East Africa, End to End.
Kenya. Tanzania. Rwanda. Uganda. Zanzibar. The Seychelles.
East Africa is rarely one stop. Knowing where to send your clients is only the beginning. Knowing what connects well, how long each stop deserves, which properties fit the client, when to fly instead of drive, and how seasonality changes the experience is where UJV Africa comes in.
We handle the itinerary end to end: stays, internal air, transfers, permits, required fees, guiding, experiences, and everything that connects one stop to the next.
You know the client. We know the experience.
The lodge is only one part of the trip.
A great East Africa itinerary depends on everything around the stay.
The bush plane that gets them there. The permit tied to a specific morning. The conservancy that changes what they can do on safari. The transfer between airports. The guide waiting on the other side. The coast that actually fits what your client means when they say "beach."
That's where our team earns its place in the booking.
UJV Africa brings the itinerary together across Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Zanzibar, and the Seychelles, coordinating properties, air, permits, fees, transfers, guiding, experiences, and in-travel support around one trip.
Before departure, we reconfirm the moving pieces. Once clients travel, our team is available to support them on the ground.
One brief. One team. One connected itinerary.
Send us a briefSavannah. Coast. Highlands. Jungle.
Your team here. Their team there.
Your UJV Africa Destination Specialist works with you through the planning process. Our teams and relationships on the ground support the itinerary where your clients are traveling.
Destination Specialists
Your point person through planning.
On the Ground
Local relationships and in-travel support.
UJV Air
Air considered alongside the itinerary.
Concierge
The personal details behind the trip.
The people behind it
Meet the team.
You remain their advisor. We're the team behind you, at both ends of the trip.
Simon Jones
Director of Africa
Tim Easley
Lead Luxury Destination Specialist
Ruby Russell-Niemiec
Lead Luxury Destination Specialist
Elissa Title
Luxury Destination Specialist
Lexy Sanguinetti
Luxury Destination Specialist
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Gerry Whyte
Luxury Destination Specialist
Concierge & Support Team
The team behind the details of your itinerary.
From restaurant reservations to local experiences and final touches, our team helps bring the details of your clients' itineraries together.
Thuli Kula
Lead In-Travel Operations
Katie Heinzen
Destination Support Specialist
Kendall Milner
Destination Support Specialist
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Kim Van Den Berg
Travel Coordinator
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Gina Gnaspini
Travel Coordinator
Simo Rode
Travel Coordinator
Marcos Zachary
Travel Coordinator
Laurez De Wet
In-Travel Operations
Ashley Johnson
In-Travel Operations
Cissy Mirembe
In-Travel Operations
Don't take our word for it
"I've had the opportunity to work with UJV East Africa on one of the most complex itineraries I've planned to date. What started as a Uganda and Kenya trip for one family eventually evolved into three families traveling together across Kenya, Rwanda, Botswana, and South Africa during peak July season. … The team handled everything from large-group logistics and gorilla permits to coordinating a seamless itinerary across four countries with confidence and professionalism."— Maria C., Fora Travel
Learn how it works. Then learn where your client fits.
Two live sessions designed to take you from understanding East Africa to confidently positioning it for the client in front of you.
East Africa, End to End: Foundations
November 17 at 2pm ET
Learn how the trip fits together.
Start with the geography and the logistics.
We'll break down how Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Zanzibar, and the Seychelles connect; which combinations naturally work together; how many nights different regions deserve; and what moving between them actually does to an itinerary.
We'll cover the decisions that shape the trip: park versus conservancy, how seasonality changes placement, how the Great Migration moves through the ecosystem, and why gorilla permits need to come before the lodge.
We'll also show you where UJV Africa fits into the itinerary, from camps and lodges to flights, permits, required fees, guiding, concierge, reconfirmation, and in-travel support.
You'll leave knowing how East Africa works before the next inquiry lands.
Plus live Q&A with the UJV Africa team.
East Africa, End to End: The Right Fit
December 8 at 2pm ET
Learn how to sell the right East Africa to the right client.
Not every safari client belongs in the Mara. Not every migration request belongs in the same part of the Serengeti. Not every gorilla client should go to Rwanda. And not every beach close should be Zanzibar.
This session is about turning what you know about the client into the right trip. We'll cover how to qualify the brief, including:
- First safari versus repeat safari
- Kenya versus Tanzania
- Rwanda versus Uganda
- Zanzibar versus the Seychelles
- Families, honeymooners, milestone trips, and multigenerational clients
- How budget and season change the recommendation
You'll leave knowing what questions to ask, what to recommend, and when to bring UJV Africa into the conversation.
Plus live Q&A with the UJV Africa team.
What actually happens on safari?
Safari has its own rhythm, and almost none of it is obvious from a lodge website. If you sell East Africa every day, you know this already. If you're building your first safari, start here.
What a safari day looks like
Before dawn
Coffee arrives early. Clients head out around first light when temperatures are cooler, wildlife is active, and the bush wakes up.
Mid-morning
Return for breakfast, unless the morning calls for staying out longer. Breakfast can happen back at camp or packed in the bush.
Middle of the day
The afternoon pause. Lunch, pool, spa, reading, or rest. The pace slows as the heat builds before the evening game drive.
Late afternoon
Another game drive as temperatures drop and golden hour lighting takes over, usually concluding with a bush sundowner.
After dark
Return for dinner—whether under the stars, around a communal fire, or privately at camp depending on the property.
Morning and afternoon game activities form the basic rhythm of most safari stays, but this isn't a rigid schedule. Walking safaris, night drives, conservation experiences, private vehicles, cultural visits, and full-day drives can all reshape the experience.
That flexibility is one reason choosing the right camp matters.
What's included, and what isn't
Safari rates can look expensive until you understand how much sits inside them. Exactly what's included varies by property, but we check it before you quote it.
Commonly Included
- Accommodation & meals
- Many beverages
- Scheduled shared game activities with a guide and vehicle
- Transfers to the local airstrip
- Laundry (at many properties)
Often Additional
- Park, reserve, and conservancy fees
- Private vehicles
- Hot-air ballooning & permits
- Spa treatments
- Premium wines and spirits
- Light-aircraft flights
The decision that shapes the safari
National park, reserve, or private conservancy?
