African Safari Travel Agents & Reviews

Zicasso matched us with two excellent travel agents who were both professional, responsive, and knowledgeable. We selected this travel company. Our agent, Richelle, worked with us to design an itinerary that transformed our wish list into an incredible African journey. Her prompt responses to our questions or needs were greatly appreciated.

We were attempting to see a lot of South Africa and Namibia in only two weeks. Throughout our trip, the accommodations, transfers, guides, restaurants, flights, and activities that Richelle had arranged or suggested were superb. She helped us create a portal for our trip that served as a source of information, pick-up times, e-tickets, and things like our allergies that restaurants knew ahead of time. Additionally, she was there for us as we were traveling in case we had a problem or question. We can't say enough about her professionalism, patience, and genuine concern that our vacation would be everything we hoped for.

Our itinerary was ambitious, but Richelle's preparation made it possible. First, we spent three days at Marataba. The accommodations, food, and staff were first-rate. Our guide on the safaris was excellent and the variety of game we saw was impressive.

The next part of our trip was in Cape Town. We arrived in a storm that the locals called "the storm of the century". There was extensive damage and some loss of life as well. While the storm certainly curtailed some activities, the following days had brilliant sunshine. We had a great time visiting the V&A Waterfront, a colony of African penguins at Boulders Beach, enjoying the gorgeous coastal scenery along Chapman's Peak Drive, and a too-short visit to the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. Our accommodations at the hotel in Sea Point were excellent for location and the professional staff.

After three days in Cape Town, our guide drove us for about an hour to the Cape Winelands. We arranged for two wine tastings in Stellenbosch. The winery was outstanding for the beautiful views and excellent wine. We also saw zebra and impala in the field just in front of the outdoor verandah. We had lunch at a boutique hotel and winery with spectacular views and delicious wine and food. Our accommodations at the hotel in Franschhoek were outstanding. The setting, service, food, and beautiful views were a highlight of our trip. Our room was large and beautifully appointed. An example of their generous hospitality was that all items in the minibar, including a bottle of wine produced at their winery, were gratis. We regretted having to leave after only one night's stay.

Our guide then returned us to the airport in Cape Town for our flight to Walvis Bay, Namibia. We were met by our driver at the airport to transfer us to the hotel in Swakopmund. The hotel was on the Atlantic Ocean and a perfect location to explore the town. The staff was top-notch. Warm, friendly, efficient, willing to help you arrange drivers, restaurant reservations, or figuring out how to work the TV remote.

After three days in Swakopmund, our excellent guide drove us to the lodge in the private Kulala Wilderness Reserve. Once again, the warm hospitality of the staff here and throughout our travels will stay with us for a long time. The lodge is a gateway to the magnificent dunes of Sossusvlei. Our guide was outstanding. He was an excellent driver over some awful roads and sand, and the depth and breadth of his knowledge were impressive. He cooked us a lovely chicken and salad lunch out in the desert. He drove us to Windhoek for our flight back to Johannesburg and our return home. 

There will be many wonderful things to remember about our journey in southern Africa, but Richelle's excellent guidance and the warmth of the African people are what will stay with us the longest.

We were a bit nervous about using a travel agent/company for the two of us rather than traveling with a tour group. We ended up working out a trip hitting six locations. The complexity and uncertainty of getting from one location to another could have been better explained to reassure us that someone would always be there to get us from one location to the next, but as it turned out, everything worked out great.

We loved our time and guest house in Victoria Falls. A couple of restaurant recommendations for lunch would have been nice. We did not realize that the guest house had a taxi driver they recommended until we were checking out, so over-communicating as much detail would have been great.

Also, in moving from Zimbabwe into Botswana, we did not realize we would have to treat our shoes for hoof and mouth. Knowing that ahead of time would have allowed us to have our shoes ready in a single bag in our luggage.

Also, flying into Zimbabwe from South Africa, we did not realize we needed $30 each in cash. I assumed a credit card would be fine. More clarity on that would have been much better.

Our first safari location was great. Our guide was excellent. The room and food were fine. It felt more like family there.

Our second safari location was also great. The food was a bit better. We did have an issue with never having hot water in our room, but that was specific to us and something they tried to resolve.

I would recommend exactly what we did, three nights in each safari location.

The rest of the trip in Cape Town, Franschhoek, and the wine region were perfect.

This was a trip of a lifetime! The details large and small were flawless, leaving us to enjoy the trip with no worries.

We started in Kenya. All accommodations were beautifully appointed and the staff were very friendly. The locations were strategic, allowing us to view different animals based on the area. Our first stop was Lewa Conservancy, where the rhinos and the grazing animals were the highlight. Then, in Maasai Mara, the migration and hippos were the draw. We also viewed the migration from a hot-air balloon, which gave a different perspective. Naboisho Conservancy is known for its cats and it did not disappoint. We saw leopards, a lion pride with 17 babies, and a cheetah hunting a gazelle.

We then traveled to Uganda to visit the gorillas and were nervous because it was considered a level 3 advisory by the US Department of State. However, once we were there, we felt very comfortable and were glad we went. Trekking with the gorillas was a highlight of our trip. We did two trips and each was very different.

