African Safari, Luxury Europe, & Exotic Getaways

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Sue Picken, Travel Agent in Suwanee, GA

Sue Picken

Suwanee, GA Travel Agent
Super Agent

Sue Picken

Suwanee, GA · 11 Years of Experience

Sue Picken, an independent agent with Nexion, LLC, a Travel Leaders Network Affiliate Agency
5.0
(54)
100% Recommended
I had a work trip to Italy that involved a lot of moving parts and logistics! Sue not only got me to all my site visits... Read More >
About
Reviews
Certificates & Awards
My Places
Travel Stories & Media
Client Testimonials

Areas of expertise

Destinations:

Africa, French Polynesia, South America, South Africa, Europe

Interests:

Safari, Bespoke Travel, River Cruises, Luxury, Adventure

Suppliers:

AmaWaterways, Micato Safaris, Paul Gauguin, Small Luxury Hotels, Windstar Cruises

About Me

On Top of the World in Morocco!
On Top of the World in Morocco!

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!

Additional Languages
Afrikaans,
French

Experience & Destination Specialist!

Let me do what I love and plan that perfect trip suited to your interests and travel style!

Attention to detail, expert vacation planning, destination knowledge, extensive pre-travel prep, and great travel suppliers, afford me the opportunity to provide a focused and personalized travel experience that unearth hidden treasures as you enjoy a seamless travel experience!

Let me take care of the details to ensure a truly enjoyable vacation, celebration trip, adventure experience, business quota trip, or honeymoon/anniversary!

I am here as your Professional Experience Provider!

REVIEWS

Rating: 5.0
54 reviews
100% Recommended
Your trust is our priority. Every review is submitted by verified travelers after they have booked and completed their trips. Learn more about our review guidelines.
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Showing 54 reviews

Awesome Work Trip
Reviewed By Arthur P. - Suwanee, GA | Traveled to Italy ~ Europe
I had a work trip to Italy that involved a lot of moving parts and logistics! Sue not only got me to all my site visits with smooth logistical planning (car hire, trains, planes, and transfers), but found perfectly located accommodation, and made sure I managed to see the top sights in the Italian destinations I was near. The itinerary she presented me with was very detailed including dates, times, maps and local information. Highlights were a road trip on Sicily, climbing the Duomo Dome in Florence, and a relaxing finale in Venice with excursions that covered the top sights. Thank you for a well planned trip!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends.
15 of 23 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YES|NO
Best Bachelorette Trip!
Reviewed By Ari - Atlanta, GA | Traveled to Cancun ~ Quintana Roo ~ Mexico
Sue was amazing! I wanted to be as easy as possible for my Maid of Honor to get all my girls together for my Bach. Sue was on it from booking everything to getting payments and information needed. Never having to worry because if there were any issues she would notify us immediately. We were all just able to go enjoy ourselves because of Sue.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends.
11 of 17 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YES|NO
Bachelorette Trip of a life time
Reviewed By Yash - NY,NY | Traveled to Mexico ~ Mexico
She was wonderful to work with and was always available to answer any questions or concerns.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends.
12 of 20 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YES|NO
Unforgettable experience made easy!
Reviewed By George E - Atlanta, GA | Traveled to Croatia ~ Europe
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!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends.
15 of 26 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YES|NO
Graduation trip to Greece
Reviewed By JennC - Gainesville, Ga | Traveled to Greece ~ 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.
Sue Picken responded
"Hi Jenn :) Thanks for the feedback and review! It was such a pleasure working with you and I am so glad you had a great time! Can't wait to assist you with your next adventure!"
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YES|NO

Certifications & Awards

ASTA is the leading global advocate for travel agents, the travel industry and the traveling public.It is the world's largest association of travel professionals.Our members include travel agents and the companies whose products they sell such as tours, cruises, hotels, car rentals, etc.Expand your world. Go with the pros.
AMA Academy
AMA Academy
Viking Rivers Expert
Viking Rivers Expert
Bachelor of Arts Degree: History of Art & Classics
COTAC 1 Travel Course
Ticketing & Fares Course in Brussels, Belgium
National Geographic Journeys Specialist
Tour Leader for Thompson Tours

My Places

When it comes to travel planning, real-world experience makes a huge difference. Check out the map below to see all the places I have personally visited or booked for my clients. I know these destinations well and can give you reliable guidance.

My Travel Stories

Up close and personal in Greater Kruger!

Kruger Safari South Africa!

Kruger Safari never disappoints!I grew up going to the Kruger National Park in South Africa every winter searching for game from the comfort of our personal vehicle in Kruger "proper" as we traversed this public part of the park! This is what the locals did and do! What memories and wildlife viewing experiences I enjoyed during my youth! Safari ...
Read more

Client Testimonials

Best Africa 40th Birthday Celebration Solo Trip!
Wanted to drop you a note to thank you for putting together such a spectacular trip. The whole thing was just perfect from beginning to end. You made this a completely stress free experience and opened up a whole new continent for me to explore. This has definitely been one of my favorite trips ever! I’d love to plan some more trips with you!
Cameron K, Boston, MA
Honeymoon in Tahiti French Polynesia!
It was an absolute dream! You did an amazing job. We love booking our trips with you. You do a great job organizing our activities and putting our itinerary together. You know me pretty well and talking to me about Alexis, you have a good idea on what she likes as well. That really shines through on your suggestions for us in structuring our trips. Your app was awesome. It was cool that you could download it so you could access it without internet access. That was a huge help!
Michael H, Atlanta, GA
Honeymoon in the Caribbean!
Antigua Honeymoon! 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. Our honeymoon went above and beyond!
Giselle & Johnathan B - Lebanon NH
Southern Africa Wine, Waterfalls & Safari
Going through my itinerary now and just wanted to send you a quick note to say how incredibly well done this is. You’ve thought of every detail and included so much wonderful information. I really can’t thank you enough for putting this together. I feel so relaxed before this trip because of how much thought you’ve put into planning it!
Cameron K.- Boston - traveling solo!
Botswana Safari!
Entrusting Sue Picken & Sapphire travel with my Safari Adventure in Botswana was one of the best travel decisions I have ever made Being an avid traveler/planner who has been to more than 30 countries, I can confidently say the Safari trip Sue Picken planned for me and my buddy was my top travel experience and would refer any and all travelers to her for an unforgettable experience and certainly a trip of a lifetime. The lodges, service, food, activities, travel logistics, itinerary/travel apps, and accessibility to Sue for any need was awesome. Thanks so much!
Eric M
Peru Inca Trail
We loved the Inca Trail ... the area is well preserved and pristine. Our guide was incredible, knowledgeable, humorous and extremely professional. He discreetly kept an eye on everyone. We also had an assistant guide who was a real character. We had a lot of laughs and a great group of 14 people on the Inca Trail Tour. It was an amazing experience!"
Mandi Frost, Liesel Fosbrook, Pascale Le Roux,
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