Most clients won't know to ask. We do.
The distinction can determine whether your clients can head off-road for a sighting, stay out after dark, take a walking safari, share a sighting with more vehicles, or experience a quieter stretch of wilderness.
| National park / Reserve | Private Conservancy | |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicles at sightings | Can be less restricted | Often limited |
| Off-road driving | Typically restricted | Often permitted |
| Walking safari | More restricted | Often available |
| Night drives | More restricted | Often available |
| Safari experience | Classic, often high-density wildlife areas | Greater flexibility and exclusivity |
| Cost | Often lower | Often higher |
Neither is automatically better. The right answer depends on the client.
A first-time safari client may want the iconic landscapes and wildlife of the major parks and reserves. A repeat safari traveler may value greater flexibility, fewer vehicles, walking, night drives, or more time away from heavily traveled areas.
And sometimes the strongest itinerary gives them both.
If you take one thing from this section: don't choose the lodge first.
Start with the client. Then the region. Then the type of safari experience. Then we find the right camp.
Guiding changes everything
The lodge matters. The room matters. But once your client gets into the vehicle, the guide can shape the entire experience.
A great guide doesn't just find wildlife. They read tracks and behavior, know when to stay and when to move, understand the landscape, and recognize when an ordinary-looking moment is about to become something else entirely.
That's why we don't look at a safari property as a collection of rooms and rates. We look at the experience around it: the land, the guiding, the vehicles, the activities, the access, and how it fits into the rest of the itinerary.
The room is where your client sleeps. The safari is what they'll remember.
How long does safari need?
This is where routing matters
Three nights
is a useful starting point for a single safari area. With arrival and departure taking part of either side, two nights can leave very little meaningful time on the ground.
Seven to nine nights
can give clients time to experience two distinct safari areas without turning the trip into a race between airstrips.
Ten to fourteen nights
opens up more ambitious combinations: multiple regions, two countries, gorilla trekking, or safari paired with the Indian Ocean.
The gorillas are the wild part. The rest shouldn't be.
For many clients, an hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family is the reason they start planning East Africa.
But that hour determines far more of the itinerary than they realize.
Start with the permit.
Gorilla permits are limited and date-specific. That's why we start with the permit, not the lodge.
Once the trekking date is established, UJV Africa builds outward: where the client stays, how many nights they need, how they reach the region, what else belongs in the trip, and where they go next.
Rwanda
Easier to integrate into a broader East Africa itinerary, with straightforward access from Kigali and a deep luxury lodge product.
Uganda
More routing-intensive, but capable of becoming a much broader journey through primates, safari, rainforest, and the Nile.
Qualify the Client
Fitness · minimum age · trekking conditions · permit availability · number of treks.
Kenya
Kenya isn't one safari. Don't sell it like one.
Most clients arrive asking for the Masai Mara. And for good reason.
But the Mara is only one way into Kenya.
Go north and the safari changes: private conservancies, rhino country, riding, walking, camels, and nights that don't necessarily end when the sun goes down.
Go south and it changes again: the Chyulu Hills, elephants, wide-open landscapes, and Kilimanjaro on the horizon.
Then there is the Mara: open plains, extraordinary predator country, and the migration when the timing is right.
The question isn't whether the client should go to Kenya. It's which version of Kenya belongs in their itinerary.
Which version of Kenya?
Laikipia + Lewa
Laikipia + Lewa
This is where we look when a client wants to do more than sit in a safari vehicle.
Private conservancies across northern Kenya open up experiences that may not be possible in the national parks and reserves: walking, riding, camel safaris, night drives, conservation experiences, and greater flexibility around how clients spend their time.
It's also one of Kenya's most important rhino landscapes.
For families, active travelers, repeat safari clients, and anyone who wants wildlife to be only part of the story, the north can completely change the shape of a Kenya itinerary.
Chyulu Hills
Chyulu Hills
The Chyulus give you a different Kenya again.
Between Amboseli and Tsavo, this is a landscape of volcanic hills, open plains, elephants, and, when conditions cooperate, Kilimanjaro rising in the distance.
Private land creates room for walking, riding, and a safari with fewer vehicles around you.
We like the Chyulus for clients who care as much about space and experience as they do about checking animals off a list.
Masai Mara
Masai Mara
For many clients, this is the Kenya they came for.
Big cats. Open plains. Exceptional year-round wildlife. And during migration season, the possibility of seeing one of East Africa's most famous wildlife spectacles.
But “the Mara” isn't one product.
The National Reserve, Mara Triangle, and surrounding private conservancies can deliver very different safari days. Where we place a client affects vehicle density, activities, flexibility, access, and how they experience the landscape.
That's why we don't start with "Which Mara lodge do you like?" We start with what kind of Mara experience the client wants.
The lodge isn't the first decision. The land is.
In Kenya, two beautiful camps relatively close to one another can deliver very different safaris because of where they sit and the rules governing that land.
That's particularly important around the Mara, where staying inside the reserve versus within a private conservancy can change what your client is able to do and how they experience a sighting.
And season matters. The right answer in February may not be the right answer in August.
Bring UJV Africa the client and the dates. We'll tell you where the itinerary should go before we tell you where they should sleep.
WHERE UJV PLACES CLIENTS
KENYA CAMPS & LODGES
The property comes after the itinerary. Tell us who is traveling, what matters to them, and how they want to experience Kenya. We'll determine which part of the country belongs in the trip, then place them in the camp or lodge that fits.
Every stay is built into the larger itinerary by UJV Africa, with internal air, road transfers, required park and conservancy fees, guiding, and activities coordinated as one trip.
THE NORTHERN CONSERVANCIES · Laikipia & Lewa
Segera Retreat
LAIKIPIA
A conservancy retreat on the Laikipia plateau with an art collection, botanical gardens, and a wellness program alongside the game. For the client who wants the safari to sit inside something broader, and for repeat visitors who want a property with a point of view.
&Beyond Suyian Lodge
LAIKIPIA
&Beyond's Laikipia address on a working conservancy, built for activity rather than sitting still. A strong fit for families and for clients who want walking and riding as part of the day, not as an add-on.
