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Welcome to JetBlack Travel! We are a group of travel enthusiasts dedicated to experiencing the world collectively.

Our itineraries are carefully crafted to take you on a journey of discovery, exploring the world's most beautiful destinations. We understand that everyone needs are unique unique, which is why we offer custom planners to help you plan your ideal vacation. Whether you're looking for a romantic getaway, a family vacation, or an adventure-filled trip, we can help you plan every detail of your trip.

If you're looking for a more social experience, we also offer group trips that are perfect for meeting like-minded individuals from around the world. Our group trips are designed to take you off the beaten path and show you the authentic side of each destination.

In addition, we also have a thriving travel community that is open to all on our social media @jetblacktravel. Our travel group is a place for people who share a passion for exploring the world to connect, share stories, and inspire each other. Whether you're a seasoned traveler or just starting out, we welcome you to join our community and discover new places together.

At JetBlack Travel, we are committed to providing exceptional service and helping you create unforgettable memories. We believe that travel is one of life's greatest pleasures, and we are passionate about sharing that joy with you. So why wait? Let's start planning your next experience or collaboration today!

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Get to Know Jessica Nabongo, the First Documented Black Woman to Travel to Every Country in the World

After traveling to every country in the world, the fearless Jessica Nabongo opens up about her biggest takeaways, favorite underrated destinations, and what it's like to be a solo Black female traveler.

Jessica Nabongo may have been born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, but she makes one thing clear: “The world is our neighborhood.” She told Travel + Leisure, “For me, home is in people. You can find home in many different places, even if it’s your first time visiting.”

As the first documented Black woman to visit every country in the world, home has meant a cattle camp in South Sudan, a hot air balloon in Myanmar, a barbershop run by a Congolese refugee in Malawi, a yurt in Kyrgyzstan, and yes, even North Korea.

But a curiosity about the world and the people in it coursed through the Ugandan-American long before her two-and-a-half-year global odyssey began in 2017. “Travel is fundamentally a part of who I am,” said Nabongo, who started traveling internationally at the age of four with her parents to destinations like Jamaica, Mexico, Uganda, London, and Canada. By the time she finished high school, Nabongo had visited eight countries — and she was only getting started.

The self-proclaimed “geography nerd” spent the following years crisscrossing the map, first quitting her corporate job to teach English in Japan, then studying abroad at the London School of Economics, followed by living in Benin, West Africa, and Rome, while working at the United Nations. All in all, she’s lived in five countries on four continents, and by the time her epic expedition around the world commenced, she already had 60 countries under her belt. Constantly on the move, it’s no wonder, then, that her motto (and moniker for her blog) is The Catch Me If You Can .

While Nabongo travels with friends and family, she has, of course, done her fair share of solo travel , too. Traversing the world alone has its obvious benefits — the shots are yours to call, the risks yours to take, the misadventures yours to overcome, and the triumphs yours to revel in — but for Nabongo, traveling solo has also been a way to foster a more profound connection with the places she’s visiting. “The benefit of solo travel is that it allows you the opportunity to connect with local people better,” she said. “When we travel with others, we’re there with those people, so oftentimes, we don’t get to know the local people. Solo travel allows you, in many ways, to explore a country deeper in terms of building those relationships and spending more time engaging with locals.”

Travel-themed Books by Black Authors That Will Fuel Your Desire to See the World

And as a solo female Black traveler , specifically, Nabongo sees herself as an ambassador. “I’m Black, I’ve always been Black, I’ll always be Black. I can only move through the world as a Black person…what it means oftentimes, for better or worse, is that you become a representative for the people that people identify you as,” she said. “For the most part, people identify me as African – I’m not often identified as a Black American. It presents an opportunity to give people in different places an experience, and to work to normalize our existence beyond entertainment, beyond what they see on the news. It offers a chance to give people a real-life experience and hopefully help them realize, as I have, that we’re more similar than we are different.”

In fact, breaking down barriers has been part of Nabongo’s mission well before she even set out on her around-the-world journey. In 2015, she founded Jet Black , a boutique travel firm that works with governments and brands to promote tourism to countries in Africa, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Upon launching, Nabongo tells us, the company’s first tagline was: "Changing the narrative."

