Bamba Experience

Long before Bamba existed, Paul Sarfati and Arturo Martínez were childhood friends, having known each other since elementary school.

After graduating from high school, Paul spent a year traveling around the world with his friend Pablo Cervantes. Along the way, they experienced extraordinary adventures, met people from different cultures, and discovered innovative travel concepts such as Oz Experience and Kiwi Experience, pioneered by travel entrepreneur Greg Zammit.

Those experiences planted a seed.

When Paul later attended Babson College, where he studied entrepreneurship, he began developing the idea of bringing a similar flexible travel concept to Mexico: one that would allow adventurous travelers to discover the country freely, meet new people, and experience destinations beyond the conventional tourist trail.

The name Bamba emerged during an exploratory road trip across Mexico with friends Felipe Pimentel, Juan Brando, and Ricardo Korda. While driving through Oaxaca, they discovered a beach called Concepción Bamba. The name stuck. The dream had an identity.

In 2005, Paul and Arturo officially cofounded Bamba Experience, supported by what entrepreneurs affectionately call the three Fs: friends, family, and fools — people who believed in their vision before there was much more than an idea.

Bamba's first route connected Mexico City with Oaxaca, stopping in Zapotitlán Salinas. Soon, the company expanded into a flexible hop-on, hop-off route stretching from Mexico City to Cancún.

What started with a handful of travelers and a pioneering idea would eventually become an international adventure travel company.

Travel didn't just shape Paul's professional life. It changed his personal life forever.

While promoting one of Bamba's earliest journeys in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Paul met Katherine Zellhoefer, an American traveler who would become his life partner and one of the most important people behind the Bamba story.

They married in 2006, beginning a lifelong adventure together.

Katherine became deeply involved in Bamba, contributing to sales, customer service, and product development while joining Paul on countless journeys to discover destinations, build relationships, and develop new routes.

Together, they traveled overland for eight weeks from Lima to Rio de Janeiro, another eight weeks from Rio to Ushuaia, across Africa from Cape Town to Kenya, and through Southeast Asia from Hanoi to Bangkok.

These weren't simply holidays. They were journeys of discovery, often becoming the inspiration for future Bamba itineraries.

As Bamba grew, so did its ambition.

In 2008, the company expanded its destination management capabilities with Be Mexico DMC and Be Peru DMC, bringing local knowledge, operational expertise, and authentic cultural experiences directly into the group's offering.

The goal was not simply to send more travelers to popular destinations, but to create better connections between international visitors and the people who call those places home.

In 2011, Laurent Steiner joined Bamba, playing an important role in expanding sales and building relationships with travel agencies across Europe through training and commercial development.

In 2013, Bamba expanded its portfolio of local experiences through Urban Adventures, operating as part of the franchise network associated with Intrepid Travel. Following changes to that relationship in 2020, the business evolved under its own identity as Urban Day Trips.

In 2016, Armin Roelcke opened Bamba's office in India, helping expand the company's presence in Asia and strengthen its ability to provide service across time zones. Armin later became a partner in the business.

Over the years, Bamba grew into a global travel operation, connecting travelers with adventures across more than 70 countries and serving as many as 12,000 travelers in a single year.

But behind every itinerary, office, partnership, and new destination was the same original spirit: making independent travel easier, more accessible, and more meaningful.

Then came the pandemic.

Like much of the global tourism industry, Bamba faced an unprecedented crisis. International travel came to an abrupt halt, and STA Travel, one of Bamba's largest commercial partners, collapsed, leaving the company exposed to a substantial unpaid balance.

Almost overnight, years of growth were put at risk.

The team went from approximately 65 employees to just five. The business came dangerously close to bankruptcy. It was one of the most difficult chapters in Bamba's history.

But giving up was not an option.

Paul and the remaining team focused on keeping the business alive, preserving relationships, rebuilding operations, and finding a way forward.

And in the middle of that uncertainty, a new idea emerged.

During the pandemic, Paul began rethinking the future of travel.

Having spent years building products for young, independent backpackers, he recognized an opportunity to serve a different kind of traveler: people who still wanted authenticity, adventure, and freedom, but now valued more comfort, personalization, and thoughtful service.

That vision became Baboo Travel.

Created as a technology-driven travel startup, Baboo connected travelers and travel advisors with local experts around the world to design personalized journeys.

The company was supported by a group of investors who believed in its potential, including Erick Mauser, Islam Mahdy, Erick Stern, David Sarfati, Isidoro Sarfati, Andrés Rodríguez Cacho, Alejandro Nestel, Jorge Nestel, and Enrique Torres.

Rick Carrassai also became a significant part of Baboo's journey, investing not only capital but considerable time, energy, and commitment to its growth, eventually becoming a business partner.

Baboo represented an evolution of the original Bamba philosophy: the same passion for discovering the world, redesigned for a new generation of travelers and a more connected industry.

As travel recovered, it became increasingly clear that Bamba and Baboo were stronger together than apart.

Both businesses shared the same entrepreneurial DNA, international relationships, operational experience, and belief in meaningful travel.

In 2023, the companies were brought back together under Bamba Experience Group, with Bamba Travel Inc. as the group's official corporate entity.

The reunification allowed the businesses to share resources, support one another, and build on nearly two decades of experience.

What had started as one travel company had become a family of complementary brands, each addressing a different way of discovering the world.

The next chapter brought a more personal kind of travel experience.

Together with new business partner Zony Maya, Paul launched Viajando Juntas, a travel brand created to bring women together through carefully curated small-group journeys.

Zony brought a distinctive philosophy of guide training, hospitality, and exceptional customer service — the kind of personal attention that transforms a trip into something truly memorable.

Katherine Zellhoefer also became part of this new chapter as a central face of the brand, bringing her lifelong passion for exploration and personal experience as a woman traveler.

Viajando Juntas is about more than visiting new places. It's about creating friendships, building confidence, embracing adventure, and celebrating the freedom to discover the world together.