Ol Jogi
LAIKIPIA
A private conservancy home taken on an exclusive-use basis. The right answer for a family group or a multigenerational booking that wants the whole property, the vehicles, and the team to themselves.
Ol Malo
LAIKIPIA
Activity-led and family-owned, with Samburu community connection at the center of the stay. Kenya Choppers operates from here, which opens up aerial access across northern Kenya.
Lewa House
LEWA WILDLIFE CONSERVANCY
A smaller, family-run house on Lewa, a conservancy with one of the longest-running rhino conservation programs in Kenya. For clients who want the conservancy experience without the scale of a larger lodge, and for repeat safari travelers drawn to rhino conservation.
THE CHYULU HILLS + SOUTHERN KENYA
Ol Donyo Lodge
CHYULU HILLS
Between Tsavo and Amboseli on private land, with Kilimanjaro in view and one of the widest activity sets in Kenya. Horse riding, bush walks, and classic game drives from the same base. A house favorite, and our first recommendation for a client who does not want to spend the whole trip in a vehicle.
Angama Amboseli
AMBOSELI · KIMANA SANCTUARY
Angama's second Kenya property, in a private sanctuary on the Amboseli elephant corridor. Elephants and Kilimanjaro, with the same standard of guiding and design that built Angama Mara's reputation.
Finch Hattons Luxury Camp
TSAVO WEST NATIONAL PARK
A tented camp built around natural springs in Tsavo West, with a different landscape and a different wildlife profile from the conservancies. Useful for a longer Kenya itinerary or a client who wants Tsavo specifically.
THE MASAI MARA
Ishara Mara
MASAI MARA
A newer Mara property with strong guiding and access to a genuinely authentic Maasai community visit nearby, which is the version of that experience we recommend across East Africa.
Angama Mara
MASAI MARA
High on the Oloololo Escarpment, looking a thousand feet down over the floor of the Mara Triangle. Clients recognize the view before they know the name of the property. For first-time clients who want the defining Mara setting and for celebration trips where the view is part of the brief.
Mara Plains Camp
OLARE MOTOROGI CONSERVANCY
A small Great Plains camp in a conservancy bordering the reserve, with low vehicle density and strong big cat viewing. For the client who wants the Mara wildlife without the Mara traffic.
Mahali Mzuri
OLARE MOTOROGI CONSERVANCY
Virgin Limited Edition's Mara camp, contemporary in design and set in a conservancy with restricted vehicle numbers. A strong fit for clients who want the wildlife with a more current property feel.
Cottar's 1920s Safari Camp
OLDERKESI CONSERVANCY
A 1920s-style camp run by the same family for generations, in a private conservancy on the southern edge of the Mara. For clients who want the classic era of safari done properly rather than as a theme.
Mara Bushtops Camp
MASAI MARA
Large tented suites with private hot tubs and butler service, on a conservancy adjacent to the reserve. For clients who want the property itself to feel like a resort stay.
One Nature Mara River
MASAI MARA
On the Mara River, positioned for crossing season. For clients whose dates line up with the migration and who want to be on the water rather than driving to it.
WILD COLLECTION
Wild Hill
NORTHERN MAASAI MARA
Exclusive-use and highly private, set on Kileleoni Hill overlooking the Mara ecosystem. Five suites, dedicated guiding, wellness, riding and access to three conservancies make it a strong fit for families, groups and milestone trips that want the safari entirely on their terms.
House in the Wild
NORTHERN MAASAI MARA
Family-owned and rooted in the rewilding of former farmland within the Northern Mara conservancies. A smaller, more intimate alternative to the Mara's larger camps, with access to Enonkishu, Ol Chorro and Lemek and a strong conservation and community story behind the stay.
Also on this route
Nairobi
Don't treat Nairobi like an airport.
For many Kenya itineraries, Nairobi is the first point on the ground. A well-planned night here does more than break up the journey: it gives clients time to recover from the international flight, protects the onward safari connection, and can add a completely different layer to the trip.
Where UJV places clients
Where to stay
Hemingways Nairobi
KAREN · NAIROBI
A quiet, service-led property in Karen with space and calm after a long flight. The dependable choice for both the arrival and the departure night.
Giraffe Manor
KAREN · NAIROBI
The Safari Collection's Nairobi house, and the most requested property in the city. Rothschild's giraffe at the breakfast table. Availability is the constraint, not desirability, and it needs to be requested at the same time as the safari, not after.
TRIBE Hotel
GIGIRI · NAIROBI
Contemporary and design-led in Gigiri, near the diplomatic quarter and the Village Market. A more urban read on Nairobi for clients who want the city rather than the suburbs.
Hamilton House
KAREN · NAIROBI
An exclusive-use 1936 home set on five acres in Karen, with just five en-suite bedrooms and a dedicated house team. A strong fit for families and groups who want their Nairobi stay to feel like part of the trip rather than a stopover, with privacy, gardens, a pool, and meals prepared around the guests.
If they have the day
Nairobi can earn more than an overnight.
Spend time at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, visit the Giraffe Centre, step into the world of Karen Blixen, then let us point them toward a restaurant worth staying in the city for. The safari doesn't have to start at the airstrip.
The distance on the map isn't the distance that matters.
Most Kenya itineraries begin in Nairobi. International flights arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO), while many safari flights depart from Wilson Airport across the city. We account for that transfer, the connection time, and the overnight when the itinerary needs one.
From Nairobi, light aircraft put the Masai Mara, Laikipia, Lewa, the Chyulu Hills, and Kenya's other safari regions within reach without losing days to the road.
And Kenya doesn't have to be the whole trip.
- Go south into Tanzania for the Serengeti and Ngorongoro.
- Go west to Rwanda or Uganda for gorilla trekking.
- Go to the coast in Zanzibar, or keep going to the Seychelles when the client wants a completely different finish.
Every additional stop adds another layer: flight schedules, airstrips, road transfers, border crossings, permits, park and conservancy fees, luggage restrictions, and timing that needs to work in the right order.
That's the part UJV Africa connects.
We coordinate the internal and regional air, road transfers, required fees, guiding, and services around the stays so the itinerary works as one trip from arrival to departure.
Your client sees Kenya → Tanzania → Rwanda.
We see everything that has to happen between them.
