Sue Picken

I am a Travel Advisor and Destination Specialist with over 10 years industry experience! Let me use my travel experience, passion for travel, attention to detail, and destination knowledge to assist you with your next trip!

I have always had an intense passion for travel since childhood. My father and grandfather always used to say “Travel is Education” and this mantra has inspired me my entire life!

Growing up in Africa, I did many safaris in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana and have an intense love of the African Bush! My first big trip overseas was to Greece and Italy when I was 13 years old, and this proved to be a defining moment.

After completing my degree in History of Art and Classical Civilization, I completed a year travel course and started my career working for Sabena Belgian Airlines. This experience gave me a good idea of how airlines operate and the opportunity to enjoy Belgium and the Netherlands when completing a two week Advanced Ticketing & Fares course in Brussels.

After my airline reservations position, I worked for Thompson Tours – the largest tour operator in South Africa. Here I worked as a reservations agent designing trips for travel agents' clients and direct customers. I also had the wonderful opportunity to be a Tour Leader, guiding and educating travel agents on trips to Mauritius, Kenya, Tanzania, and London.

Moving to the US resulted in jobs that were focused on administrative, accounting, marketing, and office manager roles. During this time I continued to travel and then after a brief stint working back at a travel agency, combined my administrative experience, hands on travel industry work skills, and destination knowledge, to start my own business!

My business is called "Sapphire Travel" because the sapphire is my lucky stone, and my father and grandfather were both in the diamond industry in South Africa so a gem stone it needed to be :)

Now I have the joy of doing what I love: designing, planning, and booking customized and locally immersive trips to those destinations I know and love... but focused on YOU!

My destinations!

AFRICA: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Morocco, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Mauritius

EUROPE: Belgium, Netherlands, Croatia, Italy, Greece, France, Turkey, United Kingdom

CARIBBEAN: Antigua, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Martinique, US Virgin Islands, St Maarten/St Martin, St Lucia, Exuma Bahamas, Grenada, Guadeloupe, St Kitts, Montserrat, Puerto Rico

CENTRAL AMERICA: Belize, Costa Rica, Mexico

USA: Alaska, New York, Boston and Maine, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee

ASIA: Bangkok, Thailand

My Specialties:

SAFARI & BEACH in Africa: I have done safari since I was a toddler and still return to Africa (my Happy Place) to explore lodges and keep up to date with offerings.

EUROPE: I love designing FIT custom trips tailored to your interests and getting you from A to B to C seamlessly, along with tailored designed walking tours and pre-booked must-see experiences.

HONEYMOONS/ANNIVERSARIES: Celebrate your love on safari, in the Caribbean, in Bora Bora, or the romantic Amalfi Coast in Italy!

ACTIVE TRAVEL: Hiking, Biking, Sailing, and Scuba! I am an active traveler and love to book these kinds of trips. I am a cyclist, hiker, advanced scuba diver, and a sailor. Let me book your hiking or bike and boat, or bike and barge, or your scuba diving in the Caribbean or Tahiti!

You dream it .... I plan it = Trip of a lifetime!