Madagascar Travel Agents & Reviews

I just got back from a wonderful two-week trip to Southern Africa and want to thank Zicasso for putting me in touch with the travel agency and Shannon, who did a wonderful job of constructing my dream trip. Everything was top-notch and well-executed, and Shannon was friendly, responsive (I'm very picky and made many revisions), and a great communicator. 

When there was a wrinkle (which fortunately was very rare), she was right on top of it (in one case a lodge had booked us into their other property and tried to move us there, but Shannon showed them proof that we had booked over a year in advance and insisted we stay in the original property. They honored that).

Here is my review of specific aspects of the trip:

Cape Town. I can't say enough about the hotel, which was one of the best we'd ever stayed in. The property itself (it's a very modern and beautiful boutique hotel steps from the beach) and the customer service were wonderful. We stayed for four nights and I can't imagine a better place to stay in Cape Town. We spent one night in the wharf area before coming to the hotel and I'm so glad we opted to stay near the beach instead. Having a beautiful ocean view and being able to walk to the beach to watch the sunset every night was incredible. 

Also, the staff were over-the-top amazing; they were so flexible and accommodating (if you wanted breakfast early or after the regular serving period, they would happily oblige; if you walked in with take-out, they would plate it for you and bring it to your room. They would also pick up take-out and deliver it to you). 

There were also many special touches - free wine, free, stocked mini-bar, free hot cocoa, and popcorn that they would deliver to your room any time - we felt very cared for. One of the managers led us on a guided hike up Lion's Head mountain, which was super-fun (he not only brought tea and snacks, but is an excellent photographer and took beautiful photos of us that he shared). I highly recommend the activity to anyone who is reasonably fit (the views at the top are outstanding). We also did a peninsula tour and an all-day food and culture walking tour the next, and highly recommend our guide - she was delightful and fun.

The lodge. Wow, I had read all the five-star reviews of this lodge on a private reserve near Kruger before we left and wondered how it could ever meet such high expectations, but it exceeded them. This was more like 10-star than 5-star. The staff (much like the staff at our hotel in Cape Town) were so friendly, professional and responsive. They would do anything to make you happy. And like them, all of the warmth and special treatment felt genuine rather than fake or forced. 

The food was amazing (and plentiful - all meals, alcohol and high tea were included), but what set this lodge apart was the amazing rangers (we were lucky to have the head ranger and his tracker). I learned so much from them about animal behavior as they were incredibly knowledgeable (and extremely respectful) of the animals. As a result, we saw all of the big five multiple times (my favorites were seeing three leopards and seven lions, including both male lions sleeping after a kill and female lions slowly hunting Cape buffalo in the early evening). We met people at this lodge who had stayed at multiple other five-star lodges and all said this one was the best, which I can believe.

Victoria Falls. The lodge was the number one rated lodge in Victoria Falls and though it was very nice, it did honestly pale by comparison to our lodge near Kruger (the outdoor bathtub and pool were both dirty and not usable. I'm not sure how one would remedy this, other than to re-order the trip so one ends in Sabi Sands). 

The staff were nice and the food was wonderful, and like our other lodge, activities were included (the guided trip to Victoria Falls was very informative as was the private "sundowner" river cruise we had on our arrival night. We saw male elephants engaging in "horseplay" in the water, a trip highlight. However, the game drive (no tracker and a much smaller park) paled in comparison to those we did in Sabi Sands). 

The optional (extra charge) elephant interaction at their sanctuary was really amazing and we highly recommend it to anyone staying in Victoria Falls. The falls were about a third dry because we went after the winter dry season. Shannon had warned us about this in advance, so they were a little underwhelming, but I'm still glad we went because we wanted to see them and weren't sure if we'd get back to this part of the continent on another trip. If you want to visit the falls, be sure to look at photos of how they look during certain months so your expectations are met. 

Chobe River Cruise (Namibia).  I'm so glad we did this cruise because it was a great way to end our trip on a really high note. We originally wanted to book the Zambezi Queen (which is bigger, more modern, and more luxurious), but only the Chobe Princess was available for our dates and we ended up getting the smallest (four rooms) of the three CPs. I thought it might be underwhelming, but I was wrong. We had a great time on our small ship with six members of a German family. 

The staff were wonderful (amazing food from Chef Edgar!) and "game drives" on the river turned out to be a game-changer. Although we saw many animals during our land-based safaris, we did see different behavior from the water (elephant herds crossing the river; baboons at play for 30 minutes at a time, whereas on land, the baboons would run away; huge groups of giraffe in an open field). 

Unlike on land, where you would sometimes drive 30 minutes or an hour in search of a sighting, we saw animals the entire time we were on small boat excursions from the larger boat. Essentially, we'd spend 30 minutes watching elephants and then move to crocodiles, baboons, and giraffes, etc.). Of my top recommendations for people going to Africa, it's to do this river cruise in addition to land-based safaris.

Thanks again to Shannon (and Zicasso) for making our dream trip come true. Although we've been to many wonderful places (including Patagonia, Bora Bora, Australia/New Zealand, etc), my wife and I agree that this was the best trip we've ever taken. And we will be back!

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!

We have traveled overseas on many occasions and have always undertaken the planning/booking process ourselves, until this trip. Due to my minor accessibility issues, we decided not to burden a standard travel group with our issues, hence the use of Zicasso's travel partner to develop a travel package for ourselves. The trip involved travel to and from Brisbane (Australia) to Victoria Falls, the Okavango Delta, Cape Town, and Kruger National Park.

Overall, the planning stage was well managed, with multiple changes to the program being accepted and dealt with by our travel company, including some very late changes. We applaud our agent for her diligence in ensuring our needs were always met.

Being our first foray into the African continent, we were put at ease having a locally-based travel advisor on hand to attend to such matters as travel via light plane to remote field airstrips and onward to even more remote wilderness camps. At no stage during the trip did we have reason to question the planning and organization that saw us utilizing the services of flight managers, vehicle transfers, tours, boat tours, and government (cross-country immigration and customs) services.

The two-week trip saw us complete our wishlist, with expectations being met and exceeded, such as being up close with the Big Five.

The trip went without a hitch, apart from expected minor delays at several airports.

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!

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.

Zicasso’s travel planner and her team did an excellent job of understanding the kind of vacation we wanted and gave it to us without cluttering it up with lots of obligations. We had the freedom to explore on our own terms, with enough support to make the most of our time in Japan. The information package got star marks for detailing everything we needed to know very clearly and for its suggestions.

A fantastic trip and the holiday of a lifetime. Every connection worked and we were provided with everything we could have wished for, to a very high standard.