My friend and I enjoyed a well planned budget island-hopping trip to Croatia. The itinerary was a lifesaver and Sue was on call 24/7 to help with any concerns or last minute excursions. Croatia was one of my favorite places I’ve ever been, there’s truly nothing like it. An unforgettable experience made simple thanks to Sue’s excellent planning!
George E - Croatia ~ Europe
Graduation trip to Greece for history, adventure, and some relaxation. Sue arranged the best locations to stay for comfort and convenience. Restaurant suggestions were on point for taste and price. The adventures she planned for us were a perfect mix of sightseeing with time to relax and enjoy the views and culture.
JennC - Greece ~ Europe
Sue is absolutely amazing! Her professionalism, expertise and recommendations produced a perfect vacation for us in Tulum in every aspect (flights, hotel, transfers and excursions). <br/>She put together a seamless and perfect itinerary which we regard as "next level" in traveling! We had the BEST vacation in Mexico!<br/>Sue, thank you so much, we cannot wait to book our next vacation with you!
Cecile - Tulum ~ Mexico ~ Mexico
I couldn't have coordinated my trip to Belize without Sue! The booking and rebooking of flights and excursions in the new Pandemic World would have been too much! I am so grateful for Sue's recommendations when we had to give up our plans for a 2020 trip to Italy, but Sue was able to give recommendations of options that worked for our traveling needs with my sister and 82 year old mother. Belize was a wonderful adventure and a much needed escape.
Marie - Belize ~ Central America
We are so happy we had Sue to help us plan our honeymoon! With trip cancellations, COVID changes, flight changes, we were so glad we had Sue to help us navigate an already stressful situation. With everything we had to plan for our wedding it was great knowing our honeymoon was one thing we didn’t have to worry about because Sue kept us updated every step of the way. She booked everything for us; from flights to excursions. Not only did she book everything she also had surprises for us! Not only did she surprise us with a wedding gift but also had chocolate covered fruit in our room upon our arrival. I have to say, out of all the all inclusive I’ve been to, Cocobay is my favorite! The staff were extremely friendly, resort was beautiful, food was great, and drinks were strong!! Our cottage was nice and homey, our private pool was clean, as well as the resort. <br/>We were really bummed we had to cancel our original honeymoon but our new honeymoon went above and beyond!
Ari - Antigua & Barbuda ~ Caribbean
Sue, really there’s a professional and working with her made our trip seamless!
Achalmers - South Africa ~ Africa
Sue is extremely professional and delivers the highest level of responsiveness and insightful communication. We look forward to working with Sue again!
Jay - Caribbean
Using her expertise and access to airlines and other travel related services, Sue took our trip to a level we could not have achieved on our own. Our flights were all in elevated cabins which is very expensive if you book on your own. Our lodging was hand selected by Sue so we were always in excellent accommodations based on our tastes and locations we were interested in visiting. The personal touches, from fully organized printed maps and itineraries to wine and a note in our room upon arrival, made the trip feel very special. We had the trip of a lifetime and didn't do any of the planning work. Sue did it all! Everyone should use her for travel!
VERY happy traveler! - Australia ~ Australia & New Zealand
It was so great working with Ms. Picken! She is so sweet and thoughtful and made sure to plan every detail perfectly to give us the best experience. She introduced several travel locations and packages to help us choose our ideal trip and once we did, she took the time to look into each city in our itinerary to give us a brief history and the popular attractions there. There were no concerns from our end as she took care of everything from affordable flights and hotel accommodations to flights and activities. You are in stellar hands with Ms. Pickens for sure!
Erica - Greece ~ Europe
Sue is the best! She truly knows how to tailor a trip to exactly what you want and need. She asks all the right questions and tweaks the plans until they are perfect. She is so easy to communicate with and very responsive. She also knows all the best spots in every city. Every hotel was centrally located and extremely safe. The private tours and transports she plans are always seamless and they take excellent care of you. I've been on multiple trips with Sue and can never go back -- every trip has been beyond fabulous!
