The Kenya + Uganda Experience

Nairobi + Bwindi National Forest

There aren’t very many places in the world where you can go trekking with gorillas, sip sommelier-selected champagne in the middle of a rainforest, and stay in a luxury safari camp to watch hippos passing by from a sunbed.

Join us on our 8-day luxury exploration of Kenya & Uganda and experience the country’s culture and natural beauty inside a fancy documentary. You can’t call yourself an adventurer until you have experienced this journey in Eastern Africa for yourself.

Do you hear that? That’s the sound of your tastebuds singing after you savor the local culinary magic in your multi-course meals in the sanctuary, enjoying afternoon teas, and swoon over the vibrant and still traditional way of life of the Maasai.

And you didn’t come snatched for anything! The pics you will snap of your melanin poppin’ in the beautiful savannah with Lions and Rhinos will be enough to shut down the gram, no cap.

Whether you are soaking it trekking in the rainforest, watching the sunrise from an air balloon or from the private luxury tents, the dreamy scenery will make you feel blessed to experience the beauty of Kenya & Uganda.

Priceless moments watching at the big five with new friends, cultural exploration, and pampered relaxation await you on your Up in the Air Life journey through Eastern Africa.

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Here's your trip at a glance.

WHERE YOU'LL GO

From exploring the Maasai culture to going on a game drive, this trip offers a wide variety of scenery (and selfie) options. You will be able to check must-see sites like the Maasai Mara National Park, a traditional Maasai village, and Bwindi National Park to tick your gorilla trekking off your bucket list.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

This trip is your chance to be classy, bougie, and a little ratchet. From dining on food created by the finest chefs and learning about the still traditional Maasai people to join the naturalists on the impenetrable forest, you will experience the spectrum of Eastern Africa’s multifaceted culture.

WHERE YOU'LL STAY

Our accommodations are so extra. After a long day exploring the most amazing national parks in Kenya & Uganda, taking sundowners, or watching cheetahs and lions on the safari, you will relax in sumptuous private villas and at a sanctuary gorilla forest camp. Only the best for Lifers!

Explore the day-by-day itinerary.

THIS TRIP IS FOR YOU, IF:

THIS TRIP IS NOT FOR YOU, IF:

Day 1

Welcome to Nairobi, Kenya (NBO). Nairobi, located in East Africa, resides on the coastline of the Indian Ocean. On arrival, you’ll be met at the airport for your VIP Meet-and-Greet transfer to the hotel. Enjoy the scenic ride in Nairobi as it soaks in that you are home. For those of you who have been to the Continent, welcome back! Tonight we’ll connect with each other and break bread at our Welcome Dinner. Rest up tonight because tomorrow our adventure begins!

Day 2

Enjoy a deluxe leisurely breakfast before we are whisked to Wilson Airport for our connection to the Masai Mara. On arrival, you’ll have time to relax and freshen up in your luxury safari suite before lunch is served. This unique safari camp could be one of the best hotels you’ve experienced in your life. Each room is spacious with a sunken living room and floor-to-ceiling glass windows that look out to a riverbed with hippopotamus and the occasional elephant and monkey that hikes up the hill. After lunch, we’ll enjoy our first drive, followed by afternoon tea and night star gazing.

Day 3

This morning after breakfast at the camp, we’ll venture out with our expert guides to explore the Masai Mara, a fabulous place for seeing lions, cheetahs, leopards, and all of the big five. The plains offer a rich variety of food for the dominant predators while elephants roam amongst the large herds of wildebeest. After our drive, we’ll head back for mid-afternoon high tea and lunch. In the evening, we’ll enjoy another delectable multi-course dinner followed by a campfire.

Day 4

For early risers, you can take advantage of a sunrise Hot Air Balloon ride (additional cost) that floats gently over the plains and the plethora of game.

In the afternoon, after a morning game drive, we’ll get an insight into the vibrant and still traditional way of life of the Maasai. Accompanied by an experienced Maasai guide, you are invited to visit the village which is built along traditional lines. Meet the elders, their wives, and families and learn about the social structure of the homestead, the role of women in their society, and many more aspects of their daily life. Interaction and discussion are encouraged, so whether the ladies are building a hut, the warriors are dancing, or making fire with stones and sticks, guests are free to join in.

Day 5

Today is a leisure day at the safari camp. Rest up and enjoy the spectacular views over the Mara River and the soothing sound of the river and hippos in the background.

In the afternoon you’ll have a unique opportunity to visit a local school that is sponsored by the Sanctuary Safari lodge, in which we will stay. We’ll also have an opportunity to take a Nature Walk with our naturalist and learn about plants, trees, and insects and their use in the daily lives of the Maasai tribe. There is an opportunity to plant a tree, leaving a positive mark in Africa. Watch the hippos, learn to identify the birds from their song, stop and learn about insects and even the fascinating system ants have to build and maintain their ant-hills. Your guide will also point out animal signs which are everywhere but are not that easily noticed.

Day 6

This morning after an incredible breakfast, we’ll head to Uganda. Sanctuary Retreat’s Gorilla Forest Camp is located within Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is the perfect base for a tracking experience as it offers luxury in the heart of the rainforest. Lunch is served at the camp. In the afternoon you can just relax and take in the fresh air or take a forest walk, which is a nice way to warm up before the Gorilla tracking. There are also rare forest elephants, giant forest hogs, and eleven kinds of primates, such as red-tailed and blue monkeys, black and white colobus, baboons, and chimpanzees.

Day 7

Enjoy an early breakfast this morning before a briefing from your guide. Tracking commences every morning from the park headquarters at 8.30 am. The gorillas we track belong to one of the ‘habituated’ family groups in Northern Bwindi. For several years, each group has undergone an extremely delicate process that has gradually made them used to the presence of humans. Experienced guides will accompany the tracking. Once the gorillas are located, we are allowed a maximum of one hour with them. We’ll return to camp late afternoon to rest and share pictures and stories around the campfire before dinner. At our last dinner, we’ll enjoy music and the sounds of laughter as we relish the last week together.

Day 8

On Day 8 we head back to Uganda for your return flight home from Entebbe, Uganda (EBB). You’ll have options to extend at the Gorilla Forest Camp or in the city of Kampala, Uganda.

Wanna go on the trip of a lifetime and not have to plan it?! Of course you do! Then travel with Up in the Air Life...thank me later. They are so organized that I didnt have any worries about the accomodations, excursions or dining choices. The staff was so friendly and helpful, it was like going on vacation with your cousins and 'nem. Up in the Air Life is the only I'll travel from now on.

Shauna

ANY trip w/ Up in the Air Life is extraordinary!! If you are seeking the true Class Act among travel companies, Up in the Air Life is it!! They have raised the bar on group travel!! Worth EVERY penny!!!

Monique

YOU CAN ALWAYS EXPECT TO:

Connect with amazing people.

We provide the opportunity to make friendships with people who share your worldview and won't ask why you wear a bonnet to sleep.

Experience attentive
and authentic hospitality.

Not only is the staff of Up in the Air Life dedicated to making sure your trip is flawlessly executed, but we are also intentional about choosing locales and vendors who celebrate Black travelers

Be pampered with only the best.

There is no need to take a break from your baller lifestyle when you travel with us. Our lodging, excursions, and dining are pure luxury.

Feel safe and secure.

Our experienced American guides and well-maintained local relationships mean that you will have peace of mind when you travel with us.

Say "goodbye" to FOMO.

Our trips are anything but basic. While we make sure you see well-known main attractions, we also develop itineraries that will give you unique stories to share with your friends back home.

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