AGENCY
Protravel International San Diego
DESTINATIONS
Africa, Europe, South America, Caribbean, Worldwide
SPECIALTIESFamily Vacations, Adventure, Luxury Travel, Safari, Animals & Wildlife
LANGUAGES
English, German
CERTIFICATES & AWARDS
Certified Family Travel Advisor, Virtuoso Adventure Travel Specialist, Certified Asilia Academy East Africa Specialist
Nicole Schick, PhD
La Jolla, California Travel Agent
Luxury, Family & Adventure Travel Consultant
I am a trained scientist with a PhD in biochemistry and I cannot remember a time when I did not love to travel. While in college, I was fortunate to go on two 5-month trips around the world (one through Asia and Oceania, the other through South America), and I knew then that my journey had just begun. For the first 30 years of my life, I lived in Germany and Switzerland, beautiful countries that were my gateway to exploring Europe with its rich and colorful culture and breathtaking nature. Europe is luckily also closer to the African continent where I fell in love with Africa during my many trips there. Now I live with my family in San Diego, California, where we enjoy the sunny climate and travel to many well-known or undiscovered places. Wildlife observation is definitely at the top of our list of favorite family activities. We also really enjoy being adventurous and experiencing nature in all its abundance and grandeur.
When you work with me you can expect a personalized effortless planning process, extraordinary locations and top-quality experiences all tailored to provide you with an authentic connection to the local culture and memories to last a lifetime.
www.kidsapprovedtravel.com
Certified Family Travel Advisor
First Safari for my Girl in South Africa
I have learned so much about planning and traveling with children and gained in-depth knowledge of how different the experiences and challenges are depending on kids’ ages. Trip with children offer a lot of variety, as you can find yourself planning a Wedding, an Anniversary, Single-Parent, Multi-Gen and Skip-Gen trips.
Being able to help families make unique memories and experiences together, to spend quality time away from daily hassles and work, to manage their most valuable, non-renewable asset time, this is exactly what inspired me to become a family travel consultant.
Certified Family Travel Advisor
Virtuoso Adventure Travel Specialist
Certified Asilia Academy East Africa Specialist
Travel Experiences
Trip Impressions
Nihi Sumba: On the Edge of the Wilderness in Bali
Introduction
When you arrive on Sumba from the hustle and bustle of Bali you realize you’ve stepped back in time to a nature lover’s paradise, an untouched island with a sense of remoteness that is hard to find. Sumba has one traffic light, several stunning waterfalls, blue lagoons, empty beaches, and lush ...Read more from my Nihi Sumba: On the Edge of the Wilderness in Bali story.
Great Time in Spain
We had a great time :) Overall, our trip was great and it was so nice to have things planned out for us with the tickets ready to go. Love the convenience of the app and link to our schedule with all of the guides, phone numbers, and information. We really had a nice trip and thank you for your service :).
Provided by David Family
Another Wonderful Trip, this time France
We’re on our way back from France and I wanted to say thank you for helping us plan another wonderful trip. The hotel in Paris was excellent. A wonderful location and very friendly staff. Nice rooms and amenities. Fantastic location. I don’t think I’d consider staying anywhere else if we came to Paris again. They were lovely. Sandra was an excellent and engaging guide as well, and the kids loved her. I am very grateful for what you did to help us plan such a nice vacation.
Provided by Michael Family
Customers for Life after Trip in Portugal
We LOVED Portugal. We can’t say enough great things about the tours, guides and activities you booked for us. All the tour guides were wonderful! I think we’re customers for life! Thank you!
Provided by Morgan Family
Great Way to Celebrate a 50'th Birthday in Italy.
Thank you so much for planning such a spectacular trip for us. We had a blast. Any one of the days or trip segments on their own would’ve been the best ever. All together in one trip was mind-blowing wonderfulness! We had fun, we learned a lot and we saw and did so much great stuff. We loved our guides, drivers and hotel staff across the board. Logistically speaking, I really cannot imagine it going much more smoothly. Our family was brought closer together as our horizons were widened. We are grateful, and we will continue to work with you for our travel planning. Thanks again. It was a great way to celebrate a 50'th. Best trip ever!
