Weeklong Safari Adventure in Botswana and Zimbabwe

This was a phenomenal experience, perhaps my best yet facilitated by Zicasso, and the fulfillment of a childhood dream.

From start to finish, our agent was a superb planner and communicator. She was easy to talk to via email and over the phone, and expertly asked all the right questions to tease out the details she needed to craft the perfect trip for me. She was equally adept at answering all of the questions I had, which helped me to make informed decisions throughout the process.

Despite booking my safari less than a year in advance (when the standard practice is usually two years out) and on a budget that was no doubt way less than what luxury travelers splurge, our agent was able to arrange the perfect combination of accommodations and tours that provided me with a luxurious, comfortable, enjoyable, and memorable experience. She was even able to amend my confirmed plans a bit late in the game after what was originally a solo trip became a trip for two when my mom, awe-struck by the awesome itinerary, implored me to let her join.

This was our first safari and first venture into southern Africa. While our agent and all our guides along the way tempered our expectations about what we'd be able to see once out in the wilderness, luck was on our side. We ended up seeing just about everything. We spotted four of the Big Five on our three days in the reserve in the Kruger Park (elephant, buffalo, leopard, rhino). The lions eluded us there, but we got more than our fill of them in the Okavango Delta. In addition to those, we had the pleasure of spotting wild dog and hyena packs with cubs in their dens, zebra, giraffe, hippos galore, crocodiles, baboons, monkeys, impalas to no end, kudu, an owl, ostriches, fish eagles, and a ton of other pretty birds. There was never a boring day. Despite our good fortune, I'm happy our agent was realistic and cautious in setting expectations.

One reason for this trip was to celebrate my mom's 75th birthday. Our agent went above and beyond in that regard, surprising us with a decorative towel arrangement in our first hotel, a bottle of wine in our first game camp, and another bottle of wine and a cake at our third hotel. That was a nice and unexpected touch, and much appreciated.

All of our accommodations were top-notch. The hotel in South Africa was in an excellent location, with modern facilities, friendly staff, and a superb kitchen. The private camp in the Kruger Park was a nice first introduction to the wilderness as it was basically a hotel in the middle of nowhere, complete with luxurious facilities and super-friendly and helpful staff. The lodge in Elandskop was wonderful and I regret that we didn't have more free time to enjoy it. The staff were very friendly, the restaurant very elegant, and the rooms very comfortable. The camp in Botswana was as close to camping as we'll ever come (glamping), but similarly offered wonderfully welcoming service, comfortable facilities, and a memorable experience. Finally, the Cape Town hotel offered a great location, friendly service, and wonderful food. Overall, the travel advisor did well with the choice of accommodations.

Similarly, our travel agent partnered with a great selection of local tour operators to ensure our every transfer and tour went smoothly and comfortably. I'd happily work with her again on future trips to the region and would highly recommend her services to all.

The trip was fantastic, far exceeding are wildest imaginations, Natalie from the travel agency was fantastic, she was able to put together a wonderful trip, kept us informed and up to date, she was a pleasure to deal with and we will be recommending her to all are friends interested in traveling to Africa. of the 3 places we stayed the lodge in Timbavati Game Reserve was the best, made the whole trip. Cape Town was fun and the tour guide was great, fun to be with and very knowledgeable. Victoria Falls was beautiful, the hotel was very nice although the food was not to are liking, IE was usual cold, not a lot of great options, breakfast buffet the hot food was cold as if it had just come out of the fridge, the put it on a hot plate but it never gets hot

We have just returned from the most amazing two-week trip to South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. Zicasso’s travel team was absolutely the best. My mother-in-law has Parkinson's and this was her bucket-list trip. Our travel agent helped me plan the perfect trip for her that included two safaris, wine country, Victoria Falls, and all the sights in Cape Town and the surrounding areas.

She was available to us throughout the trip. There was even wine and birthday treats for us at various hotels! She checked us into our smaller flights beforehand and made sure every last detail was taken care of. All of the accommodations were top-notch and our guides and transfers went smoothly. My husband and I could not have asked for anything more. Most importantly, my mother-in-law had the most wonderful experience.

I will definitely be recommending our travel team's services to anyone going to Africa. And I will use this service again in the future to plan all my trips.