Passport to memorable explorations
Avid travelling duo ventures into tour business
‘ Passport To’ is curating beautiful experiences through travel for those who are keen to discover and see the best of Botswana.
Birthed by two avid travellers, Bonnie Kamona and Uyapo Ketogetswe, the duo is curating memorable explorations for their clients. The Passport To ( Pty) Ltd, explains the duo, was started as they felt the need to share their love with others who are keen to explore, and be part of unique and memorable explorations of an array of locations. Since the duo started giving a snippet and glimpse about this new venture, they have been blown away by the response from the public. On social media, they have been sharing stories and images about the endless possibilities that lie for those who are willing to throw caution to the wind, and immerse themselves in the beauty of Botswana and her rich tourism offerings. Next year, they will upgrade their offering to include South Africa, Tanzania and Namibia. Passport To is a separate entity from one of their projects, namely Self- Made Sessions. The Passport To is a registered company that provides group travel experiences similar to the global Contiki Tours and also does individual bookings for couples, friends and bridal excursions, for example. The company gives clients holistic travel planning and execution services including hosting guests to assure them complete ease of mind.
Speaking in an interview with Kamona, she explains that they seek to find unexplored activities and pair them with the familiar favourites to create a truly distinctive Passport To Experience. She explains that they believe fervently in details as reflected in their jam- packed itineraries, the careful selection of guests to join their group tours as well as even the gifts that they offer their patrons.
“We mix wellness elements, yoga and meditation, with adventure elements, horseback safaris, guided walks, mokoro rides and educational elements sanctuary visits and game drives to offer our patrons a holistic experience of each location we offer using small businesses to grow communities we visit,” she explains. She further says that each Passport To Experience ends with a community handover where they partner with corporates to donate necessary hampers to support the communities they derive all this joy from. The target market is ideally for all travelers who might not have travel buddies, and pairs them with like- minded travelers. They also target corporates looking for unusual executive treats and small groups of friends wishing to unwind and take in new sights. She further notes that they offer 3- 4 star experience for 3- 5 nights and that prices vary depending on the length of stay and the number of activities included in the itinerary.
“Typically, our experience price range in P6000 per person, inclusive of accommodation, meals and activities,” she says.
She also points out that they have had mixed reactions from the market. Some who do not value travel and the investment that comes with travelling have not been eager on the idea. But on the positive side, those who know what travelling is all about, have welcomed the initiative, and have added it to their bucket list. “We have had all our previous guests show interest in experiencing a different location with and truly appreciate the support that has been shown for two young Batswana who love what they do and go above and beyond with each excursion planned,” she highlights. Some of their highlights include their first Passport To Maun trip, where they took twelve guests and showed a side of the tourism capital of Botswana that they had not known was available. “We are so proud that our debut experience has been imbedded in the memories of our patrons as the highlights of their year for varying reasons; those that had experienced loss found joy, those that were burnt out from work found new reprieve and those who had love and new jobs to celebrate found the perfect outlet. It was truly something special for each and every one of them,” she points out. For the festive season, they are working around the clock to give clients the Passport To Maun & Kasane. Details about these excursions will be shared on social media.
They are also working on exciting plans for 2021, which will include Valentines Day, Easter holidays as well as mid- year excursions. “We encourage all to start saving up for what is sure to be a jam- packed year of precious memory building through exploration of Botswana and beyond,” says Kamona.