Provided by Windham Family
Wonderful Trip to New Zealand
Thank you again for planning such a wonderful trip for us. It was perfectly laid out with gorgeous hotel options and doable driving times, and we LOVED all of the activities and experiences you planned for us. We have been telling all our friends about you — it was so helpful to have your [guidance]!
Provided by Sprague Family
Fabulous Time in Costa Rica
I wanted to let you know that we had a fabulous time in Costa Rica - truly a perfect family vacation. All of the travel went very smoothly, including all of the transfers. Two favorites were the zip lining near Manual Antonio (they were a very professional organization) and surf lessons at Lapa Rios. Thank you for all of your help! We look forward to working with you again!
Provided by Kunz Family
The Trip to Vietnam was Phenomenal
The trip was phenomenal and I have been singing your praises to my friends who saw my IG posts :) ! The crafts were awesome (silk lanterns + bamboo paper were the best), the hotels were fabulous, we loved the culture and the food and the people. Really a fantastic trip - thank YOU for all of your help planning it. We will definitely reach out on future trips!
Provided by Paulson Family
Best 50'th Birthday in Africa Ever
I just want to say THANK YOU! For arranging our Africa trip. We had such a great time and appreciated your suggestions and time spend planning this for us. It truly was unforgettable. Trip was awesome, best 50th EVER ! Looking forward to the next trip,
Provided by Kinberger Family
Reviews
37 of 58 people found this review helpful
Africa Safari - Can't wait to do it again!
Reviewed By Uta R. - San Diego, California | Traveled to Namibia ~ Africa
We always wanted to travel to Namibia and Botswana to see the Big Five and all the other wonderful animals and sights, but were concerned with the organization of setting it all up safely and fitting our prospective itinerary into our schedule. Nicky alleviated all of our concerns and expertly created not only an exciting adventurous trip for us, but also arranged for excellent accommodations and safaris. One of our dreams was to rent a jeep with a roof top tent and spend a few days camping among the animals. Nicole found us a very reliable rental company and safe places to use for our overnight camping. It was an adventure to dream about and we will use her again helping us with our next trip, maybe this time going to South Africa and explore the Kruger National Park among others. Nicky is quite an expert in her knowledge of Africa, since she traveled there often on herself. We could tell by the sound advice she gave and by the smooth and pleasurable trip we have had thanks to her.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
29 of 45 people found this review helpful
A great African Safari Experience
Reviewed By @MoreTravelAdventures - San Diego, CA | Traveled to South Africa ~ Africa
Nicole really knows a lot about Southern African safaries because she has been there and done it! We talked to her about the best camps and experiences in and near Kruger Park but also about out-of-the-way places in Swaziland. As it turns out, she had been there, too. We followed her recommendations and had the greatest trip. We will surely book our next Africa Trip with her again.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
35 of 57 people found this review helpful
I am OCD and expect the best and Nicole delivers!!
Reviewed By Rae - Larchmont, NY | Traveled to Chile ~ South America
Nicole and I met working together as travel agents so when I decided to leave my job, she is the only person I would trust in creating my itinerary. She is amazing at finding off the beaten experiences. To this day, I consider trips she has created for me and my family to be one of our favs.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
35 of 58 people found this review helpful
Trip of a Lifetime!
Reviewed By JennTK - San Diego, CA | Traveled to Africa
Nicole planned a wonderful trip for my husband's 50th birthday! We went to South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe and really had the trip of a lifetime. Nicole got to know us, our travel and activity preferences, and was able to plan the most delightfully unique itinerary that maximized our time and money. We had a range of accommodations, activities, and modes of transport across all three countries and honestly there is nothing that we would have done differently - all the details were covered!Nicole herself has travelled extensively and is able to provide guidance on the best travel experiences for all your needs and preferences. She is patient, flexible, and creative and was a pleasure to work with. We plan to have Nicole plan our next trip and would not hesitate to refer her services to others.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
31 of 55 people found this review helpful
The Best of Argentina in Two Weeks!
