Sandy Sacks, of Worldview Travel in La Jolla, CA ignited her passion for travel after volunteering for a year in Israel followed by a trek through Europe for several months. After returning from her journeys, she started working for a tour operator in her native city of Johannesburg, South Africa, planning European itineraries and Biblical tours to Israel. She immigrated from South Africa to San Diego, CA with her husband, Jeff, and two daughters in 1977 and credits having multiple homes and opportunities to explore new
cultures as the catalyst that drove her to become a travel advisor,
specializing in a destination she knows well.
“Growing up in South Africa, we visited many game reserves and I have now traveled extensively through Africa,” Sacks tells us. “My true passion is to arrange safaris in Botswana, Zambia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya and, of course, South Africa.
She feels that Africa truly gets in your blood, and she’s not the only one. “I have worked with many wonderful repeat clients who have stated their trips were life-changing experiences,” says Sacks, adding that she works with Wilderness Safaris, based in South Africa. “They own and operate most of the camps in the Okavango Delta and it is a joy to work with them. They are an excellent company and they give back to the communities where their camps are located.”
One of her favorite accomplishments is launching a women’s hiking group and she’s coordinated and participated in treks though Nepal, Bhutan, India, Peru and Vietnam, among others. “This year our group walked a segment of El Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain. We walked 15 miles a day from village to village along the Camino and met people from all over the world,” says Sacks.
Next year, Sacks is planning on taking a group to Africa, where she and her clients will go game tracking in Botswana and Zambia.
Other specialties include Israel for Biblical tours and Bar /Bat Mitzvah groups, which go hand in hand with family trips, another area of expertise for her.
“Multigenerational travel is exceptionally popular and I have many families traveling together, summertime trips or celebrating special occasions,” Sacks tells us.
All told, she’s has been in the travel industry for over 40 years, and has worked at Worldview Travel for the past 19. Sacks says many of her clients have worked with her for over 20 years and she’s been fortunate in receiving great referrals. Her repeat clients and referrals have allowed her to continue to plan not only the itineraries her clients want but more importantly ones that she enjoys creating and experiencing herself.
Her tenure in the industry has also allowed Sacks to form relationships with hoteliers and local guides and Worldview Travel’s affiliation with Virtuoso allows for her clients to be treated on trips with all of the network’s amenities.
So what’s next for this experienced jetsetter? It doesn’t seem that Sacks will be slowing down anytime soon, as her favorite pastime is now traveling with her family and seeing her grandchildren experience new aspects of the world for the first time.