Ali Bin Habib Travel Agency

We’re down in the upper basement at 43 Santacruz West, on the 9th Main. It’s right near Milan Mall, which is the easiest way to explain where we are to anyone looking for Ali Bin Habib Travel Agency. Being in the basement means it stays a bit cooler during the summer, which we all appreciate. It’s a cozy space, maybe even a little cramped when we have a lot of people coming in to talk about their trips. We’ve got posters of different countries on the walls, though some of them are getting a bit faded now. Most of our day is spent on the phone or clicking through flight schedules and hotel bookings. It’s a lot of coordination, making sure dates line up and names are spelled correctly on tickets. We’ve been in this neighborhood for a while, and we know many of the people who walk past our door every day. It’s a local business through and through. We don't have a big fancy lobby, just some chairs for people to sit while we look things up. Sometimes it gets a bit hectic when a flight gets canceled or someone changes their mind last minute, but we just handle it one step at a time. It’s a steady job, and we enjoy hearing about where everyone is headed, even if we’re just staying here in the basement. Our desks are usually covered in post-it notes and scribbled reminders. It isn't perfect, but it’s how we keep track of everything.