Olivia - Greece ~ Europe
Sue is very knowledgeable and was easy to contact when abroad. She handled any issues we had. Our trip was seamless thanks to her planning. She filled our itinerary with a perfect mixture of sightseeing and relaxation. Would definitely use her again to help plan any trip.
Haley - Greece ~ Europe
Sue is the best travel agent ever! Her attention to detail and communication with us were incredible! I am confident she worried more about canceled excursions (due to weather) than we did. She stayed in contact with us throughout the trip to make sure every last detail was handled, and the travel app she put together for us had literally every document, reservation, phone number, etc., that we possible could have needed! Can I give her 6 out of 5 stars?
Denise C. - French Polynesia ~ South Pacific
Sue was a great travel advisor from start to finish. Her help with planning put us in a great resort with plenty of excursions/activities, and she was always available before and during the trip with any questions. Would highly recommend!
Alex - Cancun ~ Quintana Roo ~ Mexico
Thank you for planning the most perfect (except for the Cape Town weather ;) trip of our lifetime! The accommodations were all luxury, your recommendations for activities and restaurants were great, and all of the transfers you set up for us were excellent and made our trip hassle free. When you go to a new continent and travel to 3 different countries, things can get confusing and Sue planned every single experience for us so that everything flowed seamlessly. We are already looking at booking another safari and Italian holiday with Sue!
MayraTaiTai - Africa
Sue was excellent in every way. She is very knowledgeable and professional. The app she provides made our trip much easier to navigate. She is always a pleasure to deal with from beginning to plan and to the very end. Her selection for excursions, drivers, tours, and restaurants was fabulous!!
Harris - Italy | Europe
I enjoy planning my own travel but had never been to Africa or gone on a safari so we turned all of that over to Sue. I was a little nervous about doing that but it turned out that we were thoroughly prepared and completely comfortable throughout an extremely well planned adventure. The itinerary was what I would have chosen if I had known enough to do so. Everything went perfectly and exceeded all expectations. I am very appreciative of the work Sue did and the extensive knowledge she applied to make the trip a singular and spectacularly successful one. Thank you Sue. Paul M. Lake George NY
Paul - Kenya | Africa
Accommodations were fabulous, food was great at all four stops, but the drivers/guides were the highlight. We had private game drives for all but one which was special and intimate.
TJ and Paul - Kenya | Africa
Had an amazing trip to Southern Africa! Sue arranged unique experiences for me such as a motorcycle ride around the Cape Town peninsula, a cycling wine tasting tour, and a dip at Devil's Pool (natural infinity pool) in Vic Falls! In Cape Town, I stayed in the Cape Winelands which were such fun with great scenery, restaurants, and unique Cape architecture! Next, I stayed in Plettenberg Bay (Wow!) followed by Vic Falls & Chobe. Everything was well planned, seamless, and memorable - great trip!
George E - South Africa | Africa
We started at ground zero with knowledge of African safaris. Sue was able to provide plenty of information to enable us to pinpoint exactly where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see. She not only answered all our questions and concerns, by the end result was an experience we still can't stop talking about.<br/>We highly recommend Sue for any of your Africa plans. You will receive more than you can ever imagine.
Janice - Africa
Our first trip to Africa was incredible. Sue did an amazing job planning our trip, not only by using her vast experience to help choose perfect locations and itineraries, but also her attention to every detail made it a worry-free experience for us. We could not have asked for a better trip and will reach out to Sue for future trips.
Barry - Africa
Sue did an amazing job planning the perfect itinerary for our first trip to Africa: Cape Town, safari near Kruger National Park, Victoria Falls, and safari in the Okavango Delta. We were well taken care of every step of the way. All the accommodations were excellent, the guides and drivers were knowledgeable and professional. All transportation details (planes, helicopters, drives, etc.) were well coordinated and executed. The trip itself was just amazing! Beautiful vistas along Cape Peninsula, fun e-bike wine tasting tour, beautiful hike along Victoria Falls, and incredible game drives at the all-inclusive safari camps. We saw so many animals and enjoyed watching them in their natural habitat. It was truly a trip of a lifetime! Thanks to Sue, we were able to sit back, relax, and enjoy the full experience.
