The People Behind Your Journey

A Boutique Team
Based in Brazil

Mika Castro, Journey Brazil’s co-founder and managing director, has spent decades designing and delivering tailor-made trips for guests who expect the extraordinary. His own life, shaped by travel across dozens of countries, taught him early that the best trips aren’t about ticking off destinations, they’re about going deeper. That belief shapes every journey we create, each one a personal connection with Brazil.

Read our blog: Mika Announced as Condé Nast Top Travel Specialist

Journey Brazil is a certified B Corporation, proud to be part of a global movement using business as a force for good. This rigorous, ongoing process examines every aspect of a company’s operations, measuring its social and environmental impact. It gives us a framework to track progress and keep raising the bar, while delivering the high-touch, immersive experiences our guests expect. 

Zach Rabinor, Journey's President, Founder and CEO

Zach, President, Founder and CEO of Journey

Zachary Rabinor is the Founder, CEO, and President of Journey, leading the design of high-touch travel across Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Panama. Guided by a belief in travel as a force for positive change, his path was shaped through years of exploration, cultural immersion, and conservation work across Latin America. In 2003, Zach first founded Journey Mexico, growing it into a globally respected travel company rooted in meaningful connection and positive impact. Based between Puerto Vallarta and New York with his wife and two sons, Zach continues to explore remote coastlines with his surfboard, always chasing the next adventure.

Mika Castro, Journey Brazil's Co-Founder and Managing Director

Mikael Castro, Co-Founder and Managing Director

Mikael Castro is a global leader in luxury and sustainable tourism, with over 20 years of experience designing exceptional travel experiences. His career has spanned more than 25 countries and includes visits to over 76 destinations worldwide. Mikael’s journey in the tourism industry began with a deep-rooted passion for conservation and adventure, influenced by his upbringing between Brazil and the United States, and solidified by a life-changing nine-month expedition across Africa with his father.

Where It All Started

From their first conversation, Mika and Zach found a shared belief that the most transformative travel creates a personal exchange with the places and people you are visiting. Together, they founded Journey Brazil, designing tailor-made travel across the country, explorations that connect and enrich at every level.

Read our blogs:
How a Surf Trip Transformed Zach’s Path
Mika’s Story of Passion, Adventure, and Vision

Accolades

Best Destination & Experiences Sustainability Award 2025 Highest Growth - UK & Europe

A-LIST 2010-2023 - Best Villa Rental Agency

Top Travel Specialist Villa Specialist

Best Adventure Companies On Earth Tours of a Lifetime

The Wow List

Grand DMC Champion 2025 Best Destination & Experiences In Country Partner

Best Operator

Regenerational Travel Award - GOLD

How We Create Your Journey

DISCOVER

We listen to understand how you want to feel, what matters most, and what doesn’t. It’s a traveler-first approach: you’re one of a kind, and your experience should be too.

DESIGN

Your personal planner tailors every detail around how you like to travel, with you from the first conversation to the journey home and the next adventure. Each itinerary is built around the right properties, people, and places for you.

DELIVER

Arrive as a welcomed guest and stay present in the moment. Behind the scenes, we handle every detail with precise logistics and proactive care. Your dedicated Journey travel assistant is always close at hand, available around the clock.

Your Experts on the Ground

Start the Conversation

Whether you know exactly where in Brazil you’re headed, or have a feeling pulling you here, Mika and his team will listen, tailor every detail, and create a journey just for you.

Affiliations

Stories from Brazil

News

Why Brazil’s Pantanal Should Be Next on Your List: Year-Round Jaguar Sightings and a New Private Retreat from Caiman Lodge

6 min read

All

The Golden Lion Tamarin Monkey: Brazil’s Most Remarkable Comeback Story 

9 min read

Things We're Proud Of

The Girl on the Hill: The Story of Brazil’s Iconic Drumming Schools

4 min read