06/09/2025
Our Journey from Wanderers to Welcomers: A Ugandan Tale of Travel and Hospitality
In 2018, with hearts full of curiosity and a thirst for adventure, my partner Jaqi and I, Enock, set out to explore the vibrant landscapes and rich cultures of Uganda.
We shared our experiences, stories of warm smiles, unexpected friendships, and the beauty of Uganda’s diverse heritage, on social media, hoping to inspire others to discover the Pearl of Africa. Each step deepened our love for connection, not just with places, but with people.
Fast forward to today, and that love for connection has grown into something even more profound. Jaqi and I are now proud Airbnb hosts, opening our home to travelers from every corner of the globe. What began as a personal quest to explore has transformed into a mission to create a space where stories are shared, cultures collide, and strangers become friends. Hosting has become our way of continuing the journey we started in Uganda, only now, the world comes to us.
The best part of being Airbnb hosts? It’s the stories. Every guest brings a piece of their world into our home. We have listened, wide-eyed, to tales of camel treks across Moroccan deserts, moonlit festivals in India, and quiet moments watching the Northern Lights in Iceland. Each story is a window into lives and cultures we might never have known otherwise. It’s humbling, exhilarating, and a reminder of how small the world can feel when shared over a home-cooked local meal.
Our next guest is arriving soon, hailing from Vietnam, and we are buzzing with excitement. We can’t wait to hear their stories, perhaps of bustling Hanoi markets, serene rice paddies in Sapa, or the vibrant lantern-lit streets of Hoi An. We imagine sitting together in our cozy living room, a map of Uganda on the wall behind us, a nod to our own travels, while a small Vietnamese conical hat rests on a shelf nearby, symbolizing the new stories we are about to hear. It’s a beautiful cycle: our travels inspire our hosting, and our hosting fuels our curiosity for the world.
To us, hospitality is more than providing a place to stay, it’s about creating a space where stories are exchanged, where cultures intertwine, and where the spirit of travel lives on. Our journey began on the roads of Uganda, but it continues every day in the laughter, conversations, and connections we share with our guests.
We have learned that travel isn’t just about seeing new places; it’s about opening your heart to new perspectives. And as we prepare to welcome our Vietnamese guest, we are reminded once again that the world is full of stories waiting to be told, and we are honored to be part of the telling.
So here is to the wanderers, the storytellers, and the hosts who keep the spirit of adventure alive. May we all find ways to explore, connect, and inspire, one story at a time.