deplaned and ran us through customs and to our next connecting flight. We literally would not have made it without them. Tierra Patagonia, Ciara’ recommendation for Patagonia, was truly outstanding. Use them!
We have been to many places all over the globe and this trip is by far our most memorable. From the very beginning Samantha (Sam) Kelly made the whole process enjoyable. She mapped out a great itinerary that was incredible. The lodging, food, guides and field trips exceeded our expectations. We would recommend using Jacada Travel to anyone that wants to visit Africa. Make sure you ask for Sam.
I found Jacada on the internet and they provided us a tour with everything we wanted.
They responded quickly and professionally. We had excellent guides and felt very comfortable traveling in Peru. All our accommodation were superior which was great after hiking the Inca Trail.
We were extremely pleased our entire trip!
Sam at Jacada organised a week’s stay at the wonderful Waterberry Lodge, Livingstone, Zambia for us. We received excellent personal service & whilst Sam was ever attentive, we did not feel that we were being intruded upon. I have no hesitation in recommending Jacada as well as Waterberry Lodge.
Our first family trip to Zambia and South Africa, planned by Byron, was so amazing that we recently booked another family trip to Ecuador/Galapagos. We know it’s going to be memorable! The whole team offered us great customer service, and we would recommend to everyone! I am so excited that Jacada has now expanded to Asia!
Using Jacada Travel was the best thing we did otherwise I am quite sure that our special 30th anniversary trip to South Africa would not have been as magical as it was. We were looked after from the moment my husband called them and nothing was too much trouble for them. Adjusting itinerary to suit what we wanted and being able to flex things to get it just right and within our budget was brilliant. The preparation before the trip, attention to every little detail, the amazing itinerary and the information that was sent to us prior to departure was just excellent. We were looked after like Royalty from the moment we stepped off the plane at our destination until we boarded again to go home. All transfers, trips etc. were done by professional staff and we were never kept waiting. The quality of the hotels, rooms and little ‘extra’s were all something else and I cannot wait to travel with them again! It really is the only way to do it!
I’ve wanted to travel to Africa since I was a girl and was finally able to make this dream come true with my husband in May 2013. We had an absolutely AMAZING time. I cried when we left Exeter River. It was seriously the best holiday either of us have ever had. Everything significantly exceeded our expectations – we had talked about it being a ‘once in a lifetime trip’ prior to leaving but after being there, we will definitely be returning! We loved Cape Town and the Winelands…and weren’t sure we were going to be able to top that part of the trip… but the lodges and game drives were unbelievable – so relaxing and the people AND food were amazing; they really made us feel like part of the family. I took so many pictures…sometimes I had to remind myself to look at the animals with just my eyes instead of through the camera lense! We loved that Exeter River was an &Beyond camp as well (we didn’t realize that until the day we were leaving Ngala) – it’s just a great company and we knew that the quality would be consistent.
We lucked out and had zero flight delays/airport issues which is highly unusual for me and Gary!! All of the vehicle transfers were on time and the tours were excellent! We loved the wine tour day as it allowed us to sample some great wines/cheese/chocolate but also to see a lot of the country side. We went to Fairview (wine/cheese), Lanzerac (wine/chocolate), and Delaire Graff Estate – gorgeous!
Tessa Van Der Walt was our Travel Designer and we were very happy with the itinerary that she put together for us and more than pleased with the service we received from her (and her team)! We will definitely book through her again in the future! I highly recommend Jacada!
This is the first time I ever used Jacada Travel and I am spoiled for life. The vacation was perfect. The hotels, driver and tour guides were exceptional.
I would refer Jacada(Byron to be exact) to the closest of friends and family for all travel to South Africa. Jacada and Byron, our representative, went above and beyond to assure that all of our needs were met and that this trip was fully executed to our standards. We had no regrets, hiccups or reasons to think otherwise. My wife and I can’t wait to book our next excursion through Jacada!
From the first phone call Jacada Travel was so professional, knowledgable, and helpful in the planning of our honeymoon trip. Jacada went well above and beyond what businesses do these days for their clients. We received a perfect itinerary so that we knew exactly what we needed to know for making such a trip. Their suggestions were “spot on” as for places to stay. Each new destination was as fabulous as they’d promised and every detail was always there. I can’t thank them enough for such a beautiful trip and I look forward to working with them in the future. Thank you with all my heart Jacada. The white roses in the rooms did not go unnoticed either. You are absolutely top notch and first class.
I had a fantastic experience with Jacada Travel. My father and I worked with Byron at Jacada to plan a safari in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. From the initial planning stages through the end of our trip, Jacada provided thoughtful, high-level service. It was one of the best trips we have taken and we will definitely return to Jacada for the next trip!
We booked a trip to Machu Picchu and Galapogos last year through Jacada Travel after finding them on the internet. The whole trip was arranged via email. The staff dealing with our trip was very helpful and emails were replied very quickly. The itinerary was tailor-made for our requirements and adjusted as we required. They are classed as a luxury tour operator, so we expected higher end hotels and we were not disappointed. They organised all the transfers and tours and guides for the trip. The guides provided were also very knowledgeable with excellent English. There were niggles such as splitting our the group/couples up in some of the internal flights, but otherwise everything was well-organised. You can probably do the whole trip on your own for much less, but if you want a stress-free holiday in nice hotels, then use Jacada. Would highly recommend them for trips to South America.
Our 10-week trip to Argentina, Chile, Easter Island, Bolivia and Brazil was amazingly executed down to the smallest detail, which was no small feat. Everything was pretty much perfect – the recommended hotels and excursions amazing and perfect for the family.
A lovely touch was the personalised message, from George, in each new hotel welcoming us to the hotel and the new area. No complaints!
I could sense that the Travel Designer (Jennifer) is somehow tracking our every move and always communicating with the people on the ground that on the needs to have her clients be looked after well. Our journey was tight with many early flights to catch (new year’s day at 4 am). Assistance to ensure breakfast is available at check out desk at early hours; guide in attendace to ensure assistance on check in in crowded and non english speaking airline ground staff is taken care off are some of the small things that makes the difference in our travel experience. Of course getting the best rooms at the best hotel/resort repeatedly is another crown to Jacada! I think it is not only about money that you paid but the extra effort that you could feel that makes the difference. In my view in areas where they have control, they have done exceptionally well. Highly recomended and thanks to Jennifer!
This trip was vey well organized, not a glitch, everything went as planned and we had a wonderful time. Great trip!
Jacada planned a wonderful two week trip for us. Everything was set to perfection. Hotels, travel, tours, and everything else set up through Jacada was amazing. You definitely get the service and trip you pay for. We would and will use them again for another trip.
Wonderful trip to Galapagos and Quito. I would have liked to have spent more time in Otavalo but had no clue about its charms. The tour guide in Quito did not make much effort in friendliness. Was she not compensated enough? Perhaps Westerners are all similarly treated with some disdain which is entirely understandable. Jacada was always in contact with me during the planning and all expectations were met. I would definitely use Jacada again for my next extraordinary vacation.
Jacada travel organized a vacation for me that was perfect from beginning to end. I was asked what my desires were, what I most wanted to do and see in South Africa and then my rep, Bryan, made suggestions of his own. The result was a trip of a lifetime, mingling deeply moving experiences delving into the difficult history of this country with the amazingly vibrant city life of Cape Town and the eternal wonders of safari in two different safari camps. I had all the security of an organized tour with the personalization and solitude of my own private experience. I have special needs due to a mobility handicap and this was handled in a way that made me feel completely able and unhindered. I would never have thought that I could enjoy a vacation like this, but Jacada made it possible.
