MARÍA AND LAWRENCE · JINJA, UGANDA
About us
Because for us, Uganda is not simply a destination
Behind Viajes Matatu
Viajes Matatu is a Destination Management Company (DMC) specialising in Uganda, born from a shared dream: to show the world a country we love and are proud to call home.
Behind Viajes Matatu are Maria and Lawrence, a couple brought together by our passion for Uganda, travel and safaris. Lawrence is Ugandan, while Maria first came to Uganda more than ten years ago. Since then, this country has also become her home.
Viajes Matatu is built on extensive experience in Uganda and the tourism industry, developed through years of living and working in the country. Lawrence has built part of his professional career in the hospitality sector, including working as a hotel manager, while Maria has worked as a Spanish-speaking Tour Leader for well-known travel agencies, accompanying groups and individual travellers across Uganda and other East African destinations.
After years of travelling around the country, working in tourism and discovering time and again everything Uganda has to offer, we decided to create Viajes Matatu: our own project through which we can share our experience and our way of understanding travel.
Because for us, Uganda is not simply a destination.
It is our home.
We know its national parks and iconic landmarks, but also its roads, villages, rhythms, culture and those special places that rarely make it into guidebooks. We want those who travel with us to discover both sides of Uganda: the spectacular and the everyday.
From the mountain gorillas of Bwindi to the vast African savannahs; from the source of the Nile to local markets, communities and rural landscapes. We want to show you an authentic, diverse and surprising Uganda, combining nature, adventure and culture.
OUR TEAM
We do not do it alone
And we do not do it alone. We work alongside an exceptional team of local guides and professionals with years of experience — people we trust and who, over time, have become part of our family too.
WHY CHOOSE US
Why travel with Viajes Matatu?
Because we live here.
We do not design our trips from thousands of miles away. We live permanently in Uganda and know the country first-hand. This allows us to recommend every route, accommodation and experience based on our own knowledge and to be close at hand throughout your journey.
Because we know Uganda, but we also understand travellers.
Our experience working with international travellers allows us to understand what people visiting Uganda for the first time are looking for and to support them from the initial planning stages right through to the journey itself.
Because every journey is different.
We design completely tailor-made itineraries. We listen to your interests, your travel style, the time you have available and your budget to create an experience designed around you.
Because Uganda is much more than a safari.
Gorillas, chimpanzees and incredible wildlife safaris are all part of the experience, but Uganda is also about culture, communities, mountains, lakes, the Nile and remarkable human diversity. That is why our journeys are designed to reveal not only its most spectacular places, but also the true essence of the country.
Because we believe in responsible, respectful and sustainable tourism.
We work with Ugandan professionals, support the local economy and aim to minimise the impact of our journeys on the environment. We believe in travelling in a way that respects people, culture and nature.
Because we want you to discover Uganda as we know it: not simply as a destination, but as a place you will want to return to.
OUR PARTNERS
Our partners
- UWA
- UTB
- AUTO
- ESTOA
- USAGA