The small details like the transfers, having help through the airports, and ensuring we had packed lunches when traveling from one location to another were flawless. This trip was complicated and on past trips the transfers were always the weak link. Zicasso’s travel company nailed it.

We would highly recommend this trip!

Working with Zicasso’s travel team was an amazing and incredible experience. From the beginning, when our conversations about our vacation started, our agent was patient and carefully heard what we wanted to accomplish, what level of accommodations we wanted, and what experience we wanted. He presented well thought out itineraries, listened to our suggestions, and edited accordingly. He was extremely cognizant of our budget and ensured he delivered the most value for the money spent. It was a perfectly tailored trip for our family.

Our recent two-week adventure through South Africa and Botswana, meticulously planned by Zicasso's travel partner, was nothing short of extraordinary. Our agent's deep knowledge of the area allowed us to experience the rich culture and breathtaking landscapes in a way we never could have imagined. Her expertise in selecting the best lodgings to suit our needs ensured every accommodation was comfortable, luxurious, and ideally situated. Our travel agent's strong planning and organizational skills made our journey seamless and stress-free, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the experience.

Our travel partner truly went above and beyond to cater to the diverse needs of the three couples traveling together. Her ability to manage our varying interests and preferences was impressive, ensuring everyone had a memorable and personalized experience. When a weather-related issue threatened to disrupt our plans, she swiftly and efficiently resolved the problem, showcasing her exceptional problem-solving skills. This level of service and attention to detail made it the best experience we've ever had with a travel agency. We highly recommend them to anyone seeking an unforgettable travel experience.

Overall, the organization of the trip was excellent. The guides were always punctual. The flight reservations were handled efficiently, with proactive checks for delays and timely adjustments when necessary.

However, I observed some inconsistencies in the quality of accommodations. Specifically, the camp in Tarangire did not match the standard of the other lodgings provided during the trip. Considering the cost of this trip, I was surprised by this disparity and would appreciate an explanation.

Regarding the gorilla-trekking experience, since the altitude affected me a little bit, I was concerned about the trekking, but fortunately, I felt better the next day and communicated this to the guide. Despite my recovery, I was placed in a super-easy trekking group, resulting in a trek that lasted less than 10 minutes before encountering the gorillas. While the encounter was okay (it was just a small group and I'm aware that regarding wild animals, sometimes it's a matter of luck finding them or not), the experience was diminished by the behavior of one of the two guides who accompanied us. His actions – jumping, screaming, and mimicking gorilla behavior (even eating plants) – were intended to be humorous, but came across as unprofessional. This was disappointing given the serious nature of such treks and the expectations set by the trip's premium cost. I also didn't understand the necessity of having two guides (It was explained that there would be one guide per group). I thought the whole experience would be a cherry-on-the-top thing, but unfortunately, it was not.

Finally, at the lodge in Rwanda, they wanted me to leave the room at 11am, even though the guide was going to pick me up at 1pm. I negotiated to leave the room at 11.30am, but that was earlier than the regular check-out time in most of the hotels.

Calling Zicasso and teaming with their travel agency to coordinate our African safari was an excellent decision. Our agent assisted us with choosing the optimal time of year to visit parks and accommodations that would meet our needs. Along with coordinating our connecting park bush flights and hand-picking our exclusive safari guides, her planning made this a most memorable and amazing adventure. We all delighted in the smooth flow of our journey throughout our itinerary. From the flights to the transfers and the accommodations, each was expecting us and welcoming.

We worked with Zicasso's travel partner to plan a trip around a seven-night sail in the Seychelles. After sailing, we followed the itinerary we put together with our agent to Namibia and Botswana. We had a glitch in Namibia with a scenic flight of the Skeleton Coast that did not go as planned. I made contact with our agent and over a couple of days, he forged a solution that fixed the oversight by one of his vendors.

We enjoyed the desert lodge very much. It was a first-class and beyond operation. We also really enjoyed Sossusvlei. We were not happy with our shared guided rides as we were with parents and their 11-year-old only child who ran their lives. It affected us on our tour of Sossusvlei in that we were left alone without a guide for three hours to hike Deadvlei while they unsuccessfully attempted to hike Big Daddy. The longest anyone takes to do that hike is an hour and three quarters. They only made it halfway and were gone for three hours.

We were not thrilled with the two-hour, very rugged ride from and back to the airstrip to the camp, but we did enjoy the camp very much. In hindsight, if we had known the ride would be dissatisfying, we would have likely opted for a different accommodation. This said, the private rides in the Hoanib Valley were unique and very satisfying.

We loved that as much as both of our camps in Botswana, which were in the Okavango Delta and in quite different environments. The camp was wonderful. The highlight of our trip came at our last camp in Botswana. We really enjoyed this area of the Delta in that it had a lot of water. This created a very unique guided driving experience. The safari rides were arguably the best we’ve ever done as we witnessed three warthog kills by lions. We almost witnessed a fourth, of a lechwe by a hyena.

What made this camp a cut above the rest was the food and overall culinary approach of the executive chef. He was at the top of his game. This camp also offered surprise after surprise to make us feel special – lunch in the field, a private dinner in our room, bubble bath, etc.

Our travel agent put together an incredible itinerary and trip. He too was at the top of his game!