“When it comes to Brown and Black countries, we most often see negativity, and that wasn’t my experience,” she said, listing Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Saudi as places where she had phenomenal experiences. “I remember prior to going to Russia and Saudi and Libya, people were like, ‘You have to be so careful. Russians hate Black people, Saudis hate Africans.’ All these different things, but I had really beautiful experiences in all of those countries.”

That’s not to say she hasn’t been confronted with challenges. “I got questioned a lot by immigration in different countries because they wouldn’t believe that as a Ugandan passport holder, I’m there for tourism,” said Nabongo, who switches between an American and Ugandan passport, depending on where she’s traveling.

Nabongo recalls another encounter in a rural part of Kyrgyzstan, when she noticed all of the cars on the road had stopped to stare at her as she was crossing the street to get a SIM card with a local. “I was like, ‘Oh yeah, duh, I’m Black and they’ve probably never seen a Black person here,’” she said. “It’s not to say I forget that I’m Black…but it’s not something I’m constantly thinking about.”

But those hurdles — sometimes subtle, sometimes jarring — haven’t slowed her down. “I know a lot of Black people ask, ‘Which countries are safe for Black people?’ I don’t really look at travel like that. I don’t ever Google ‘What is it like for Black people in X country because, to me, I belong anywhere that I am,” she said.

Acknowledging that people have different life experiences that may motivate their actions and apprehensions, Nabongo urges everyone to let go of fear. “I want everyone to feel like the world is there to be explored,” she said. “I want us to move away from fear, whether you’re a woman…or a non-white person. I want people to realize that the world is for all of us to explore.” It’s exactly this school of thought that she’s carried with her country to country, neighborhood to neighborhood.

And 195 countries later, the fearless traveler notes that most of her favorite experiences have been in lesser-visited, often-overlooked countries, because “the people themselves are way more excited to have tourists, and they’re also wanting to show people their country outside the negative things you see on the news.”

Among the underrated destinations that stand out most, Nabongo names Sudan, Namibia, northern Norway, Madagascar, and Tonga. “Sudan because they have more pyramids and older pyramids than Egypt. You also have the Red Sea, where you can go diving, and culturally, I find it to be very interesting,” she says. “And Namibia is a great country if you’re looking to do a lot of exploration by road. You have the Desert of Sossusvlei, the Skeleton Coast, you even have safaris.”

She goes on to talk about whale-watching, snowshoeing, and dog sledding in northern Norway, all the adventure travel opportunities — world-class beaches, rain forests, lemurs, and baobabs — in Madagascar, and even swimming with humpback whales in the wild in Tonga, a South Pacific destination that, according to her, doesn’t get the love it deserves. Talking to Nabongo feels akin to flipping through the pages of a travel magazine: it inspires, it informs, it leaves you feeling like you want to drop everything, pack a bag, and go.

Much like the rest of the world, however, Nabongo’s nomadic lifestyle has been paused amid the coronavirus pandemic . Though it should come as no surprise that she’s still inspiring others from home — she launched a geography course for adults and children in quarantine, providing folks with facts about different countries, and working on proper pronunciation. “So many people were wanting to travel, but also a lot of parents were trying to find new ways to entertain their kids, so it initially started as a class for children, but then so many adults were requesting it, too,” she says of the course, which has now wrapped, though it might make a comeback in the summer.

But once it’s safe to travel again, where does the woman who has seen it all want to go? Cuba, says Nabongo, without hesitation. “I first visited Cuba in 2016 for my birthday. I went with a bunch of friends, and fell in love with it,” she says. So much so, that in 18 months, she visited four times. “I love the people in Cuba, I love the energy...It’s such an amazing country. Obviously, it has a fascinating history, but the joie de vivre that the people there are living with is just so beautiful to witness and get a little bit of that into your life.”

This hearkens back to her belief that home lives in people, that everyone is her neighbor, no matter where she happens to be standing in the world.

Another major takeaway from her travels? “Most people are good. And we are more similar than we are different,” she says.

“What traveling shows you is no matter if you’re Muslim or Jewish, Black or White, male or female, we’re all just human beings. And in traveling and talking to people in rural areas in less economically developed countries, you really get that sense of ‘Oh, you’re just like me. Sure, we don’t speak the same language, but you’re just like me.’”

