Uganda
UGANDA - THIEF OF HEARTS
WILL YOU BE ONE OF THE FIRST?
This is the first time Carla Geyser of Blue Sky Expeditions and Irene Nalwoga of Women Tour Uganda are running this trip. That means there are no testimonials for this journey – no women have done it before you.
But there will be two extraordinary leaders, one extraordinary country, and eight women who are brave enough to go first.
Uganda isn’t a destination you stumble into with your eyes closed: it’s one you choose with both hands. Trust us though: when you choose it, you won’t come back the same woman as when you left.
Thief of Hearts | Uganda |
4 - 16 August 2027
Only 2 spaces remaining
Your husband doesn’t travel. Your friends can’t afford it. You’ve been waiting, for years, maybe, for the right moment and the right person to go with.
This is for the woman who has decided, finally, to stop waiting.
Uganda is not a destination that shouts about itself. It doesn’t need to. More than fifty tribes living side by side, ancient forests giving way to savanna, savanna giving way to mountains — white rhinos, mountain gorillas, tree-climbing lions, golden monkeys, chimpanzees, the full unhurried force of the Victoria Nile, and almost none of the crowds that follow the famous-name destinations elsewhere on the continent.
The women who find their way here are never, not once, disappointed.
This is thirteen days moving through one of the most biodiverse and least-touristed countries in Africa, with two hosts who will trek every trail right beside you, pamper you from arrival to departure, and may, at some point tell you to wink at a mountain gorilla.
If it winks back (and it might) that’s Uganda getting you. It won’t be the last time.
THE UGANDA EFFECT
It happens when you’re standing in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and a mountain gorilla locks eyes with you. It happens when a group of women you met five days ago become people you’ll know for the rest of your life. It happens when your phone has no signal and you realise you don’t miss it at all.
We won’t pretend otherwise: this is the first time Carla and Irene have run this trip together. There are no past guests to quote, no one to tell you what happens when Carla’s philosophy of purposeful, conservation-led travel meets Irene’s extraordinary on-the-ground knowledge of Uganda.
But here’s what we do know. Irene has been hosting women in Uganda for years, and her guests message her when they get home. They don’t talk about the animals, at least not first.
They say things like: “I’ve changed. I feel more present in my life”.
They come back more grateful, more present, more certain of what matters. Some of their husbands call Irene to say thank you: “What did you do to her? She’s different.” Some of the women come back a second time, just to feel it again.
What happens when you put Irene together with Carla, in one of the most biologically rich and least-touristed countries in Africa?
Nobody knows yet. You could be the first to find out.
WHAT YOU'LL DO:
RHINO TREKKING & MURCHISON FALLS
Your adventure begins at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – one of the only places in Uganda where you can track white rhinos on foot, a genuine conservation success story in a country that takes its wildlife seriously. Then on to Murchison Falls, where the entire force of the Victoria Nile bursts through a narrow gorge in a display of raw, thundering power. This is Uganda announcing itself.
CLASSIC SAFARI & NILE BOAT CRUISE
Game drives through Uganda’s national parks at a pace that lets you absorb what you’re seeing, not rush past it. Hippos, elephants, and crocodiles line the banks on a scenic boat cruise along the Nile and Kazinga Channel – no scramble, no crowd, just you, the water, and the wildlife moving at their own unhurried rhythm.
CHIMPANZEE TREKKING IN KIBALE FOREST
Step into the rainforest for an intimate encounter with wild chimpanzees, followed by a conservation experience supporting primate protection. Kibale is home to one of the highest densities of primates in the world, and you’ll feel it. This a place so alive it hums.
LION TRACKING IN QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
Join researchers in hands-on lion monitoring: real conservation work, not a show. Uganda is one of the few places on the continent where you can spot the famous tree-climbing lions, and potentially elusive leopards too, in one of Africa’s most spectacular national parks.
GORILLA TREKKING IN BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST
There is nothing quite like this. Deep in the ancient forest, you’ll come face to face with endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat – and spend one full, extraordinary hour in their company. Irene, who has led this trek more times than she can count says it’s her favourite activity in all of Uganda. After you’ve done it, you’ll understand exactly why.
