What bamba does

Bamba Travel is a privately held adventure travel company founded in 2005 by Paul Sarfati (Babson College) and Arturo Martinez (Tec de Monterrey), headquartered in Florida with regional offices in Cusco (Peru), Mexico City (Mexico), New Delhi (India), and London (United Kingdom). The company operates across more than 80 countries on five continents, selling three core product styles: Independent Adventures (self-guided, pre-planned itineraries where Bamba books lodging, activities, and transport), Group Adventures (small group tours of 6 to 15 travelers led by local guides), and Tailor-Made Trips (fully customized itineraries co-designed with destination specialists). A fourth product, Travel Passes, offers flexible hop-on-hop-off transportation and selected activities across multi-country routes in Latin America and Southeast Asia, valid for up to one year.

The underlying technology is an all-in-one booking platform providing real-time availability for hotels, activities, transport, and flights, paired with a mobile app that delivers up-to-date itineraries and offline access to the Happiness support team. Distribution spans direct-to-consumer via the website and app, an affiliate program (up to 15% commission), an agent portal, and B2B sales via DMC operations through sister brands Be Mexico DMC and Be Peru DMC. In 2024 the company launched Baboo Travel, a sister-brand digital platform for co-creating personalized itineraries with destination specialists. Pricing is unit-based per trip, with group adventures typically $678–$1,983, independent trips $448–$3,255, travel passes $682–$1,722, and tailor-made trips quoted on request; the customer base is comprised of independent, group, and custom leisure travelers rather than enterprise accounts. The company commits 1% of revenue to carbon removal via Stripe Climate and partners with World Animal Protection on wildlife welfare standards.

Name

bamba

Legal name

Bamba Travel Inc.

Website

https://bambatravel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bamba Travel is a privately held adventure travel company founded in 2005, selling independent, small-group, and tailor-made trips across 80+ countries via a direct booking platform, mobile app, and DMC operations in Peru and Mexico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adventure Travel Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Adventure & Expedition Travel Agencies (THAKAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multi-Activity & Expedition Packages (Guided Adventure Trips) (THAJABAL), Group & Small-Group Custom Itinerary Planning (THAKAOAF), Private Adventure & Expedition Experiences (Custom Hikes, Safaris, Backcountry) (THAJALAG)

Keywords

• Adventure travel tours
• Group travel experiences
• Independent travel packages
• Tailor-made itineraries
• Flexible travel passes

Headquarters

HQ city

Mineola

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tour Package Sales: Direct sales of adventure tours including group adventures, independent trips, and tailor-made itineraries. Revenue generated from booking fees for multi-day tours, day trips, and specialized treks such as Inca Trail and Salkantay.
2. Travel Passes: Flexible hop-on-hop-off style travel passes providing transportation and selected activities across routes in Latin America and Southeast Asia. Passes are valid for up to 1 year from purchase.
3. Affiliate Commission: Revenue generated from affiliate partners who sell Bamba products, earning up to 15% commission on bookings. Bamba also operates as a DMC through sister brands.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bamba Travel is an adventure travel company that sells curated multi-day tour packages, day trips, and flexible travel passes across 80+ countries. The company offers three core trip styles — independent self-guided adventures, small group tours (6-15 travelers) led by local guides, and fully tailor-made custom itineraries — all bookable through its all-in-one online platform with real-time availability for hotels, activities, transport, and flights.

Product overview

Bamba Travel is an adventure travel company offering three core travel styles: Independent Adventures (self-guided pre-planned itineraries), Group Adventures (small group tours with expert guides), and Tailor-Made Trips (fully customized journeys). The company also offers Travel Passes for flexible hop-on-hop-off transportation across routes. Bamba operates a companion mobile app and has a sister brand, Baboo Travel, which provides a digital platform for itinerary co-creation with destination specialists. Together, Bamba and Baboo form a comprehensive travel platform covering over 80 countries across all continents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bamba for Good: Initiative dedicated to giving back to communities and environmental efforts, committing 1% of all sales to carbon offset projects.
• Bamba Travel App
• Travel Passes