Karen - Africa
Sue was outstanding! She was so knowledgeable about our whole trip. We went to Egypt and Switzerland and she had recommendations that were amazing! She had personal experience with traveling to our locations so she knew the best places to go. When I lost my Fanny pack on the plane in Switzerland, and had to change our plans, she got right back to me and I was able to reach her on the phone to make the arrangements I needed. It was so nice to have someone reliable to contact who answered the phone when I was panicking! I would highly recommend her any travel!
Jamie - Switzerland ~ Europe
Sue planned a 50th anniversary trip of a lifetime for us. After explaining our basic ideas she provided a perfect itinerary that checked every block. Her responsiveness before, during and after the trip was spot on. Our experiences for the trip far exceeded our expectations. During 14 days of travel there was not one single hiccup in the experience. Sue dotted every “I” and crossed every “t” to make our trip a carefree adventure. The itinerary app she provided was invaluable. Sue has our highest recommendation as the ideal travel agent!
Daryl and Jan T. - South Africa ~ Africa
We approached Sapphire Travel & Tours for Karissa's trip to Costa Rica. Quite a bit of moving parts were involved; large group, own budgets, own ideas, suggestions, wants, needs etc. Sue Brown Picken made it all happen. She was a text message away at all times...24/7. Thank you Sue, we had the best time! Y'all should give them a try, no complaints whatsoever.<br/>Highly recommended 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
KVN - Costa Rica ~ Central America
Sue Picken is dependable, knowledgeable and kept open line of communication with us throughout our entire journey.
Ama - Europe
Thanks to Sue and her knowledge of everything travel, we had an amazing Mother/Daughters trip on AmaWaterways along the Danube River. From helping us choose the perfect itinerary for us, to the hiccups we experienced with the airlines on travel day, Sue was there every step of the way. We asked her so many questions leading up to the cruise, and she answered each one patiently and kindly. She is great at finding reliable transfers and anything else you would need while abroad. She is a wealth of knowledge and because of this, she has been our travel agent several times. We will never use anyone else!
Mariela C - Europe
Sue is always knowledgeable, well prepared, and organized. Traveling with Sue's assistance made this trip of a lifetime be easy and seamless. We will be utilizing Sue for our next big trip in 2025!!
Mayra - Danube ~ On the River ~ At Sea
A delightful experience! If I had the space, I would recount each day and point out why Sue was a great choice for us to partner with on our trip, but that would repeat all the glowing words so many times over and over. Here’s a brief overview and why we will ask her to help us again with our future family trips.<br/><br/>Three nights in Florence followed by a 7-day Greek Isles cruise were the only trip parameters I provided; Sue took it from there. The result: a wonderful small hotel within walking distance of all the sights in Florence; front-of-the-line tickets; suggestions for restaurants featuring Tuscan cuisine; and all the details in the Trips app (schedules, photos, who to meet, etc.) to help us along the way. For the cruise, Sue suggested excursions based on her own experiences, and the wonderful memories of Greece and Turkey will remain with us for a very long time. With everything planned, and the flexibility to deviate as needed, we were free to enjoy our vacation without stress!
TheGAPnoid - Florence ~ Italy ~ Europe
Sue was a pleasure to work with. I wanted to do an African safari for years and decided to take the trip as a retirement present for myself. She took the time to listen to what I wanted to accomplish on my trip and made sure I had a fantastic and safe experience as a solo traveler. In addition to Tanzania, I spent a few days at each end of the trip in Amsterdam. Sue picked gorgeous hotels and booked me on great tours. The guides in Tanzania are top-tier and I was able to see dozens of different types of animals in their natural habitat. The availability of all travel information on the app was of great benefit. Sue checked in during my trip and quickly responded to any questions I had. I will definitely use her again.
Scott - Tanzania ~ Africa
Sue made great recommendations for our itinerary and facilitated all transitions. She made it seamless! Someone was waiting for us at every airport and landing strip for the next step of our journey.