Tanzania
The Serengeti isn't one place. Don't sell it like one.
For many clients, Tanzania is the safari they've been picturing.
The Serengeti. The Ngorongoro Crater. The Great Migration.
The names are familiar. Knowing where to place the client is the part that takes expertise.
The Serengeti is an enormous ecosystem, and the experience changes dramatically depending on where clients stay and when they travel. The migration moves through it throughout the year. Mobile camps position around seasonal wildlife patterns. Permanent lodges give clients access to specific parts of the ecosystem year-round.
Then there's Ngorongoro, a completely different safari experience within the same itinerary.
And beyond the national park model, private reserve and concession experiences can change the rules again: fewer vehicles, different activities, greater flexibility, and a very different price point.
In Tanzania, the month often comes before the lodge.
Which version of Tanzania?
Ngorongoro
Ngorongoro
Ngorongoro can be an opening act or a finale. Clients descend from the crater rim into one of East Africa's most concentrated wildlife environments, then return to the highlands above.
Two nights is a useful starting point, giving clients time to arrive, settle in, and experience the crater without building the itinerary around a rushed arrival or onward connection.
Serengeti
Serengeti
There isn't one correct place to stay in the Serengeti. That's the point.
Northern, central, western, and southern Serengeti can each play a different role depending on the season, the client's priorities, and what the wildlife is doing. A client traveling for calving season needs a different itinerary from one hoping to see the river crossings.
We don't start with a favorite Serengeti camp. We start with the travel window. Then we build around it.
Grumeti
Grumeti
For the client who wants the Serengeti ecosystem with another level of privacy, look west.
Private reserve and concession areas around the Serengeti can offer lower vehicle density and greater flexibility than the national park itself, creating a very different safari even within the same broader ecosystem.
This is where we look for clients who have already done safari, value space over spectacle, or are willing to spend more to experience the landscape differently.
The migration is a movement, not a location.
It doesn't happen in one place or during one month. Calving, movement across the plains, and the river-crossing periods occur in different parts of the ecosystem at different points in the year. That means a camp that is brilliantly positioned for one travel window may make little sense for another.
And during the most sought-after periods, the properties we want can book far ahead.
If the migration is part of the brief, give us the dates before you give the client a lodge.
UJV Africa will look at the travel window, the experience they're after, historical migration patterns, routing, and availability, then position the itinerary accordingly.
You bring us the dates. We'll tell you where Tanzania makes sense.
WHERE UJV PLACES CLIENTS
TANZANIA CAMPS & LODGES
In Tanzania, where you stay starts with when you go.
The Crater, Serengeti, and private reserves can sit within the same itinerary and deliver completely different safari experiences. We place the client based on travel window, wildlife priorities, appetite for privacy, and how the trip needs to move. Then UJV Africa connects the stays with internal air, road transfers, required park and conservation fees, guiding, and activities coordinated as one itinerary.
NGORONGORO
Elewana The Manor at Ngorongoro
NGORONGORO
A country-estate style property roughly twenty-five minutes from the crater rim, known for its food and its service. Most clients stay two nights with the crater on the second day.
Wilderness Crater's Edge
NGORONGORO
Small and directly on the crater rim, which is the difference between looking at the view and waking up inside it. For clients who want intimacy over scale and are willing to trade property amenities for position.
SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
One Nature Nyaruswiga
CENTRAL SERENGETI
Large tented suites in the central Serengeti, a part of the ecosystem that holds game year round rather than only in migration months. A strong fit when the client's dates don't line up with the crossings.
TAASA Lodge
SERENGETI
A design-led lodge in the Serengeti for clients who want the property to be a reason to stay rather than a base to sleep in.
Roving Bushtops
SERENGETI
A mobile camp that relocates through the year to follow the game, with the tented-suite comfort level of the Bushtops properties. For migration-led clients who want to be positioned rather than driven.
Elewana Serengeti Migration Camp
NORTHERN SERENGETI
Positioned in the north for the Mara River crossing season. A specific-dates property rather than a year-round recommendation.
GRUMETI
Singita Sasakwa
GRUMETI
A hilltop manor house with long views across the Grumeti plains. The most formal of the Singita Grumeti properties, and the one most clients picture when they picture this reserve.
Singita Faru Faru
GRUMETI
Lower and more contemporary, on the Grumeti River. A softer, more relaxed read on the reserve for clients who want the access without the grandeur.
Singita Sabora Tented Camp
GRUMETI
Tented on the open plains, recently reworked. For clients who want to be under canvas without giving anything up.
Singita Serengeti House
GRUMETI · EXCLUSIVE USE
A four-bedroom exclusive-use house with its own staff, vehicles, and guides. The answer for a family group or a celebration booking.
Singita Milele
GRUMETI · EXCLUSIVE USE
The newer exclusive-use villa on the reserve. Same private model, different setting and scale.
Singita Kilima
GRUMETI
The most recent addition to the Grumeti portfolio.
Singita Explore
GRUMETI · MOBILE
A genuinely rustic camp that relocates each year to follow the best available game. Camping at a very high standard rather than a lodge experience, and a specific recommendation rather than a general one. For repeat safari clients who want to strip it back.
Also on this route
Tarangire & Burunge
The stop most clients won't know to ask for.
Between Tarangire and Lake Manyara, the Burunge Wildlife Management Area can add a quieter, more flexible start to Tanzania's northern circuit.
Walking and night activities can change the rhythm before clients move on to the Crater and Serengeti, while lower vehicle density gives them another perspective on safari. We don't add it because an itinerary needs another pin on the map. We add it when the client needs a different kind of day.
ROUTING IDEA: Kilimanjaro → Burunge / Tarangire → Ngorongoro → Serengeti
Where UJV places clients
Where to stay
Chem Chem, Auberge Safari
BURUNGE WMA
The flagship of the two, on private conservation land between Tarangire and Lake Manyara. For clients who want space and exclusivity at the start of a northern circuit.
Little Chem Chem
BURUNGE WMA
Smaller and more classically tented, on the same private land. A lighter footprint for clients who want the tented experience.
Tanzania looks linear on a map. The flights rarely are.
Most northern Tanzania itineraries begin through Kilimanjaro, with Arusha acting as an important gateway between international arrival and the safari circuit.
