Welcome to Bayabhonga Travel
Your Travel designer specialized in African destinations
Former tourist guide, founder and director of a travel agency in South Africa for 11 years, I am now embarking on a new adventure dedicated to immersive travel focused on cultures, wildlife and its preservation.
I will assist you in designing your next African adventure. I share with you my in-depth knowledge of the African destinations and design the trip of your dreams based on your desires, your budget and your specific constraints.
As a Travel Planner, I offer a fast and efficient, 100% tailor-made solution for planning and organizing your trip. Use my services to make the most of your experience while minimizing the hassle and stress associated with planning it.
My Services
The African continent is full of natural and wild beauty, vibrant cultures and unexplored lands. Embark on your African adventure with Bayabhonga Travel!
Afraid to start out alone, lack of time, or on recommendation or because you have already traveled through me, you are in the right place!
Planning a trip can be a complex and time-consuming task. Imagine escaping the stress of endless searches, confusing itineraries and uncertain choices: that’s where I come in.
I am the architect of your adventure, the expert guide who turns your travel dreams into reality.
In order to adapt to your needs, I offer several options from which to choose. Check them out below:
Also check out the FAQ to learn more about the role of the Travel Planner and how it works.
why choose bayabhonga travel?
SAVE OF VALUABLE TIME AND ENERGY
Trust me with your travel ideas and say goodbye to the logistical and organizational hassles of preparation. Hand over to me the long search for transport solutions, accommodation, activities, etc., you will save precious time to concentrate on the excitement of your trip.
100% CUSTOMIZATION
I design your tailor-made travel itinerary according to your desires, budget and interests. Your trip is unique and I will try to enrich it by sharing my experience and my little secrets and advice. We will work together to obtain an itinerary that suits you, both in terms of the places of interests and the type of accommodation or activities.
IN-DEPTH RESEARCH WORK
I do not make the reservations for you but do the research and compile the information to help you make thoughtful choices about your future trip. This research focuses on the destination itself and logistical details such as activities, accommodation, transport, etc. A personalized roadbook is provided.
COST CONTROL AND OPTIMIZATION
I work closely with you, in complete transparency, to intelligently manage the budget that you wish to devote to your trip. Thanks to anticipation, my know-how and my address book, I always seek to offer the best quality/price ratio possible while guaranteeing a quality travel experience.
AN EXPERIENCED AND RELIABLE TOURISM PROFESSIONAL
With my 11 years at the head of a travel agency in South Africa and 15 years as a guide (part of which as a game ranger), rest assured that you are in the hands of a tourism professional, guaranteeing expertise, professionalism and know-how. Dozens of travelers have trusted me for a decade to carry out their travel plans.
A NETWORK OF ESTABLISHED LOCAL PARTNERS
As a Travel Planner I have in-depth knowledge of my destinations and their specificities. I give you access to useful local information, opening doors to authentic travel. Thanks to many years in the African tourism sector, you will benefit from my on-the-ground network of tourism partners, a guarantee of reliability and seriousness.
FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
As an advocate for responsible travel, I prioritize sustainable and ethical practices in all aspects of my personal and professional activities, promoting conservation efforts, supporting local communities, and minimizing my environmental footprint in order to preserve the natural beauty of Africa for future generations.
About Me
My name is Aurélie; I was born in France in 1985 and moved to South Africa in 2008. My passion for African wildlife goes back a long way. I trained and worked as a ranger on private reserves near Kruger National Park (Hoedspruit).
What followed were magnificent years spent exploring African countries and guiding travelers for local travel agencies. In 2014, based in Cape Town, I created and developed my travel agency, African Heart Travel, while continuing my career as a guide. My daughter Maya (8 years old) and I packed our bags in June 2022 and moved from Muizenberg (Cape Town) to Marloth Park in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa.
I had this “crazy” project in mind…build a house in the “bush”, surrounded by wild animals. A difficult period followed for this house to be completed. But thanks to hard work and a few lioness “roars” (bayabhonga means “they roar” in the Zulu language), Bayabhonga was completed in August 2023. This 3-bedroom villa is now available for short term rental. It can be discovered on www.bayabhonga.com
Back, 8 months out of 12, in France, I made the decision to close the previous chapter (African Heart Travel) and open a new one with Bayabhonga Travel. Beyond African countries, I have visited, to date, 22 other countries since the age of 13. I essentially organized my trips on my own and became an expert in planning but also in travel logistics. I have shared this knowledge with my clients for over 10 years.
