Bamba Experience Group Celebrates a Remarkable Travel Evolution From Backpacking Roots to Global Expansion

Written By: Ricky Acharjee

Ricky Acharjee

I am travel writer at Travel And Tour World with 3 years of experience covering global tourism, aviation, hospitality, and destination news. Dedicated to accurate reporting and compelling storytelling, Ricky explores the trends, innovations, and developments shaping the international travel industry while delivering engaging insights for travellers and industry professionals.

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September 7, 2026 10:39 PM

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Before Bamba Travel, Be DMC, Urban Day Trips, Baboo Travel and Viajando Juntas became recognised names in the travel industry, the journey started with a simple idea from a young backpacker who believed travel could be more meaningful, personal and experience-driven.

That early vision has grown into Bamba Experience Group, a diverse travel network that now brings together multiple specialist brands covering adventure journeys, destination management, local experiences, personalised holidays and women-focused group travel.

The foundation of the company dates back to 2005, when entrepreneur Paul Sarfati, alongside co-founder Arturo Martinez, launched Bamba Experience. The concept was shaped during Sarfati’s years studying entrepreneurship at Babson College, where he developed the initial business idea while exploring new approaches to the travel industry.

Travel had already played a major role in shaping Sarfati’s perspective. At just 18, a year-long backpacking adventure across the world exposed him to different cultures and communities, helping him realise that the strongest travel memories often came from authentic encounters rather than traditional, fixed holiday packages.

That belief became the foundation of Bamba Experience.

The company was built around creating flexible, immersive and adventure-focused journeys for independent travellers who wanted more than standard sightseeing. Over time, the business expanded and transformed into Bamba Travel, establishing itself within the experiential travel sector.

However, instead of relying on a single brand to serve every type of traveller, the group followed a different strategy. It focused on creating specialised brands designed around specific customer needs and changing travel behaviours.

In 2008, the company expanded into destination management services by launching operations in Mexico and Peru. This move created the groundwork for what later developed into Be DMC, with dedicated expertise in destinations including Mexico and Peru.

The group continued diversifying in 2013 with the introduction of Urban Day Trips, targeting travellers looking for shorter, locally focused activities and memorable experiences within their chosen destinations.

The next major shift came as digital travel expectations changed.

By 2020, travellers had become increasingly comfortable personalising almost every aspect of their online purchases. Yet designing a fully customised international trip remained complicated, often requiring multiple platforms, research and coordination.

Recognising this gap, Baboo Travel was created in 2020. The platform aimed to simplify tailor-made travel by connecting travellers with trusted Local Experts who could design personalised journeys based on individual interests, preferences and travel styles.

The group continued responding to emerging travel trends with the launch of Viajando Juntas in 2026. The new brand focused on a growing segment of women travellers seeking meaningful global experiences while avoiding the challenges of solo travel or traditional group tours.

More than two decades after Bamba Experience first entered the market, the organisation has evolved from a single adventure travel concept into a portfolio of specialised travel businesses.

Its growth reflects a wider transformation taking place across tourism, where travellers increasingly seek authentic experiences, personalised itineraries and brands that understand specific communities rather than one-size-fits-all holidays.

The Bamba Experience Group story represents how continuous innovation, market awareness and niche-focused strategies can reshape a travel company from a small backpacker-inspired idea into a broader global travel ecosystem.

“One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as an entrepreneur is that you can’t assume the traveler you served ten years ago is the same traveler you’re serving today,” said Sarfati. “Travel changes. Technology changes. Distribution changes. People change. You either keep listening and adapting or eventually your business stops being relevant.”

Today, the group’s portfolio of brands serves a wide range of segments across the international travel industry, with each business designed to meet a specific traveller or industry need.

Bamba Travel delivers independent, flexible and experience-driven journeys for travellers looking for authentic adventures and personalised exploration.

Be DMC, including operations such as Be Mexico and Be Peru, provides destination management expertise for global tour operators, travel agencies and partners that need reliable local support and on-ground knowledge.

Urban Day Trips specialises in short, locally focused experiences that allow travellers to discover destinations through curated activities and unique encounters.

Baboo Travel brings together local destination specialists and advanced technology through an AI-supported platform that helps create, organise and manage tailor-made travel experiences.

Viajando Juntas is building a new style of small-group travel focused on meaningful connections, supportive environments and shared experiences designed specifically around women travellers.

Across these businesses, technology has become the key element linking the entire group together.

The company is developing AI-powered tools and digital systems that help internal teams and local partners handle customer enquiries, design personalised itineraries, communicate more efficiently with travellers, prepare proposals, manage reservations and strengthen long-term customer relationships through a more connected operating model.

However, technology itself is not positioned as the main offering. Instead, it acts as a powerful support system that helps improve human interaction, simplify travel planning and deliver more personalised experiences.

“The travel industry sometimes talks as though technology and human service are competing ideas,” he said. “I see exactly the opposite. The better our technology becomes, the more time our people should have to do the things humans are actually great at — understanding somebody, creating something memorable and taking care of them.”

This approach appears to be driving the group’s ongoing focus on highly defined traveller communities and specialised travel needs.

Instead of creating a single broad travel company that tries to serve everyone, Bamba Experience Group is building a network of focused brands designed for different types of travellers. The strategy combines operational strength and technology at the back end with personalised experiences and clear identities for customers.

Over the years, the group’s businesses have expanded significantly, moving from independent adventure travel into destination management, customised journeys, AI-supported travel solutions and curated experiences designed around specific communities, including women-only travel.

Although the brands and markets have evolved since the company’s beginning in 2005, the core business philosophy remains unchanged: identify gaps in the travel market and create dedicated solutions that meet the needs of travellers who are looking for something more personalised.