From there, road and light-aircraft connections move clients between Ngorongoro, the Serengeti, Grumeti, Tarangire, and other parts of the northern circuit. Which combination makes sense depends on the route, flight schedules, season, and how much time the client has.
And Tanzania opens outward:
- Go east to Zanzibar when safari needs a coast.
- Go north into Kenya to build a cross-border safari.
- Go west to Rwanda or Uganda when gorilla trekking is part of the brief.
Each move adds another layer of timing: airstrips, scheduled flights, road transfers, luggage restrictions, park and conservation fees, and international connections.
That's the part UJV Africa connects.
We coordinate those pieces as one itinerary, from the first arrival through the final departure.
Your client sees Crater → Serengeti → Zanzibar.
We see everything that has to happen between them.
Rwanda
The gorillas bring them here. Don't let them be the only reason they stay.
Rwanda makes it remarkably easy to add something completely different to an East Africa itinerary.
Kigali gives you the gateway. Volcanoes National Park gives you the gorillas. Go south and Nyungwe adds chimpanzees, rainforest, and tea country. And because the country is relatively compact, those experiences can fit together without turning the trip into a series of flights.
For clients pairing primates with safari in Kenya or Tanzania, Rwanda is often the cleanest way to do it. For clients willing to give Rwanda more time, it can carry far more of the itinerary than they expect.
Which version of Rwanda?
Kigali
Kigali
Don't treat Kigali like an airport. The city can absorb the international arrival and protect the itinerary before a fixed trekking date, but it also gives clients important context for the country they're about to experience.
The Kigali Genocide Memorial is a deeply significant visit. Beyond it, the city's restaurants, art, neighborhoods, and contemporary culture show clients a Rwanda they won't see from a lodge in the volcanoes.
Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park
This is why most clients came. Once we know the trekking date, we build around it: the right number of nights, the lodge, road transfers, guides, permits, additional experiences, and enough time around the trek that the client isn't racing from a gorilla family to their next flight.
For some, one trek is enough. Others may add another trek, golden monkeys, conservation experiences, or simply another day at the lodge. The hour with the gorillas is fixed. The trip around it shouldn't feel that way.
Nyungwe National Park
Nyungwe National Park
Go south and Rwanda changes again. The volcanoes give way to rainforest and tea country, and chimpanzees replace gorillas as the primate headline.
Forest walks, canopy experiences, and time on property give clients a reason to see Rwanda as a journey rather than a gorilla extension. For a client who has the time, Kigali + Volcanoes + Nyungwe creates a much fuller picture of the country.
The permit comes first. Everything else gets built around it.
WHERE UJV PLACES CLIENTS
RWANDA LODGES
The permit determines the date. The client determines the lodge.
UJV Africa coordinates the permits, private road transfers, required fees, guiding, activities, and regional air around each stay as one itinerary.
VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
Singita Kwitonda Lodge
VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
Singita's Rwanda property on the park boundary, with volcano views and a reforestation program on the land it sits on. The most expensive bed in Rwanda, and the choice for a client who wants the trek inside a stay that stands on its own.
One&Only Gorilla's Nest
VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
One&Only's Rwanda lodge in a eucalyptus forest at the base of the volcanoes. Strong for clients already loyal to the brand and for families who want a larger property footprint.
Wilderness Bisate
VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
A small number of forest villas built into a volcanic amphitheater, with a design unlike anything else in Rwanda and a serious reforestation story. Books out early.
Wilderness Bisate Reserve
VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
The newer, smaller sibling to Bisate, more private again. For repeat visitors and for clients who want the Bisate experience with fewer people in it.
Wilderness Sabyinyo
VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
Rwanda’s first community-owned lodge, with revenue supporting conservation and local communities through SACOLA. Close to Volcanoes National Park headquarters, it’s a strong fit for clients who want gorilla trekking paired with a deeper community and conservation story, in a smaller, more traditional lodge setting.
Virunga Lodge
VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
Ridge-top with views across the twin lakes and the volcanoes, and the longest-running lodge in this area. A more classic, less designed stay at a gentler rate inside a longer itinerary.
KIGALI
Hemingways Retreat Kigali
KIGALI
A 20-room eco-conscious boutique hotel in leafy Kiyovu, with spacious rooms, private patios and pool villas. A strong fit for clients who want a quieter, wellness-led base in the city, with easy access to Kigali’s culture, markets and history before or after the rest of their Rwanda itinerary.
The Pinnacle Kigali
KIGALI
An intimate nine-room hilltop retreat in Rebero, with butler service, panoramic city views and a strong focus on contemporary African art, dining and highly personalized service. For clients who want Kigali itself to feel like part of the trip rather than simply the night before or after gorilla trekking.
NYUNGWE
One&Only Nyungwe House
NYUNGWE NATIONAL PARK
Set in a working tea plantation on the edge of the forest, with a full activity program on property alongside the chimpanzee trekking. For clients who want the lodge to do more than house them between treks.
What the days look like
Rwanda
In Kigali, understand the country. Give clients enough time to experience the city rather than simply sleep through it.
In Volcanoes, go into the forest. Gorillas are the headline, but golden monkeys, conservation experiences, and time around the lodge can build out the stay.
In Nyungwe, go deeper. Chimpanzees, rainforest, canopy experiences, tea country, and a completely different landscape turn one primate experience into a broader Rwanda journey.
Three stops. Three different reasons to stay.
One fixed trekking date can determine the movement of an entire itinerary.
Most Rwanda journeys begin through Kigali. From there, private road transfers connect clients with Volcanoes National Park and, for longer Rwanda itineraries, other parts of the country.
And Rwanda opens back into East Africa:
- Connect east to Kenya or Tanzania when gorillas are paired with safari.
- Continue through Rwanda when Nyungwe and chimpanzees belong in the trip.
- Go onward to the Indian Ocean when the client wants safari and trekking to finish somewhere slower.
Behind those combinations are permit dates, road transfers, regional flights, guides, required fees, and connections that have to happen in the right order.
That's the part UJV Africa connects.
Your client sees safari → gorillas → coast.
We see the permit that determines Tuesday, the flight that has to work on Wednesday, and everything between them.
Uganda
Come for the gorillas. Stay for the country around them.
