Great Barrier Reef Travel Agents & Reviews

This travel company put together a very memorable trip on relatively short notice. We had an outstanding time in Australia and got to partake in experiences we would never have pursued if we were planning the trip ourselves. Dick (the proprietor of our travel agency) was highly responsive to questions, checked in regularly, and help deal with a few bumps in the road. Overall, we were fortunate to have come across Zicasso and were very happy with the travel agent recommended to us.

This was a trip of a lifetime.  We worked well together, came up with an awesome itinerary for 6 weeks to New Zealand and Australia.  You name it we were going to do it.  This truly was an itinerary with planes, trains & automobiles.  Let's not forget to include boats, helicopter, camel and kayak.  We had such a variety of things planned including wine tasting in both NZ and Australia.  I can't say enough good things about our travel company!!!  In the planning stages they even spoke to us about where and when to go as far as seasons and which way to go whether it be Australia first or NZ. As it turned out, the recommendation to go to New Zealand first was perfect. We were saved the experience of Australia for only a few weeks and maybe being stuck there!  No stone was left unturned, even when the fires occurred in Australia.  Our impact was going to be minimal.We left the US on March 9th for NZ arriving on the 11th.  No problems with Covid-19, we continued on with our itinerary.  Sailing in the harbor in Auckland, wine tasting on a beautiful little island outside of Auckland.  On to Queenstown which is delightful and Milford Sound for an overnight on a ship.  Absolutely beautiful.  Glad we did this vs a day trip or boat ride.  We flew back to Queenstown, which I'd recommend because you have a great overview of the mountains.  Breathtaking!!  Picked up a rental car and drove to Franz Josef to climb the glacier.  We're an older couple, but this was an incredible, first-time experience! My husband still marvels! We took a train to Christchurch which is still suffering the after effects of the 2011 earthquake.  Again a train up the Pacific Coast which is beautiful to Nelson.  Kayaking, hiking and a catamaran in the Tasman Sea.  What scenery!!  Up to Rotorua for more fun.  Well this is where the wheels starting coming off of our fun.  Things got cancelled because of Covid-19 and the ever changing environment of new shut downs and what the government was asking of people and vacationers.  Starting on the 15th of March our travel agent was continually in contact with us about Covid-19 and how our itinerary was going to be impacted.  She made alternative suggestions, we made the decision to extend in NZ.  As our trip went along, things kept changing....  NZ decided to shut down on March 25 midnight.  Our new flight home was March 29, then March 27.  She worked with us so closely and was so helpful she actually got us a flight home on March 25.  While we were having fun and enjoying ourselves, this company was working for us behind the scenes.  You can't ask for more than that!!  By the way, we came home and quarantined.  To date, we're healthy.

The trip:This was a trip of a lifetime, impeccably planned and executed to perfection. Almost 20 days in Australia and New Zealand. The itinerary was chosen to suit what we wanted, the tours (and tour guides) were interesting, fun and enjoyable, the hotels were nice, modern, clean, and well located. I can’t say enough good things.David was in charge of planning our trip. He understood what we wanted and proposed an itinerary that we accepted with some minor modifications. He was always available, before and during the trip, and he has support staff in both Australia and NZ available for us; we actually had some issues with the weather that forced some changes, and his staff was very effective in organizing the new itinerary. Would gladly use their services again and would recommend them unequivocally.

First, the travel designer planned an amazing trip for us to Belize - great locations, activities, etc. Second, the designer and her team were very helpful and responsive! We went in January - when Omicron was surging. We were panicking about seeing if we change the dates, what happens with our travel insurance during different points of our trip if we do get Covid, etc. They helped field alllll of our questions with compassion and kindness - if we were driving them crazy they never showed it to us. Third, they were helpful and responsive even when we were on our trip. They helped reorganize some excursions on our behalf due to inclement weather in the forecast. Fourth, they were very organized and emailed/mailed us all the documents we needed, etc. and loved the personalized website they created for our trip. Lastly, it was great our designer reached out afterwards for feedback on our trip – I definitely recommend them, and look forward to working with them again in the future!

Planning the trip was great! The travel planner worked with me to come up with an itinerary, adjusting based on my availability and what I wanted to see and do. The itinerary included some things I would not have done on my own, but I'm glad I did!The trip itself was fantastic. Everything was pre-arranged, including transportation. Our planner even picked us up at our hotel for a tour of Christchurch.

The trip was the kind of experience you have once in a lifetime - that's the expectation I set out and that's exactly what we achieved. Actually I should say that it exceeded my (our) expectations. Each place we visited was an entire "experience", and something that we will remember forever. I feel like Kate (from our travel agency) and her planning played a huge role in that success. She really excelled at listening to what we wanted, putting together the best options, and really custom crafting everything. It was not flawless, but I didn't expect that as it was pretty complicated with a lot of moving parts. But the few times we needed help or an adjustment, Kate was right there with us taking care of things. Gave us a real sense of comfort knowing that she was just a text or email away and would instantly respond. Most everything was flawless - we did ask for one change along the way, and she proposed a second change when a better hotel option opened up. Beyond that, the biggest challenges we faced was just airline delays, and that is impossible to control. We had several guided (private) tours and a couple of small group tours, and Kate just picked the best of the best for each of our experiences - we had folks were who both expert and personable.

Rick and this travel agency did a wonderful job planning and executing our Australia vacation. Rick was very prompt in answering emails and any questions I had throughout the planning as well as when we were in Australia. I would recommend Rick to everyone who wants to go on vacation Down Under. The hotels and excursions were all really good. We missed our domestic connection after landing in Brisbane, gave Rick a call, and he suggested an airport hotel for us, and called our hotel in Port Douglas to let them know of our late arrival that night, so arrangements could be made for us to be able to check in after midnight. The WebEx video call Rick did with my husband and me before we went to Australia to explain to us what to expect at all the places and how things work around there, was extremely helpful. Overall, a great experience. Thank you Rick and to our travel company.

Overall it was a wonderful experience. I especially enjoyed the snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, the Wildlife Sanctuary in Port Douglas where we fed kangaroos and ate breakfast with the most beautiful birds on a private tour. We also went on an amazing wine tour in the Yarra Valley. We saw penguins exit the water and find their nests on Phillip Island (where Hemsworth brothers are from) and went on an interesting Arcades tour of Melbourne. Planning with our travel agency's help made our lives much easier. It was helpful to receive the personalized support as we wouldn't have been able to plan such a comprehensive trip on our own and on such short notice. I highly recommend others use their services to fulfill their dream vacations.