Find your gorilla and play hide and seek with it – move your head slowly, and watch it follow. If it winks at you, wink back. And yes, you’ll want to wear your brightest lipstick. Ask Irene why.
A note on the trek: gorilla trekking can take up to six hours depending on where the gorillas are. Permits are booked three months in advance to keep your group together, and a porter is a must – non-negotiable, and worth every penny.
CULTURAL CONNECTION & COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT
Learn to cook Ugandan dishes, wear a traditional Gomesi – yours to keep as a reminder of where you’ve been – and spend time with the Batwa community, one of Uganda’s oldest indigenous peoples. These experiences aren’t optional extras. They’re the heartbeat of the trip, and the reason Irene’s guests go home and never again complain about the same things.
CONSERVATION IN ACTION
Meet the wildlife vets and rangers doing the daily, unglamorous, vital work of protecting Uganda’s animals. This is the behind-the-scenes story that most safaris never tell – the people who’ve dedicated their lives to conservation, and what it really costs. Your $500–$1,000 conservation contribution goes directly to supporting this work, and it earns you something most tourists never get: real access, real conversations, and the full story.
LAKE MBURO — WHERE AFRICA SLOWS DOWN
The journey ends at the tranquil shores of Lake Mburo, where game drives give way to extraordinary birdlife and the unhurried pleasure of sitting with everything you’ve experienced and letting it settle.
Meet your expedition hosts
CARLA GEYSER
EXPEDITION LEADER, BLUE SKY EXPEDITIONS
Carla is the founder of Blue Sky Society Trust and Blue Sky Expeditions. Since 2012, she has been creating purposeful journeys for women across Africa: adventures built on conservation, connection, and the firm belief that women travelling together can do extraordinary things.
She doesn’t overschedule. She doesn’t manufacture Instagram moments. She creates space for you to just be and lets Africa do the rest.
In 2026, Carla was named winner of the JourneyWoman Woman-Owned Business Award, chosen from over 150 nominations. The award goes to a woman over 50 who has built a travel business in genuine service to women.
Which is to say: other women saw what Carla does, and they voted for it. That’s the kind of leader you’re travelling with.
“Carla has an uncanny ability to read the room. Like any elephant matriarch, she holds the herd — vigilant, watchful, making sure every single one of her people is safe and seen.”
— Cath — came on one trip, moved to Zululand
IRENE NALWOGA
YOUR ON-THE-GROUND HOST, WOMEN TOUR UGANDA
Irene grew up in the ghettos of Kampala. As a child, she watched tourists drive past in their safari vehicles and felt something stir in her: a love of meeting people, a hunger for a different life, a certainty that the world was bigger than her street. She became a banker. Then she became something far more interesting.
She built Women Tour Uganda to solve a problem she knew personally: women who want to travel alone, can’t find anyone to go with, and end up paying punishing single-supplement prices for the privilege. She created a company that makes solo travel not just affordable but joyful – small groups, women-only, guided by women who understand exactly what it feels like to arrive somewhere completely alone.
She employs 90% women. She personally accompanies every gorilla trek, every chimp trek, every rhino track – something most operators simply don’t do. Every morning, every guest gets a good morning hug. Every evening, a good night hug. All of them, without exception. (One guest tried to run. Irene caught her.)
Solo travel changed Irene. It built her confidence, shaped her personality, and taught her – above everything else – that a guest’s peace of mind is the most important thing she can offer.
“I know and I understand what they go through. The decisions they make, the fears, the anxieties. When someone writes to me, I always write back with a calming spirit. Don’t worry. All will be okay.”
— Irene Nalwoga, Women Tour Uganda
YOUR ATTITUDE WILL CHANGE
YOUR MINDSET WILL CHANGE
YOU WILL NEVER COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SAME THINGS AGAIN
YOUR ATTITUDE WILL CHANGE
YOUR MINDSET WILL CHANGE
YOU WILL NEVER COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SAME THINGS AGAIN
When you connect with a country this alive, this generous, this unhurried – something changes. Irene sees it every time.