Uganda shouldn't be sold as the alternative to Rwanda.
Yes, clients come here to trek mountain gorillas. But Uganda gives us much more to build around that experience: chimpanzees, rainforest, broader wildlife, the Nile, and landscapes that reward clients willing to give the country more time.
Which version of Uganda?
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
This is gorilla country. The trekking sector, permit availability, lodge location, and routing all matter here.
"Bwindi" isn't enough information to build the trip; where the client's permit is assigned affects where we want them staying and how we move them through the region. That's why we start with the trek and build outward.
Chimpanzees & Broader Wildlife
Chimpanzees & Broader Wildlife
Uganda becomes especially interesting when the client wants more than one primate experience.
Chimpanzee trekking can add another forest, another species, and a completely different day. Golden monkeys can extend the primate story again. Add Uganda's broader wildlife regions and the itinerary begins to move beyond "gorilla extension" entirely.
The Nile
The Nile
After forests, trekking, and safari, the Nile gives us somewhere completely different to finish.
Around Jinja, the landscape and pace change again. For the right client, a few nights on the river can create breathing room before the international journey home.
For some clients, Bwindi is the extension. For others, Uganda is the trip.
That's the distinction we want to make before we start choosing lodges.
WHERE UJV PLACES CLIENTS
UGANDA LODGES
Start with the experience. Then build the route around it.
UJV Africa coordinates permits, regional and domestic air where required, private road transfers, required fees, guides, activities, and the transitions between each part of the itinerary.
BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK
Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Lodge
BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST
Inside the forest itself, which puts the client closest to the trailhead. For trekkers who want minimal transfer on trek morning.
Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
NKURINGO · BWINDI
Stone cottages high above the forest with long views across the Virungas. For clients who want the setting as much as the trek.
Erebero Hills
BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST
Asilia’s first lodge in Uganda, with just eight suites overlooking Bwindi. For clients who want gorilla trekking paired with privacy, contemporary design, and a strong conservation story.
THE NILE
Lemala Wildwaters Lodge
JINJA · SOURCE OF THE NILE
An island lodge on the Nile, and a completely different Uganda from the gorilla forests. Works as a decompression stop rather than a trekking base.
Uganda needs more routing thought. That's where we come in.
How clients reach Bwindi, where they trek, whether they continue elsewhere in Uganda, and what destination comes next all affect the itinerary.
A route that looks simple on a map can involve regional or domestic air, long road transfers, fixed permit dates, different trekking sectors, and connections that need to be sequenced carefully.
From Uganda:
- Connect into Kenya or Tanzania when gorillas are paired with a classic safari.
- Stay within Uganda when chimpanzees, wildlife, rainforest, or the Nile deserve more of the trip.
- Continue to the Indian Ocean when the journey needs a completely different finish.
That's the part UJV Africa connects.
We coordinate the permits, flights, road transfers, required fees, guides, and services around those movements.
Your client sees gorillas → chimpanzees → safari.
We see the permit, the sector, the road, the flight, the guide, and the timing that makes all three possible.
That's East Africa, End to End.
Zanzibar
The safari ends. The Indian Ocean begins.
After days built around first light, game drives, airstrips, and moving between camps, Zanzibar changes the pace completely.
That's why it pairs so naturally with East Africa.
Safari in Kenya or Tanzania. A short regional flight. Then bare feet, warm water, long lunches, and nowhere the client needs to be before sunset.
It sounds simple.
Where you put them on the island isn't.
WHERE UJV PLACES CLIENTS
ZANZIBAR HOTELS
Same island. Very different ways to finish the trip.
UJV Africa places the property against the client's beach expectations, then coordinates the regional air, private transfers, and experiences around the stay.
ZANZIBAR COASTLINE
&Beyond Mnemba Island
MNEMBA ISLAND
A small private island off Zanzibar's northeast coast, exclusive-use in feel, with a reef on the doorstep. The most exclusive placement on this coast, and the cleanest close to a high-value safari.
Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas & Spa
PAJE · SOUTH EAST COAST
Private villas with pools, on a stretch of coast known for its water. For couples and small families who want space and privacy rather than a resort footprint.
The Residence Zanzibar
KIZIMKAZI · SOUTH WEST COAST
Villa accommodation across a large estate on the southwest coast, where the tidal profile works differently from the east. A strong fit for families and for clients who want scale and facilities.
Zuri Zanzibar
KENDWA · NORTH WEST COAST
On the northwest coast, where the water is swimmable throughout the day. Design-led and lively, and the easier answer for clients who want the beach to work without conditions.
Xanadu Luxury Villas & Retreat
ZANZIBAR
Nine private villas on Zanzibar’s southeast coast, each with its own outdoor space, plunge pool and dedicated butler. For clients who want an intimate, villa-style beach stay with all-inclusive dining and highly personalized service.
Bush to beach sounds easy. We make sure it actually is.
Zanzibar connects naturally with Tanzania's safari circuit.
- It can also be paired with Kenya, depending on the client's routing and available air schedules.
But a safari-to-coast day still has moving pieces: departure airstrip, light-aircraft or regional flight, luggage requirements, arrival timing, airport transfer, and the location of the hotel once clients reach the island.
We build that movement into the itinerary from the beginning rather than treating the beach as something added after safari is booked.
That's the part UJV Africa connects.
Your client sees Serengeti → Zanzibar.
We see the airstrip, the flight, the bags, the transfer, the coast, and the tide when they get there.
That's East Africa, End to End.
The Seychelles
When the beach needs to be part of the reason for the trip.
Zanzibar fits naturally at the end of safari.
The Seychelles asks for a little more intention.
It's farther from the bush, the journey can require another connection, and the islands deserve enough nights to justify getting there. In return, the beach portion stops feeling like the place clients recover from safari and becomes a destination in its own right.
Granite islands. Protected bays. Private-island resorts. Giant tortoises. Reefs. Villas built into hillsides and boulders.
Which version of the Seychelles?
A Destination in its Own Right
A Destination in its Own Right
This is where we look when the client tells us the beach matters just as much as the safari.
Repeat Clients
Repeat Clients
Perfect for repeat East Africa clients who are ready for something beyond the obvious pairing.