Visiting the African continent is an incredible adventure. However, this requires planning. Organizing your trip to these distant lands can be complex. Say goodbye to the stress of travel planning. At Bayabonga Travel, you are in good hands!
I’m here to help you prepare for the trip of a lifetime, so you don’t miss a thing. Let’s talk about it during a free 30-minute meeting.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Travel Planner is a tourism magician who turns your dreams into reality. A trip idea, a little money aside and some days off, add the touch of ingenuity and know-how of the Travel Planner and voilà: a tailor-made trip is ready!
Thanks to attentive listening, taking into account your expectations (budget, interests, constraints, etc.), the Travel Planner designs a trip to the destination of your dreams and guides you in finalizing it.
Say goodbye to long hours of searching on the Internet and treat yourself to the peace of mind of a tailor-made trip.
To start planning your trip now with your personal travel advisor, book your free 30-minute call!
You have decided to travel and need help with the preparation.
I offer several options. Have a look at them and choose the one(s) that seem best suited to your needs.
Below I will only detail the “lion” option which consists of a full package. Details of other options can be viewed here.
1/ An initial contact by email
You’re ready to start planning your trip, all you have to do is take the first step. Send me an email or a message on the “contact” form.
2/ A free call to understand your request
Take advantage of a free 30-minute call here to discuss your trip. Together we will review the essential points: destination, duration of the trip, dates, number of participants, age, budget, particular constraints, interests, etc.
Prior to this meeting, I will send you a complete form to fill out. It will serve as a starting point for my research, and it will also form the basis of our phone call.
Following this meeting and depending on the option chosen, I will send you by email the invoice (with payment link) for the Travel Planner service accompanied by a summary of our conversation.
3/ A second call for the design of the trip
Once the service has been paid, we plan a new phone call to define the itinerary and study all the details of your trip: stops, accommodation, activities, transport, etc.
4 / Creation of the trip and validation
Following this second call, I start working on creating your trip by researching the relevant services.
I will send you a proposal for validation as soon as possible.
Naturally, my proposals, whether for transport, accommodation, or other aspects of the trip, will be refined, within reason, until they correspond to your expectations (as long as the criteria defined during of the telephone appointment are not modified).
5/ The reservations phase
Once the itinerary has been validated, I will send you the information to make your reservations with the different service providers. As a reminder, I do not make any reservations on your behalf, but I guide you through this final step which materializes your trip.
My Travel Planner service ends here. You are now in the best conditions to finalize your departure and discover your destination. I will contact you upon your return to find out your impressions of your trip.
Following our telephone discussion, my work begins. This is the designing phase of the project.
- A tailor-made itinerary
Sending a tailor-made itinerary by email with suggested stops. If the proposed itineraries do not meet your expectations, you have the possibility to modify them up to two times, if necessary. Beyond that, additional pricing will be imposed.
Air Transport
Research and proposal of a flight plan to get you to your destination. Flight prices are not taken into account when choosing the flight plan, only travel time.
On-site transportation
Search and suggestions for car rental, as well as travel options by plane, train or bus, depending on your needs.
Accommodation
Search for accommodation suited to your preferences and the number of travelers. (Maximum 3 accommodations per stop).
Sightseeing / Activities
Research and proposal of unmissable activities in accordance with our traveler’s charter, as well as suggestions of places to visit for each stop. (Maximum 3 sightseeing/activities per stop).
- A personalized travel roadbook
Once you have made your reservations with the different service providers, I create your travel roadbook in digital format containing your personalized itinerary with a detailed day-by-day program, as well as all the practical information on the destination and your different stops.
You have the possibility of adding additional options to your project such as the concierge service or the “elephant” option which consists of answering all your questions before departure during a telephone conversation of one hour (maximum).
The answer is simple: AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!! anticipation is the key to preparing for a successful trip, Take it from the expert!