Becky - Sabi Sands Private Game ~ South Africa ~ Africa, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Okevango Delta, Botswana
Sue planned everything to the finest detail! The hotel choices were perfect - well located, comfortable and with excellent service. We did some off-the-beaten track activities that were life changing and memorable! The Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu were done the right way, with the right balance of adventure, activity, self exploration, amazing scenery, and great food. I honestly can’t think of anything she missed. One of the BEST trips!! Thank you Sue
Mirka - Machu Picchu ~ Peru ~ South America
Sue was wonderful to work with. She provided us with everything we asked for and more. She is very knowledgeable and helpful. We plan on using her again and have referred her.
Kim - Maldives ~ Central Asia
We had the pleasure of working with Sue when we planned a trip to Italy for our 25th anniversary in 2022. We are over the moon with the selection of cities to visit,tours, hotels and restaurants she suggested and booked for us. Sue would take the time to explain everything to us and always actively listened to what we wanted out of our trip. The trip was epic, and the trip of a lifetime thanks to her. She was on top of everything before and during the trip to make sure everything was going according to plan, communicating constantly with us. She is truly an exptert travel agent we highly recommend her to all of our friends anytime we have a chance.
Whadzen - Italy ~ Europe
We were so lucky to have Sue as our travel agent! We have never felt so prepared and taken care of during a vacation. She responded quickly to all of our questions during the planning process, as well as offered us great recommendations on excursions and restaurants. She quickly figured out exactly what type of vacation we wanted and guided us through the whole process. She provided us with a helpful app that includes all our documents, daily itinerary, restaurant reservations, etc. The app was easy to access at any moment and a fun, concise way to review all our plans. We are certain that without Sue's help our travel experience would not have been as unique and special. She is an experienced world traveler so she brings her experiences forth in order to make our world travels the best they could possibly be!
Mariela C - Greece ~ Europe
Excellent trip planner.
Ama - Mediterranean ~ At Sea ~ At Sea
When we decided to take a vacation to Italy and Croatia, we had no idea where to start. Lucky for us, we looked up Travel Specialists and found Sue's profile and her smiling face. After a couple of emails and phone calls, we knew she was the right person to help us with our trip. Sue has amazing attention to details and the most wonderful recommendations. Best of all, Sue really listened to what WE wanted from the trip and immediately offered alternative itineraries, hotels, tours, etc., when we were unsure of some of the ideas. <br/>She is literally "On Call" when you're on your vacation; There was an unforeseeable rail strike in Italy and she was up all night (and early morning!) changing our travel plans so we could get to our next destination without delay. Sue left lovely notes waiting for us in our hotel rooms; it was so nice to have a friendly hello after long days of travel. <br/>Our trip was amazing because Sue is amazing and we highly recommend her to ever
O'Neals - Italy ~ Europe
Sue is very thorough and full of great ideas. I love that she has us completely handled from start to finish with perfect plane flights, luxury private transfers, stunning hotels, private tour guides to all the must see places, and reservations at top restaurants.
The Landrum’s - France ~ Europe
Sue was fantastic from the initial engagement through our return home. The goal was to surprise my wife with a trip to Kenya as a Anniversary gift. Although I had been to Africa a few times and we have visited other countries around the world, I knew this trip would require the assistance of a professional. Sue was the perfect fit. <br/><br/>Sue assisted by planning our flights, transfers, romantic dinner, excursions (game drives), and of course time to relax on the beautiful Kenyan coast of Mombasa with great views of the Indian Ocean. Sue created a gift basket to present to my wife and surprised the both of us with a celebratory bottle of champagne when we arrived to the final leg of our trip on Diani Beach.<br/><br/>This was a remarkable experience for our family, and we will never forget it. I trust we will work together again.<br/><br/>Thanks Sue!
Vander and Rolanda - Kenya ~ Africa
Absolutely flawless!!! From start to finish! Accommodating and professional. Punctual and precise. Put your next trip in the hands of the best. You will NOT be disappointed!!