This isn't the automatic beach close. That's exactly why we plan it early.
The Seychelles connects with East Africa through regional gateways, with the best routing depending on where the client's safari ends and current airline schedules.
And because "the Seychelles" can mean very different trips, we don't start with the hotel.
We start with the island.
ROUTING IDEA
Masai Mara → Nairobi → Seychelles
WHERE UJV PLACES CLIENTS
SEYCHELLES HOTELS
Same archipelago. Completely different ways to disappear.
UJV Africa places the island and property against the client brief, then coordinates the air, inter-island movement, transfers, and experiences around the stay.
ISLAND RESORTS & VILLAS
Six Senses Zil Pasyon
FÉLICITÉ ISLAND
A private island villa resort built around granite boulder formations, with the wellness program Six Senses is known for. For clients who want privacy and a property with a clear point of view.
Frégate Island
FRÉGATE ISLAND
A genuinely private island with a small number of residences, giant tortoises, and a conservation program running underneath the stay. The answer when the brief is exclusivity and the budget follows it.
Four Seasons Seychelles
PETITE ANSE · MAHÉ
Hillside villas above a private bay on Mahé, with the service consistency and family infrastructure of the brand. The dependable choice, and the strongest fit for multigenerational groups.
Mango House Seychelles, LXR Hotels & Resorts
ANSE SOLEIL · MAHÉ
A smaller Mahé property on the southwest coast, more design-led and at a gentler rate than the private islands. A useful placement inside a longer itinerary or for a shorter beach close.
Once clients arrive, the logistics don't necessarily stop.
Mahé may be the final destination or the gateway to another island. Depending on where they're staying, the next move may involve a domestic flight, boat, ferry, helicopter, or a combination of transfers.
That's why Seychelles belongs in the conversation at the brief stage, not after the safari has already been built.
Your client sees safari → Seychelles.
We see where safari ends, which flight connects, when they land, how they reach the island, and whether they should move again once they're there.
UJV Africa connects it end to end.
Start with the reason. Then build the route.
East Africa doesn't have to feel complicated. Start with the thing your client cares about most.
- First safari? Start with Kenya.
- Migration? Start with the month. The migration moves throughout the year, so depending on the demands of the traveler, we can place them correctly.
- Gorillas? Start with the permit.
- Safari + beach? Decide how important the beach is.
STARTING SHAPES
Not packages. Not formulas. A place to start the conversation.
STARTING SHAPES
Not packages. Not formulas. A place to start the conversation.
| If the client wants... | Start here | Then consider | Working trip length |
|---|---|---|---|
| A first safari | Kenya · Masai Mara | Laikipia or Chyulu Hills | 7–9 nights |
| Safari + an easy to reach beach | Kenya | Zanzibar | 11–13 nights |
| The Great Migration | Tanzania · Serengeti | Ngorongoro | 8–10 nights |
| A more private repeat safari | Tanzania · Grumeti | Kenya · Laikipia | 11–13 nights |
| Gorillas + big game | Rwanda | One safari region in Kenya or Tanzania | 10–12 nights |
| Safari + a beach worth traveling farther for | Kenya · Masai Mara | Seychelles | 12–14 nights |
| A family safari + beach | Kenya · Laikipia / Chyulu | Zanzibar | 12–14 nights |
| A deeper East Africa trip | Kenya | Tanzania + Rwanda | 14–17 nights |
The rule isn't how many countries. It's how much time the client actually gets in each one.
Two nights surrounded by travel can leave one meaningful day on the ground. Three nights begins to create a stay. Add too many stops and the client spends the trip experiencing East Africa through an aircraft window.
This is where UJV Africa comes in.
You know the client. We know the ground.
Bring us the brief. We'll determine the right combination, build the routing, and coordinate the properties, flights, permits, required fees, guiding, transfers, and activities from the first arrival through the final departure.
Give your client a range before you give them an itinerary.
East Africa is difficult to price by instinct.
A trip that looks simple on paper can carry significant costs outside the room rate: light aircraft, park and conservation fees, permits, private vehicles, guides, transfers, and the logistics required to connect remote properties.
That's why we qualify the budget before we build the proposal. The UJV Africa team is well traveled throughout East Africa and can determine the budget based on the guest’s preferences.
WHAT MOVES THE NUMBER?
Season
Peak migration periods and other high-demand dates can change both price and availability.
Internal Air
Every additional safari region may mean another light-aircraft sector.
The Land
National park, reserve, and private-conservation placements can carry different fee structures and pricing.
Permits
Gorilla and other regulated experiences add meaningful fixed costs.
Privacy
Private vehicles, exclusive-use accommodations, charters, and highly private reserves can move the trip quickly.
The Coast
Four nights in Zanzibar and six nights on a private island in Seychelles solve very different briefs and carry very different budgets.
Green season can change the economics considerably. For the right client, it can also change the experience for the better.
International air can be quoted separately through UJV Air.
One brief. One example of how we'd build it.
NAIROBI · 1 → LAIKIPIA · 3 → MARA · 4 → ZANZIBAR · 4
Land. Reset. Protect the safari connection.
Rather than forcing a long-haul arrival into another flight, give the client a night in Nairobi. If timing allows, start introducing Kenya before they ever reach the bush.
Start by getting out of the vehicle.
Private-conservation country gives clients a different introduction to safari: walking, riding, night drives, rhino conservation, and activities that extend beyond the traditional game drive.
Then give them the Kenya they came picturing.
Open plains, predators, and classic game viewing, with the exact placement chosen around season, wildlife priorities, and the type of safari experience the client wants.
Now stop moving.
The property is chosen around what "beach" means to this client, including the coast and tidal conditions, so the final four nights deliver the experience they think they're booking.
The best East Africa itinerary may be the one you start earlier.
Many of East Africa's best safari properties are intentionally small. Gorilla permits are finite and tied to specific trekking dates. Migration-led travel creates intense demand in particular regions and periods. The rooms, permits, and routing that make an itinerary work don't all become scarce at the same time.
So when a client comes to you early, use it.
And when they don't, send us the brief anyway.
Because seasonality isn't only about availability or price. Different times of year can change wildlife patterns, landscapes, crowds, camp operations, and the way we build the entire trip.
