‘TRAVEL the Y WAY’ through UGANDA
with Yvonne Verstandig & Suzy Zail
on a carefully curated,
fully immersive, purpose-led trip.
‘TRAVEL the Y WAY’ through UGANDA
with Yvonne Verstandig & Suzy Zail
on a carefully curated,
fully immersive, purpose-led trip.
JOIN US IN JUNE 2026.
CONFIRMED TOUR DATES COMING SOON!
At Y Travel we approach travel with curiosity and wonder, creating extraordinary experiences that connect to our portals of passion;
our Y Factors.
Travel the Y Way in Uganda
Yvonne Verstandig, founder of Y Travel, and award-winning author Suzy Zail are teaming up to lead a unique tour to Uganda that offers travellers the opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture and community of the country, while making a real difference to the lives of girls & women.
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The tour begins in Kampala at Latitude 0° , where we will meet with female leaders of change and participate in round-table discussions about girls' empowerment. We will visit classrooms, girls' empowerment clubs, their homes and workplaces - all the while learning about the challenges facing girls and women in Uganda. We will also take a deep dive into the culture of this vibrant city spending time with designers and artists and sampling the best of the city’s food, wine and music scene.
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From Kampala, the tour heads to the North-West of Uganda to Kulu Ora, a brand new, beautifully appointed tented camp, situated on the shores of the Nile River, for an amazing wildlife experience in the incredible Murchison Falls National Park. Home to 76 animal species, here we will experience game drives, nature walks and will also have an optional trek to visit Murchison's Chimpanzees in their natural habitat within the Kaniyo Pabidi forest.
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Perched above the clouds in Uganda’s South-West highlands, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge offers the perfect base for our mountain gorilla adventure and an opportunity to discover local communities and help with sustainable community projects.
The breakdown
Whilst not wanting to give away all our secrets, see below for some of the amazing experiences you will be participating in:
10 day/ 9 night women’s only small group tour
Learn about the obstacles preventing girls from reaching their potential and assist Concern for the Girl Child and other aid organisations working to improve the lives of girls
AAFCAD awareness walk, visit schools and learn about girls’ empowerment training
Explore markets, meet with local artists, visit fashion designers and learn traditional Ugandan dances
Enjoy interactive workshops, storytelling and discussion groups with leading female change-makers
Spot wildlife in open-top land cruisers in the Murchison Falls National Park, and chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest
Luxury boutique lodge accommodation throughout
OPTIONAL ADD ON - Gorilla trekking in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
SO WHY UGANDA?
Uganda is a land of contrasts. In half a day you can drive from mist-shrouded volcanic mountains to hot hazy Savannah dotted with wildlife. Serene undulating hills of tea plantations give way to tangled jungles and rainforests. There is the Nile, twisting its way north, snow-capped peaks and tropical, sandy, freshwater beaches. Most of all, there are smiling faces. It is all here, a feast for all the senses.
Each property we will be staying at is unique and constructed in sympathy with its breathtaking environment. All are located in different regions of this vast and beautiful country.
Organisations we will visit who make a difference
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UYAFPAH is a not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to ensure quality sexual and reproductive health rights and the well-being of young people in Uganda. This is done through promoting the rights of young people to access quality contraceptive services and by influencing National Health Planning to prioritize sexual and reproductive health and rights in the health sector budget.
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Smart Girls Foundation Uganda aims to create a more supportive environment for young girls and women and equip them with skills in male dominated fields (ie. mechanics and plumbing). They deliver grassroots programs in disadvantaged areas to create a network of young leaders and support them while they progress in their careers as champions of youth-led development.
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CGC is a national non-government organisation committed to protecting, respecting and fulfilling the rights of vulnerable children and young people through provision of education, skills development, healthcare, child protection, economic empowerment and psychological support.
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“Action for Fundamental Change and Development” was founded by 4 friends who had been raised in Bwaise, one of Kampala’s poorest slums. AFFCAD work to bring about fundamental and sustainable change in the lives of slum youth through imparting technical, vocational and life skills. They aim to create awareness on sexual reproductive health, alongside supporting people affected by HIV/AIDS. The organisation founded a community school called Excel Education Centre that provides formal education to 200 orphaned children and those from HIV/AIDS and poverty affected families.
Behind the Immersive Experience
‘Travel the Y Way’ means travelling with Yvonne Verstandig, founder of Y Travel. Benefit from her passionate knowledge and share in the way she loves to see the world. When you Travel the Y Way, you will become fully and completely immersed in every destination, experiencing the culture, community and cuisine. Travel the Y Way is about digging beneath the surface to discover life as it’s lived every day.
What lies at the core of our success is our commitment to leaving a lasting benefit to the communities we meet. Our local networks help us tap into otherwise inaccessible opportunities, creating interactive and empowering experiences to transform our travellers’ lives and make a difference to the people and places we visit. Travel the Y Way is an opportunity to be nudged out of your comfort zone, which is where you’ll find the real adventure and the magic of the unexpected.
Co-hosting this once in a lifetime journey is Suzy Zail - award-winning author of Ink Flower, The Wrong Boy and Alexander Altman A10567. After visiting Uganda to learn about girls’ rights, Suzy wrote I am Change. Inspired by real life, I am Change is the tragic but empowering story of how a young Ugandan girl finds her voice and the strength to fight for change. This return visit will allow other women the opportunity to hear first-hand from the girls who informed her story, and to meet and help the aid organisations who make a difference to their lives.
Excited by the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the lives of women in developing countries, Yvonne and Suzy have curated a unique tour to create real change and help improve the lives of girls through authentic giving, sharing stories and the forging of genuine, lasting connections. The tour will culminate with four days of adventure including visiting remote tribal villages, building mud houses and gorilla trekking.
Book Your Dream Trip to Uganda
Book Your Dream Trip to Uganda
Whether you’re searching for the wild cats on safari, meeting a Ssenga, building a mud-hut for a disadvantaged family, trekking with gorillas or being trained by a village elder to weave a basket; each experience will place you beside community members who will deepen your experience through the sharing of stories and hands-on participation. Yvonne’s Travel The Y Way through Uganda has been inspired by Suzy’s book, I Am Change, and resonates with Y Travel’s immersive journeys with meaning. Journeys with a story to tell.
Let Travel the Y Way take you on a powerful and transformational journey to discover the real Uganda. Meet with female leaders of change, participate in round-table discussions, visit classrooms and girls’ empowerment clubs. Discover the Africa that lives amid the heady smells of street vendors, in bustling city markets and remote jungle villages. Create art with a local painter, dance, drum and wander the markets. Learn, grow and be inspired.
Come join us in Uganda and be part of this incredible once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.