Types of Travel Arrangements You Can Get on Zicasso

Zicasso is ideal for busy, discerning travelers who want help to plan a complex trip. There’s a lot of flexibility on the types of travel arrangements available. Here’s an overview of the choices, together with some of my own experiences. Knowing what works best for you makes your planning more efficient.

Zicasso can be used to plan and book completely customized trips or fixed packages, depending on your needs. The main types of travel arrangements our travel companies can offer include:

• Independent travel, customized – Only accommodations and transportation needed, no guides needed. Itinerary is typically a completely customized to your needs. This is sometimes also called “self drive tours”




• Independent travel, fixed components (also known as “vacation packages”) – Similar to the independent travel above but with fixed trip components (e.g. 5 days / 4 nights with specific flight + hotel + car rental). Not customizable




• Private guided tour – Customized tour with a guide, just for you and your party




• Escorted group tour – Packaged guided tour in which you join a group of other travelers on a fixed departure date




• Others / Specialized Trips: these include Safaris, Adventure Tours, Nature Tours, Eco Tours, Study Tours, and Cruises

For me, I have personally traveled with the various types of arrangements using the travel companies which are Zicasso members.

When I travel in developed countries, like in Europe and Japan, I tend to do independent travel, with a sprinkling of half-day or full-day guided tours at particularly interesting cities. Example: When I had my honeymoon in Spain, our travel agent helped plan our entire itinerary and booked our hotels, rental car, and flights within Spain (started in Barcelona, then flew to Bilboa). We drove around northern Spain, ultimately getting to Santiago de Compostela where we got an excellent historian guide to give us a private half-day tour of the amazing old churches and architecture there.

On the other hand, when traveling in developing countries, I usually have a private guided tour arranged for my wife and I since it’s quite affordable. For example, last December, we traveled all throughout Laos as well as Cambodia, having a guide, car, and driver just for the two of us….traveling on an itinerary designed just for us by our tour operator. We had total flexibility on the schedule and on whatever we wanted to do or see.

As another example, a year ago, I took both an escorted group tour and a private guided tour in Peru. The first part of the trip was with an excellent small group tour covering the popular destinations of Machu Picchu, Cusco, Sacred Valley, etc. After that finished, I wanted to travel to some of the more remote areas of northern Peru and my tour operator arranged a private tour for me, with a guide, to go see the amazing archaeological ruins in Trujillo and Chiclayo….in some parts, I was the only tourist!

On Zicasso, you describe your needs and travel arrangements you want. Our travel company partners, with expert knowledge in your destination, then strive to make it happen for you. Note that the more specific you are about what you want to see and do, the easier our travel company’s experts can help you. Zicasso is really about personalization and getting the help of professionals to make that perfect trip happen, hassle-free.

Brian K.Y. Tan
Founder and CEO
Zicasso