Reviewed By Jess - Colorado Springs, Co | Traveled to Argentina ~ South America
My Husband decided to sign us up for a 5 day yoga retreat in Patagonia, Argentina but since it's such a long flight I decided to turn the trip into a two week vacation. However, I put off the planning for the rest of the trip until the last minute. Nicole was a "life" and vacation saver! I had no idea what we should do for the rest of our vacation and she gave suggestions for activities, locations and hotels that fit our lifestyle and budget. From fly fishing and glacier trekking in Patagonia to Tango shows, street food tours and horseback riding on a traditional Gaucho ranch in Buenos Aires to Iguazu Fall tours in Argentina and Brazil, Nicole put together the perfect vacation itinerary for the perfect trip! On top of that Nicole took all the stress out of planning, last minute changes and knowing where we needed to be on which days. Her travel experience and getting to know what I like to do on vacations as a client made this vacation the best I've taken in my life!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
An expert on traveling with kids!
Reviewed By Allison - San Diego, California | Traveled to Wailea, Maui ~ Hawaii ~ USA
Nicky is knowledgable, caring and responsive. She has helped me plan really great trips that I've taken alone with a toddler. Without her advice I would have planned trips that my daughter wasn't ready for and neither of us would have enjoyed them fully. We had a trip of a lifetime to Wailea thanks to Nicky.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Our new favorite destination - Fiji!
Reviewed By Herian Family - San Francisco, CA | Traveled to Fiji ~ South Pacific
Working with Nicky was a pleasure from the planning stage, traveling to her welcoming us back from our trip. I told her my family wanted a tropical island vacation and she delivered by recommending that we go to Fiji! The itinerary had something for everyone and checked all the boxes. Fiji is our new favorite destination and we can't wait to go back.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Summer Vacation in Switzerland
Reviewed By Janeice H. - Denver, Colorado | Traveled to Switzerland ~ Europe
Nicky planned the most amazing summer vacation for my family in Switzerland! She planned the best trip I have ever taken to Europe from accommodations, food and activity recommendations. This vacation was the best of the best and my family can't wait for our next vacation that she is planning for us.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Greatest trip to the Galapagos Islands
Reviewed By Joe J. - Denver, Colorado | Traveled to Ecuador ~ South America
Going to Ecuador and visiting the Galapagos Islands has been a trip I've wanted to do for a long time. Nicky was amazing for the whole process of planning and going on this amazing trip of a lifetime. This was one of the greatest vacations I ever had and having someone like Nicky to plan the perfect trip based on what I like to do is priceless. I'll definitely be planning my next vacation with Nicky.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Best Trip Ever
Reviewed By Read Family - Los Angeles, CA | Traveled to New Zealand ~ Australia & New Zealand
Best travel consultant! We had the most amazing trip all thanks to Nicky.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Amazing safari's in Kenya
Reviewed By Patrick R. - Seattle, Washington | Traveled to Kenya ~ Africa
Nicky planned the most amazing trip for us to Kenya. We had it all from beaches to beautiful safari camps. We'll never forget this adventure!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Best European Trip Ever!
Reviewed By Iwona - San Francisco, CA | Traveled to Europe
I have been traveling to Europe for many years but it never has been as good as the most recent one to England and France - all thanks to Nicky. She's such an experienced advisor, very knowledgeable, efficient planner, and very good listener. My return trips to cities like London and Paris were pure re-discovery, and first-time travelers in my group had the best time: with beautiful hotels and special treatments, exciting activities, and classy and very convinient transfers. Perfect trip with great balance between leasure and excitment, not running around and trying to see too much. I highly recommend Nicky - I, for one, will never travel without her planning my vacation :-)
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends