Zicasso Blog: Travel News and Company Updates

Gary Herod from Archer Travel is one of Zicasso’s gifted Travel Experts on Europe. His invaluable advice inspired some unique Holiday Adventures to the Christmas Markets in Germany. Gary shares with us some of his favorite memories from visiting the Christmas Markets over three different years during the holidays.

Where

We went to markets in Frankfurt, Nuremburg, Rothenburg, and Munich. This was always done during the first two weeks of December. The weather was always crisp, with light snow. The Christmas lights against a background of snow is very beautiful.

Munich – Marienplatz Christmas Lights

We are pleased and honored to receive a prestigious 2008 Standard of Excellence WebAward by the Web Marketing Association. The award recognized Zicasso for "Outstanding Achievement in Website Development” in the travel category.

Congratulations to the entire Zicasso team for all the hard work. This is great recognition that travelers benefit from our matchmaking service for handcrafted travel, designed by the top travel specialists. Our website brings the convenience of an online approach together with the personalized service of travel specialists.

While we’re honored to receive this award, we also recognize that there’s much more to do! In the coming weeks and months, we’ll continue to enhance our site to deliver more value and ease of use for both travelers and travel specialists. Stay tuned!

Brian K.Y. Tan
CEO and Founder

Enthusiasts for natural wonders will not be disappointed by the diversity of habitats, ecosystems, and climates available from January through March. This time of year hits the heart of Costa Rica's dry season and Scandinavia's winter wonderland, for instance.

You've probably thought of plenty of places already, but do they include these top three choices?

In my previous blog entry, I highlighted several Unforgettable Journeys for trips from October to December, but how about Luxury & Romance for those in search of hedonism? Simplify your trip planning by choosing one of these spots to explore the richness of a myriad of sights, sounds, tastes, and experiences, which will undoubtedly capture, or at least, inspire your imagination.

From European wine tasting in the the Loire Valley or Tuscany to an exotic trip to Rajasthan in India, you are sure to find a diverse range of options to suit your desires. I've included my choice of top 3 destinations per month here.

Do you agree?

We're delighted to be featured in The New York Times yesterday! In an article titled New Role for Travel Sites: Matchmaker, NYT wrote about Zicasso and our solution to act as a free matchmaking service for vacationers in search of traditional travel agents. She also reported on an interesting survey conducted by Forrester Research: 23% of online leisure travelers in the United States say they would use a good travel agent if they could find one.

Well, Zicasso is absolutely the right place to find great travel agents -- from the very beginning of our company, we decided that we only want to work with the best. We spent over a thousand hours over the last two years doing our homework on finding some of the best travel agents to be our partners. Our screening process included getting referrals from trusted sources, interviewing the travel agencies or tour operators on their destination knowledge, checking that travel agents have traveled to the destinations which they sell, checking online forums, BBB, and ASTA to ensure that there are no complaints, etc. As a result, Zicasso has now built a network of highly qualified travel agents and tour operators that are ready to serve discerning travelers within our online Web 2.0 environment -- to provide personalized service that will make your trip truly special and truly hassle-free.

In other words, we've done the homework on finding the best agents, so you don't have to. And these agents will do the homework on planning and booking your perfect trip, so you don't have to!

It's been a busy week of press coverage for Zicasso--we were also featured in MSNBC, Travel Weekly, and Tripso.

Brian K.Y. Tan

Founder and CEO

Zicasso

Now is the perfect time to plan for trips from October to December. As autumn unfolds in the northern hemisphere, spring takes hold in the southern hemisphere. One of the keys to successful complex trip planning is choosing the right time to go to certain places.

From exotic diving in Papua, New Guinea to a river excursion down The Amazon in Brazil, it’s hard to think of just three unforgettable journeys and to choose just 3 destinations per month. Here are mine though.

What would you choose?

We've been having a heat wave here in San Francisco Bay Area. All I've been thinking about is ice cream from Buenos Aires. Not just any ice cream. I've been craving the good stuff: "Helados Artesanales" which means that the ice cream was made in small batches on the premises. I've been to Buenos Aires 5 times in the last 10 years (3 in the last 2 years). Each time, I've learned a little more. Here's a little synopsis, of what I learned:

We’ve just put out a new press release on destinations which help travelers stretch their dollars, and our new partners who specialize in these destinations. To help travelers get the most out of the weak dollar and rising prices, we’re highlighting six countries which give good value…and we’ve put together country pages which give essential information on each country, from the best times to visit to budget recommendations to inspiring sample trips.

Speaking of fireworks, the view in downtown Auckland (New Zealand’s North Island) from New Years’s Eve 2007 is fantastic. There are thousands of folks flooding all of the streets, so that it looks like tons of moving ants from a distance. When you’re in the thick of the action, folks are so friendly when they shout out “Happy New Year!” and still easygoing enough not to push or shove when packed in a crowd. Love those Kiwis!

This was my view from the base of Sky Tower. Even better are these photos from Al Teich, and this 2005 video gives you a little taste of the action, if you are lucky enough to get an apartment balcony view from Hobson Street.

For those serious about their fireworks, here are two series that deserve your attention. The weather’s typically mild, which is perfect.

1. Hanover, Germany hosts several international “shootouts” August through September 2008 on Saturdays.
2. The Fetes de Geneve (Geneva Festival) lasts about 10 days near August 1st every year to commemorate the confederation’s birth. Every night features a different fireworks display over Lake Geneva, and you can’t help but compare. Speaking of festivals, here are Geneva’s biggest and best; they even include a 4th of July American Independence Day celebration.

Bastille Day, July 14th, 2005. Fireworks from the balcony of my friend’s villa on the beach at Juan les Pins in the South of France, between Cannes and Nice.

All along the French Riviera, various towns and cities have Firework displays throughout the summer. Cannes has a pyrotechnical arts festival every year on July 14th, 21st, 29th and August 7th, 15th, and 24th. Check out more information in English here.

I made some classic mistakes when I took this photograph. I forgot a tripod and didn’t scope out the best vantage points. Here’s advice from Boston Globe Photographer, David Kamerman. With his tips, hopefully you won’t make the same mistakes that I did!

Since 4th of July is a classic American holiday, click here to see my friend, Stanley Hu’s online album of the 2004 Boston Fourth of July Celebration.

And here’s a handy guide to Firework Displays all over the World! Tell us where you've seen amazing fireworks around the world, or where you've spent your 4th of July in the comments below.

Happy Independence Day and be safe!