GeishaGyrl - Cancun ~ Quintana Roo ~ Mexico
I worked with Sue Picken at Sapphire Travel on a very special sport fishing trip to the Keys with my two sons. Sue built an adventure itinerary that fit together like pieces to a puzzle, not one hiccup. We will never forget our trip thanks to Sue’s recommendations. We will definitely be back to plan our next adventure! <br/>
Andrew - Key West ~ Florida ~ USA
Sue did a lot of research for my friends and I to find the right sailboat and itinerary for our Croatia Sailing trip. With different ideas and budget within our small group, she managed to find the perfect vessel through a local Croatia Sailing company. The catamaran was new, the skipper and staff amazing, and the itinerary hit all the spots Sue insisted we should visit. With her travels all over Croatia I trusted Sue to do a good job in planning the sailing portion as well as the pre and post travel/hotel arrangements in Dubrovnik and Split. Everything went smoothly, and we were well prepared for the trip. Even got some great swag – Sapphire Travel & Tours microfiber towels that were used often!! I am an avid sailor, and this trip turned out to be a trip of a lifetime!<br/>
Steve - Croatia ~ Europe
Sue was EXCELLENT to work with. She helped us book our "babymoon" trip to St. Lucia, and was extremely knowledgeable and helpful putting together different proposals for each resort we wanted to look at, including many in Hawaii - as that was our original destination of choice. Sue walked us through the whole process, and put together our entire itinerary for the trip, making the whole process extremely easy for my pregnant wife and me. When we arrived, Sue had arranged for multiple gifts for us at our resort, including welcome massages, special dessert, etc...<br/><br/>I highly recommend working with Sue to plan your next trip, as she takes the headache out of making sure you have everything covered. With Sue, we didn't miss a beat, and were able enjoy our trip from start to finish!
Norm - St. Lucia ~ Caribbean
Sue is fantastic and a true professional. She is organized and responsive but also genuine in her concern and excitement for the trip being planned. We are very grateful!
Jay - Peru ~ South America
The absolute best! Sue is so attentive, listens to what type of vacation you want and then gets to work! We've used her twice for two completely different types of trips and both were stellar. The latest was to Costa Rica and it was simply divine. WE wanted relaxing and some adventure and she made sure we had both! She presented a number of options for us and was mindful of budget and our specific requests. Sue will take care of all the details and make sure you have all you need for a great trip! We just showed up!
Sharon - Costa Rica ~ Central America
Sue provided us with some incredible accommodations on our trip around Croatia. The itinerary she provided took so much stress off traveling without a big group. There was never a point where Jeanne and I did not know what to do. <br/>I loved the tour that was booked for us to travel around the old towns in Montenegro. It was really incredible to get to see how these towns were still a key part of life even though there is no longer a need for such high walls for protection. Our favorite event was going on a boat to all the beautiful caves along the coast. The local captain even took us to some of his favorite secret spots!<br/>When we visited split, upon restaurant recommendations we had a lovely meal before touring the roman ruins. It was breathtaking to see!<br/>This trip felt so carefree with the help of Sue. She was always available when questions arose, which made the trip so much more enjoyable. <br/><br/>Thanks so much!
Taylor - Croatia ~ Europe
By far the best travel agent experience. We wanted to take a big trip with our teenage daughters and each person had a wish for the trip. Sue knew so much about our destination, the excursions, the lodging, everything. She was thoughtful in the planning and listened to what we wanted and needed. We had adventures in Guatemala and the jungles of Belize and then relaxed by the coast in Belize. Sue planned every bit and we wouldn't change one thing. I can't wait for her to plan our next big trip!
Steingrubers - Belize ~ Central America
It was really good she followed through on everything even while we were there when we ran into problems we texted her and she jumped right on getting the things fixed she was amazing to work with or use her again
Tony - Belize ~ Central America
My buddy and I chose Sue for our African Safari trip without knowing anything about Southern Africa or Safaris in general. However, I am an avid traveler who has been around the world and has never used a travel consultant/agent before. I have previously have booked and organized all my past trips. I can confidently say that the planning, attention to detail, actual experience, care, and thought that went into this trip surpassed my expectations and anything I could have done. In addition, I know several others who have went on Safari, and I can confidently say, they did not get the same experience I did with Sue. <br/><br/>Thanks so much<br/>I will be using you again for travel !<br/>Eric M. (NJ, USA)
Eric M - Botswana ~ Africa
