Two friends with years of travel experience between them (guiding, trip planning, researching…) dawned on the fact that most of the travellers they travelled with were always moved by the human relationships that pop up during trips. This magic happens when you are ready to see and share it with others. The art of travelling, at the end of the day, is like sculpting deep moments where authenticity can arise.
They understood that true luxury was to create a place in time auspicious for the encounter. Tired of an industry that leaves no space for such considerations, they decided to create their own company using their knowledge and to build a network with all the amazing people they met over the years designing experiences in Spain.
So our two young men left their jobs and spent months setting up their business plan, trying to find clients, connecting with providers, running through the whole country sleeping in their car, tent, or under the stars in order to put together all the pieces of this jigsaw. They gathered the best routes, hotels, grandma’s tortillas or winemakers and eventually came up with Ojalá!
Ojalá, A joyful word full of hope that people enjoy pronouncing over here, embodies the whole vision Dylan and Sébastien have. Their goal and mission is to work as artisans and shape the best quality trips, that really fulfill all the expectations their travellers can have, and at the same time has a positive impact on the local economy.
Dylan is a blend of the Irish vigor inherited from his father and the French charm transmitted by his mother. Born and raised in France, he studied for an Arts Master in Paris, and in order to deepen his knowledge and finalize his cursus he joined the world famous Reina Sofia master classes.
From there he went on to lead and supervise artistic projects all over Europe, such as an intercultural program in Bosnia, or managing an arts center in Vienna for 5 years, where he also learned to master Goethe’s language.
But his heart decided to settle back in Madrid. He literally fell in love with the country, its way of living and culture, and eventually started a family here. He then started to work for one of the best tours & experiences company in Spain and discovered that his search for the aesthetic, his love of communicating with people, and passion for languages were all fulfilled by designing trips and experiences for customers. He gained a great deal of expertise and quickly became a pillar of the company.
With all the experiences he gathered during those years and his encounter with Sébastien he finally decided to sculpt his own personal vision of a travel agency and both founded Ojalá, using his vigor, charm and assertiveness as material arts.
This boy from Brussel has a pretty unconventional background. Born in a bilingual family in Brussels, he decided to live abroad for a year in Mexico in order to learn Spanish and be involved in NGOs. After that, he began studying for a degree in communication, but during an advertisement shoot working as an intern, he met the props team and became enamoured with the craft of building movie sets
He went on to work on huge cinematographic projects throughout Europe for 10 years. One day he woke up and felt the urge to live a real adventure before his thirties, so the day before his birthday he jumped on a bike and pedaled from Brussels to Cairo, where he was touched by the profound culture and history of Egypt and where he would stay for almost two years teaching French and learning Arabic.
Back in Europe, he moved to Spain, believing it to be a land where latin and mediterranean culture blend and as the perfect place to start a family. His curious spirit led him to explore the peninsula tirelessly and to understand its fascinating culture. Sébastien worked as a guide and trip designer all over Spain for 7 years, working for the best high-end, luxury travel companies, such as Butterfield & Robinson or Bike Spain, etc… where he was able to forge extensive knowledge of the terrain and reality of the Spanish offer.
Something, however, was still missing in his professional life, as our chap needed to invest his vision and beliefs in what he does, so together with Dylan they decided to found Ojalá and to implement the vision they have in common.
