Back in 2010, Africa Beyond Borders officially got its Ugandan Certificate of Incorporation.
Before that, I had been an East Africa Travel Expert (yes, it sounds a bit pretentious, but we were just asked to describe ourselves that way) working with a Cape Town–based operator. Back then, guests routinely flew between Nairobi, Kenya’s Masai Mara, and Northern Tanzania’s highlights – avoiding long, tiring drives.
Uganda ? A very different story. No quick flights, no easy ‘fixes’ to remote places like Bwindi – unless you could charter an aircraft. Attempts were made, but none succeeded – like trying to pick a heavy jackfruit before it’s ripe.
Reaching Bwindi meant a 520 km drive in a 4000cc, fuel-guzzling Land Cruiser, navigating potholes, goats, and traffic that ranged from cars, buses, and motorcycles to bicycles, heavy petroleum trucks, and even cattle – each moving at their own pace and sharing the same road.
Leaving Kampala at 7:00 am meant arriving by 6:00 pm – if all went according to plan.
Then in 2012, a black-and-yellow airline knocked at the gate: Aerolink Uganda. We listened, exchanged signatures, but approached cautiously – like watching a man balancing a heavy load of mattresses on a busy Kampala street, hopeful but unsure he’d make it.
We witnessed them growing – one Cessna Aircraft at a time. We faced Covid side by side, navigated long airfield closures. Saw them launching new destinations, while closing others.
14 years on, thousands of our guests flown to different destinations, and Aerolink has proven its worth: consistent, reliable, and personal – still knowing their long-time partners by name.
Those long Land Cruiser drives feel like a lifetime ago. Today, a quick flight gets our guests to Bwindi – refreshed and ready for it all. Aerolink didn’t just cut travel time – they made the journey part of the experience.
If a journey that once felt like a full day can now be done in an hour, what would you do with the extra time in Bwindi ?