The destinations offered by Bayabhonga Travel are very popular with international travelers. Ideally, you should contact me between 6 to 12 months in advance depending on the destinations and travel period.
Why so far in advance?
Using a Travel Planner as early as possible not only guarantees you access to the best rates, but also to a wide range of options among the various services you will need (accommodation, activities, transport, etc.)
Anticipation will allow me to design the real trip you dream of, without limitation.
It would be a shame to miss out on superb accommodation with unbeatable value for money in the heart of the wildebeest migration in Kenya or to pay twice as much for your 4×4 rental in Namibia.
The Travel Planner’s flat rate corresponds to the time and expertise needed to design your tailor-made trip.
This is why, before establishing an itinerary, the Travel Planner spends time to understand your needs. The research and design of a trip by the Travel Planner will then require several hours of work, it is this work that is paid for by the travelers. The value given to this work added to his expertise and personalized assistance are the bases of the pricing.
Since every trip and every traveler is different, there is an unavoidable amount of work that must be done by the Travel Planner.
The latter must therefore receive his fee in advance to ensure that the work he is about to carry out on behalf of the traveler(s) will be paid for.
The services of these two tourism professionals vary significantly and for the sake of transparency, I will explain why.
A different legal framework
The legal framework for travel agencies, based in France, differs from that of Travel Planner.
The travel agency is an economic actor whose activity is governed by the Tourism Code. It must take out a special financial guarantee from a specific organization.
It is up to a travel agency, selling you a full package (transport, accommodation and activities), to assume legal responsibility in the event of a problem during the trip (plane delay, problem with car rental or accommodation, etc. .).
The local travel agencies, like the one I created in 2014, is registered and governed by the law of the country in which it is based. Regulations vary by country. Its role, just like a “classic” travel agency, is to support travelers from A to Z and to offer the comfort of French-speaking contact in the destination country and to reduce the number of intermediaries between the client and local service providers.
Bayabhonga Travel is a micro-enterprise based in France. It has neither the status nor the license of a travel agency. On the other hand, Bayabhonga Travel is registered in the company register (SIRET 88997922500014) and has taken out Professional Civil Liability insurance with Chapka Assurances.
As a Travel planner Bayabhonga cannot legally take legal responsibility for problems occurring before, during and after the trip, since the client(s) remain in charge of booking and paying for all services. The traveler(s) therefore assume full responsibility for these. For more information, consult the General Conditions of Sale.
During the trip, although you can contact the Travel Planner for practical questions, you will mainly be independent, unless you choose the “Rhinoceros” option which offers a concierge service from 12€/day.
A different concept of travel
The travel agency is an intermediary between customers who buy a trip and travel “producers” (airlines, accommodation, tour operators, etc.).
Although there are more and more small agencies doing “tailor-made”, a majority of so-called “classic” travel agencies offer standardized itineraries in order to meet a wide audience: cruises, all-inclusive stays, group tours, organized trips, etc. Prices are calculated according to sales volumes, allowing them to achieve significant margins at competitive prices.
Conversely, the Travel Planner does ONLY tailor-made itineraries. He only charges for his consulting service and makes no margin since he does not make any reservations, except in the case of affiliate links. The daily rate is set according to the quantity of research to be carried out and calculated according to the number of participants and the duration of the trip. Although it does not make any reservations, the Travel Planner can, if necessary, direct you to local partners with which he/she works to complete its service.
A different way of traveling
Most travel agencies offer group trips, larger or smaller. This is not the case with Bayabhonga Travel which only offers individual trips for families, friends, colleagues, etc. traveling together.
If you are a group already formed, I can of course assist you in creating your trip. Check out the “Buffalo” option.
Travel agencies offer predefined tours (sometimes modifiable as was the case with my former agency). The Travel Planner designs your trip from A to Z based on the elements provided by the customer. He adapts to him; unlike a pre-conceived trip to which the(s) travelers must adapt to.
The Travel Planner also has an approach to sustainable tourism by encouraging people to reduce the environmental and societal impact of travel. It promotes as much as possible the choice of sustainable transport, authentic encounters and the preservation of natural spaces and species. Consult the Bayabhonga Travel traveler’s charter.