Green season, for example, shouldn't automatically be treated as the compromise. For the right client, it may be the better trip. The routes above are starting points, not formulas.
Bring UJV Africa the client, the dates, the budget, and the reason they're going. We'll build the version that actually works.
You know the client. We connect the trip.
East Africa gets easier when one team can see the entire itinerary.
Not just the camps. Not just the safari.
The flight that lands before the bush plane departs. The permit tied to a specific morning. The vehicle waiting at the airstrip. The fee that needs to be settled before arrival. The guide who needs to know where the client is going next.
From the first arrival to the final departure, UJV Africa brings those pieces together around one trip.
One Itinerary · Across East Africa
Multi-country routing
Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Zanzibar, and Seychelles brought together as one itinerary, with the sequence built around the client, season, available air, permits, and time on the ground.
Camps, lodges & private stays
From owner-run camps and conservation-led lodges to private islands and exclusive-use homes, selected for the client and their place within the itinerary.
Air · through UJV Air
International, regional, scheduled, light aircraft, private charter, and helicopter arrangements supported through our in-house UJV Air team and built alongside the itinerary rather than added after it.
Road transfers & safari vehicles
Airport and airstrip transfers, inter-camp road movements, game-drive vehicles, and private vehicle arrangements coordinated around the route.
Park, reserve & conservation fees
Required fees accounted for within the booking so the client isn't discovering another payment at the gate.
Gorilla & primate permits
Availability checked early so fixed trekking dates can inform the itinerary before the rest of the trip is built.
Before They Go
Entry guidance
Support around current visa, passport, entry, and relevant health-documentation requirements, with destination-specific requirements flagged ahead of travel.
VIP arrival support
Meet-and-greet and arrival assistance arranged where available and appropriate to the itinerary.
Pre-travel reconfirmation
Before travel, our team reconfirms the stays, flights, transfers, guides, and services that make up the itinerary.
Client pre-departure call
When useful, we'll join you and your clients ahead of departure to walk through the itinerary and answer the questions that tend to surface once Africa suddenly feels very close.
While They're There
Concierge
Special occasions, dietary requirements, private dining, spa, and other arrangements coordinated before and during travel.
24/7 in-travel support
Clients have access to UJV Africa's in-destination support while traveling.
That's the difference between having a phone number and having someone who can actually fix it.
And through all of it...
You stay at the center.
UJV Africa works as your partner behind the trip. White-label itineraries keep your brand and your relationship with the client front and center, while our team handles the moving pieces behind it.
Travel insurance is also available through UJV.
You know the client. We know what it takes to get them through East Africa.
Know it. Sell it. Finish Q4 on top.
The land matters in Kenya. The month matters in Tanzania. The permit comes first in Rwanda. Uganda can become a journey of its own. And the right beach close depends entirely on the client. Now put it to work.
From October 1 through December 31, 2026, the two advisors with the highest eligible East Africa gross sales with UJV Africa will each earn a 5-night Tanzania safari.
The Prizes
Two winners · 5 nights eachGran Meliá Arusha
Accommodations
TAASA Lodge
Accommodations and safari activities
TAASA Migration Camp
Accommodations and safari activities
Arusha Coffee Lodge
Accommodations
Serengeti Explorer
Accommodations and safari activities
Serengeti Pioneer Camp
Accommodations and safari activities
The Manor Ngorongoro
Accommodations and safari activities
How to Qualify
Qualification window
October 1–December 31, 2026. No registration required. Eligibility is based on the booking confirmation date, not the travel date.
How you win
The top two advisors by eligible East Africa gross sales win. 1st place takes the Grand Prize and 2nd place takes the Second Prize.
Prize travel window
Travel in 2027, mid and green season only. Subject to availability. Blackout dates apply to the TAASA properties.
What qualifies
Confirmed UJV Africa bookings in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Zanzibar, and Seychelles. Airfare, taxes, commissions, service fees, and park and conservancy fees don't count toward sales.
Cancellations
Bookings cancelled, refunded, or reduced in value before travel begins are removed from eligible gross sales.
Winners announced
January 2027. Winners are notified by email within 5 business days of the contest close.
Want the full details? Review the Official Contest Rules for complete eligibility requirements, sales calculations, tie-breaker rules, prize exclusions, blackout dates, and additional terms.
Keep East Africa at your fingertips.
Download the practical guides behind East Africa, End to End and keep them nearby for the next time a client says, "We're thinking about Africa."
Use them to qualify the brief, understand the routing, explain the choices, and know when it's time to bring in UJV Africa.
Download the East Africa Advisor ToolkitEast Africa makes more sense on a map.
A line between two places can look simple until you understand what sits between them.
Our East Africa planning map brings the countries, safari regions, parks, conservancies, airstrips, properties, and coast into one view so you can see how the trip actually moves.
Use it to:
- Orient clients across East Africa
- See where parks, reserves, and conservancies sit
- Understand which regions naturally pair
- See where airstrips affect the route
- Explore UJV Africa's property portfolio
- Understand why two nearby-looking places may not be a simple transfer
Use the map to understand the possibilities. Bring us the brief to build the route.
Explore the East Africa MapSend us the brief. We'll take it from there.
You send the brief
Dates. Budget. Who's traveling. What they love. What they've done before. Why Africa.
You don't need to know the conservancy, the part of the Serengeti, or whether Rwanda or Uganda is right. Those are our questions to solve.
We build the trip
Your Africa Specialist considers season, geography, pacing, properties, air, permits, fees, guiding, activities, and budget — then brings it together as one itinerary.
You present it
Advisor-facing and white-label. Need to change the pace, property, route, or activity mix? We revise it with you.
We stay with it
Before departure, we reconfirm the itinerary. When useful, we'll join your pre-travel conversation. Once clients are traveling, in-destination support is there when the trip needs it.
You stay their advisor. We stay behind the itinerary.
You don't need to know where to put them yet.
You don't need to know the conservancy. Or which part of the Serengeti. Or whether Rwanda or Uganda is right. Or which Zanzibar coast actually fits the client.
You need to know four things:
Who is traveling. When they want to go. What they want to spend. Why Africa.
We'll take it from there.
You know the client. We know the ground.
Build Their East Africa Itinerary