This trip is for you if:
- You’ve always wanted to see gorillas in the wild and you don’t want to wait any longer
- You want meet your tribe and travel with them
- You’re a solo traveller who doesn’t want to pay solo traveller prices
- You want to contribute to something real, not just observe from a distance
- You’re ready for an experience that will genuinely shift your perspective
- You want the intimacy of a small group: maximum 8 women
- You like the idea of being among the first women ever to do this, before anyone else has written the story
This trip is NOT for you if:
- You need five-star luxury and constant WiFi (the lodges are excellent; the signal is not always)
- You want a packed, minute-by-minute schedule
- You’re not comfortable with moderate hiking: gorilla and chimpanzee trekking require a reasonable level of fitness
- You want a large group experience
THE PRACTICAL BITS
thedate
August 4-16 2026
(13 days / 12 nights)
theplace
Uganda
thegroup
Minimum 4, maximum 8 women
+ Carla and Irene
thestay
Mix of lodges, chalets, and safari tents. (single & sharing available)
yourfitness
Moderate:
You need to be able to hike and climb in/out of safari vehicles
flyin/flyout
Entebbe International Airport (EBB)
URGENT DETAILS
Only 2 spaces remain on this trip. This is the inaugural Uganda expedition — a first-of-its-kind journey.
To secure your place:
- 30% deposit due at booking
- Balance of payment due by 1 June 2027.
Credit card payments: please add 3.5% processing fee.
We don’t partner guests — single accommodation available at the single rate.
Visa: online application, $50 per person.
Investment (per person, USD): $10,450 (single) | $9,350 (sharing) 6 guests
Plus a compulsory conservation contribution of min $500 per person (can be fundraised). This gives you exclusive access to meet the wildlife vets and conservation teams working on the ground.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- All accommodation
- All meals and water
- National park fees
- All activities in the itinerary
- Airport transfers during the expedition
- All road transport
- One chimpanzee and one gorilla trekking permit
- A traditional Gomesi gift
- Your full-time English-speaking driver/guide
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
- International flights
- Visa ($50, available online),
- Gratuities (approx. $10–$20 per guide)
- Alcohol
- Personal expenses
- Travel insurance (compulsory)
- Any activities not listed in the itinerary
BUT WHAT ABOUT…
SAFETY?
You’re in expert hands. Irene knows Uganda’s parks, roads, and people. She tracks gorillas personally with every group. And as she puts it: “Our country is not about the history of Idi Amin. It is not about the terrorist threats you hear. Uganda is a very safe country with loving people.”
Carla has been safely leading women through African wilderness since 2012. You will be with two experienced hosts at all times.
TRAVELLING ALONE?
Every woman on this trip chose it alone. Irene built her entire business around the solo woman traveller, and she understands the fears and anxieties that come with it better than most. As she puts it: “You may have a husband who doesn’t travel. Friends who can’t afford it. Sisters in hospital. We live different deadlines in life. I want to see women pick up their bags and travel without waiting for anyone.”
What tends to happen — reliably, on every trip — is that strangers become friends. And those friends have a way of lasting.
THE FITNESS REQUIREMENT?
Gorilla trekking can take up to six hours. Chimpanzee trekking requires navigating rainforest terrain. You don’t need to be an athlete — you need to be willing. Irene watches the group carefully in the days before the gorilla trek and specifically requests a gorilla family suited to your fitness level. She will be right beside you the entire way.
THE CONSERVATION CONTRIBUTION?
This isn’t a token gesture. It goes directly to the organisations protecting Uganda’s wildlife, and it earns you something most tourists never get: real access. Time with the vets. Conversations with the rangers. The full story. It can be fundraised before you travel — Carla will walk you through how.
ARE YOU READY TO GO FIRST?
Uganda is a thief of hearts. That’s not a warning – it’s a promise. Irene knows it. Carla knows it.
And the eight women who come on this trip in August 2027 are going to know it too, before anyone else does.
Two spaces left. Your name could be on one of them.
Or if you’re not quite ready:
Email Carla with questions: carla@blueskysociety.co.za
Please note: this itinerary and pricing may be subject to slight changes. Some activities may be weather-dependent. Wi-Fi may be minimal or unavailable.
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