Products and services

• Independent Adventures Self-guided travel itineraries arranged by Bamba where the company books accommodation, activities, and transport, but travelers explore independently with pre-planned itineraries, daily departures, and seamless booking.
• Group Adventures Small group tours (typically 6-15 travelers) led by experienced local guides, with pre-planned itineraries that include accommodation, guided activities, and some meals, designed to balance cultural immersion, natural beauty, and authentic activities.
• Travel Passes Self-guided flexible passes that provide transportation and selected activities across a route, letting travelers travel at their own pace. Includes pre-planned itineraries with on-the-go booking flexibility for buses and activities. Passes are valid for up to 1 year from purchase.
• Tailor-Made Trips Fully customizable trips built around individual travel styles, pace, and passions, with travelers working one-on-one with local experts to design their ideal journey including boutique stays, private transfers, and curated activities.
• Bamba Travel Mobile App Mobile application providing seamless travel experience with up-to-date itineraries and direct access to customer support (Happiness team), available offline for travelers.
• Baboo Travel Platform Digital sister brand platform that enables users to co-create personalized itineraries with destination specialists, integrating accommodations, curated experiences, local transport, and flights into customized packages.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.8/5 average rating from 960+ reviews
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• World Animal ProtectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBamba has partnered with World Animal Protection to ensure that travel activities support conservation and provide ethical ways to experience wildlife. The partnership aligns with Bamba's commitment to sustainable travel and animal welfare standards.
• iVisaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBamba partners with iVisa.com to offer customers the simplest solution for processing worldwide travel visas, providing added convenience for international travelers.
• World NomadsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBamba partners with World Nomads to offer winners of the Travel Writing Scholarship a Caribbean adventure. World Nomads is also recommended as the preferred travel insurance provider.
• Global Child TVminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBamba's collaboration with Global Child TV travel show provides media exposure and content marketing, available on American Airlines.
• Stripe ClimatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBamba participates in Stripe Climate, aggregating funds from businesses worldwide to increase demand for carbon removal. Bamba contributes 1% of all sales to carbon offset projects through this platform.
• Adventure Travel Conservation FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBamba collaborates with the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund to drive positive ecological changes, funding local conservation projects that protect cultural and natural resources.
• Futbol for KidsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBamba partners with Futbol for Kids to deliver sports equipment to underprivileged children, promoting health, happiness, and community spirit.
• Milhouse HostelsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBamba Experience partnered with Milhouse Hostels to create vertically integrated products for independent adventure travelers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Adventure Life: Boutique adventure travel company offering custom and small-group trips with strong Latin America focus. Comparable to Bamba in destination mix and bespoke trip model.
• Backroads: Active adventure travel company offering small-group and customized trips worldwide. Comparable to Bamba's group adventure product and premium tailor-made offering.
• Intrepid Travel: Leading sustainable adventure tour operator with small-group and tailor-made itineraries worldwide. Highly comparable to Bamba on product structure, sustainability messaging, and DMC-style local operations.
• G Adventures: Global small-group adventure tour operator offering independent and group trips across 100+ countries. Closely comparable to Bamba in product mix (group + tailor-made), target demographic (18–35), and sustainability positioning.
• Audley Travel: Specialist tailor-made tour operator offering fully customized itineraries across global destinations. Directly comparable to Bamba's Tailor-Made Trips product line.
• Exodus Travels: UK-based adventure and active tour operator offering guided small-group trips across 90+ countries. Directly comparable to Bamba in guided adventure format and global destination coverage.
• Tucan Travel: Adventure tour operator focused on Latin America, Africa, and Asia with group and independent trip styles. Overlaps significantly with Bamba's destination mix and independent travel format.
• Contiki: Specialist tour operator targeting 18–35 year-olds with group travel packages worldwide. Closely aligned with Bamba's Group Adventure segment and youthful demographic focus.
• Explore Worldwide: Small-group adventure tour operator with global itineraries and active/adventure themes. Highly comparable to Bamba on product structure and traveler experience.

Broad incumbents

• REI Adventures: Outdoor retailer REI's tour arm offering guided adventure trips, leveraging the parent brand's outdoor credibility. Adjacent competitor in the active adventure space with a stronger brand and broader resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@bambatravel
• Facebookfacebook.com/bambaexperience
• TikToktiktok.com/tag/bambatravel
• Instagraminstagram.com/bambatravel
• Xx.com/bambaexperience
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bambaexperience

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about bamba