Eunice Tess is a professional Ugandan travel vlogger. Her You Tube channel @EuniceTess with over 5 million views offers a catalog of her trips around East Africa including DR Congo Kinshasha capital city, Tanzania, Burundi, and South Sudan. In Uganda she has visited all the 10 national parks documenting culture, wildlife & Safari Lodges providing a personal perspective to inspire those intending to Explore Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, besides, honing her skills and credibly promoting tourism. In this epic interview, Tess shares her travel vlogging journey, providing solid reasons for others to trust and collaborate with her. Have fun reading!
What makes Uganda a unique destination in East Africa in your opinion?
The food first of all! I always heard stories of people missing our food when they move abroad but I never took them seriously. Imagine I’ve only traveled around East Africa but nothing comes close to the abundance and the taste of Ugandan food. Our food is very sweet, fruits are so fresh and we have them in plenty. It’s funny how a pineapple outside Ugandan doesn’t taste the same.
What inspired you to start travel vlogging and what is your primary focus? Focus I mean things like entertainment, wildlife and nature, culture, marketing, research…
My Travel Vlogging journey starts from my background as a journalist. I did Mass Communication at university and practiced Journalism shortly after graduation. I’ve always loved filming and traveling so Travel Vlogging was like a perfect combination of both. I worked 9-5 jobs for a few years, overworked myself, burned out, and began hating my schedule. At first I was doing vlogging on weekends while I worked on weekdays. As my channel became monetized over time, I was able to pursue it full-time.
My primary focus is Culture, wildlife & Safari Lodges for Uganda travel vlog.
Can you share some of your most memorable travel experiences in Uganda and what made them special?
I’ll start with this year while I was on my way to South Sudan by bus. We got to Karuma Bridge at around 3 or 4am. I’ve seen beautiful things in this country but the sight of the reflection of the moon on that water at that time of the night made me shed a tear.
Visiting the Batwa community too which is currently my most watched Uganda travel vlog. I love story telling and the moment I got there I immediately knew what angle to do. They were so welcoming and we became friends till today, I still visit them (not for content) and share the little I have.
The other memorable moment was making it to my 10th national park. It was so memorable because I’d been trying to visit all the parks in Uganda for two years.
How do you decide on the destinations and activities to feature in your vlogs?
Now that it’s basically work for me, sometimes the destination is determined by clients. It could be a safari lodge or any brand under tourism & travel. I’m paid to review most of these places so that’s how I end up there. But sometimes I’m following my own bucket list for example this year I wanted to visit CTC Conservation Center in Mpigi and I did.
What are some hidden gems in Uganda that you think more travelers should know about?
I recently visited an island called Lolwe/Dolwe and I believe it’s the next big thing. People didn’t even believe that it was in Uganda when they watched my Uganda travel vlog.
The areas of Kyambura & Rubirizi too. I feel like most people do Queen Elizabeth national park and then Fort Portal and skip them. Lake Mutanda and Mulehe too. Not really hidden but definitely not talked about enough.
What challenges have you faced while traveling and vlogging in Uganda, and how have you overcome them?
The first challenge was of course funding but with my channel being monetized and getting paid to review places, it was managed. Traveling is not cheap no matter how budget it is. Then of course explaining to for example lodge owners what exactly travel vlogging is & how they’d benefit from it was a challenge of it’s own because this is still a new thing in Uganda. I’m probably the first one that has consistently done travel vlogs for over 5 years in Uganda. But with time, they’ve slowly opened up. Then people also hate being filmed, recorded or be documented in any kinda way. Understandable but sometimes it hinders the story telling process.
Lastly I’d say sometimes it is draining to tell some stories because of how heartbreaking they are. Sometimes you get attached when you’re eyes are opened about people’s way of living and it hurts that you’re able to do little for them.
How do you ensure the safety and security of yourself and your equipment while traveling to remote or less-traveled areas?
You’d be shocked but my equipment has been safer while in those remote areas that it is in cities. The people there are not so sure what it is exactly, all they do is just stare at you using it and that it is. People that are in developed areas however, understand what it is and what it does so chances are, they might want to take it. But the thing about me is I never draw so much attention to myself when I’m in a new area and I don’t go around filming everything. I once in a while get a local or a local guide to move around with, mostly because of the language barrier, but also to guide me. Also, I use my phone 99% of the time so my set up isn’t that big to draw attention to bad people.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a travel vlog in Uganda?
Save up money. I told you how I had to keep at my normal job for the first 3 years of my vlogging career before I took a break. Traveling is costly no matter how low your budget is. The equipment too.
Be patient, it takes a while to grow your channel & monetize your content. If you want quick money, unless you’re already a public figure, you’ll be discouraged.
Seek advice from someone doing it already. I never had people to ask about some of the things so I did lots of mistakes at the start. Lastly, Uganda is a beautiful country, there’s a lot to record for anyone intending to start a Uganda travel vlog.
How has your audience responded to your content, and what kind of feedback do you often receive?
At the beginning of my career, I thought people wanted to see flashy hotels and lodges but I started getting people asking to see for example the community, the local people, the food and things like that. It is now evident because all my tribe vlogs do so well. My top viewers come from the USA, UK and Schengen countries. Those people have seen the most beautiful lodges so they might not be wowed by our ‘city hotels’ but our Safari lodges surely do. So with time I learnt what my audience loved and I’ve been growing at a different pace. I currently have over 20,000 subscribers so it is safe to say that I understood what my audience loves.
How do you balance the authenticity of your travel experiences with the need to create engaging and entertaining content for your viewers?
With time I’ve learnt to live in the moment. There are times I’d leave a place and go back home still stressed. I’ve learnt to live in the moment, be present and then create content for my people. I’m open to my people, if for example the content is a partnership deal, I’ll tell them. If it is a personal trip, they’ll know. I vlog when I’m able to, if I’m not financially stable or have no gigs coming in, I take sometime off. I don’t want to be pressurized into a kind of lifestyle I can’t afford which can easily happen because of some of the places I review. It is easy to get caught up in the life of for example staying at expensive safari hotels and you start doing whatever it takes to keep up with that. I don’t want that for myself. If I can’t afford a flight, I’ll take a bus. That’s how authentic it gets. I’ve taken bus rides to all countries surrounding Uganda and documented the journeys and people seem to love us driving through those cities in public means. I’ve seen the power of being your true self and I’m so grateful that my audience understands me.
What are your future plans for your travel vlog, and are there any upcoming projects or destinations you’re particularly excited about?
In 2024, I was able to visit all countries surrounding Uganda. Now I’m excited to tick off other countries. I don’t over plan my trips because it takes away the thrill. But God-willing, I’m excited to visit Omo Valley in Ethiopia and spend time with one the tribes there, do Somalia to wrap up my East African tour and then head to Southern Africa. After that, I can start looking at countries outside Africa. But if God’s plan is doing them in a different order, I’m open to that too. Haha. I truly wanna see the world. I can’t remember something I’ve wanted more than that.
Watch her favorite Uganda travel vlogs or go to the channel and get your personal favorites.
The Batwa vlog
The bungee jumping vlog
The abseiling vlog
The “Best places to visit in Fort Portal” vlog