Travel + Leisure's new podcast, Let's Go Together, is here! Subscribe to hear Jessica Nabongo and more inspiring voices share their unique travel experiences.

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Zanzibar, Tanzania 🇹🇿 (A JetBlack Exclusive Trip)

Zanzíbar, Tanzania

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About this trip

 Escape to the tropical paradise of Zanzibar, Tanzania, where pristine white sand beaches, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and rich cultural heritage await. 

What’s included

• Airport Pick up
• Airport drop offs
• Daily Transportation
• Welcome Dinner
• Accommodation Sunny Palms Beach Resort
• Daily breakfast
• Tours/Activities
• Swim with Turtles
• Prison Island Tour
• Nakupenda Sand Bank
• Bonfire cultural dance
• Masaai Village
• Kendwa Beach Day
• Blue Safari
• Sunset Cruise
• Farewell Dinner

What’s not included

• Bad vibes :)
• Flight To/From Zanzibar Please, do not book your airline ticket until advised to do so

Available Packages

Available options.

Arrive at   Abeid Amani Karume International Airport . The official Airport code is (ZNZ)

Come and join us in our welcome dinner at 6 degrees East Restaurant, an unforgettable and authentically Zanzibar dining experience. 

This serves as a great venue to make initial introductions and disseminate information for what to expect for the remainder of the trip. 

Our first visit is high standards!!

The prison Island was built in 1893 and it was originally intended to house prisoners from the mainland and sick people. 

Nowadays, it serves as a tourist island where you will get the opportunity to visit the tortoise sanctuary, which contains a large colony of giant tortoise imported from Seychelles in the late 19th century. This is a great place to walk, relax, enjoy the majestic beauty of Zanzibar and learn about the many uses of spices aside from being used as a food flavoring.

Zanzibar was a strategic point for trade . However, a visit to the spice and fruit farms will let you understand its true value. 

This island is a treasure of spices that were worth more than currency. Aside from learning about the spices from being used as food flavoring, you will understand that these spices have curative properties that were invaluable in the olden days, in the absence of modern medicine.

Stone town is an old metropolis that has retained its essence through time.

On this  guided tour of Stone Town , you'll visit the most iconic places in the capital of Zanzibar , such as the Old Fort, Sultan's Palace, and Christ Church.

Let's taste the flavors from Africa while enjoying a breathtaking sunset at Emerson on Hurumzi Hotel.

This hotel is located in the heart of Stone Town. It was once the home of one of the richest men in the Swahili Empire – Mr Tharia Topan, who served as the principal financial advisor to Sultan Bargash.  Today it is still one of the most popular hotels in Zanzibar.  

Safari blue trip in Zanzibar is a full-day sea adventure tour with lots of fascinating things including swimming, snorkeling, seafood testing, and sailing on a traditional dhow. 

With this tour, you will have the opportunity to meet and explore the marine life in the protected waters around the island of Zanzibar. The reefs and corals with fascinating colors will make this experience an unforgettable tour.

Meliá Resort is a beach hotel with six restaurants and five bars that serve local and international specialties prepared with a passion for amazing dining & cocktail  experiences.

Please, have your cameras ready for the fascinating views that this place offers us.

Jozani Forest, also known as Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park is a must to do while in Zanzibar.

This is the only national park on Zanzibar Island. It is a 50 kilometers square island full of beautiful and tranquil spots to visit.  Jonazi Forest is well known as a natural pharmacy and an amazing source of natural remedies because each plant or tree cures something different. 

Be ready to find elevated trees, mangroves, and Red Colobus Monkeys, a very rare monkey species unique to Zanzibar, while walking through wood pathways. 

Michamvi beach is a white-sand beach bordered by coconut palms, a clear and blue sea, and spots to rest. 

It is such a paradise on earth!

Please, have your cameras ready for the fascinating view that this place offers us.

Are we missing anything? Don't think so :'D but here you have a free day to plan an extra desired activity in the mindblowing island of Zanzibar.

We can provide information, plans, and activities to enjoy this day as well.

We will recap the entire trip at this Farewell dinner and say our official goodbyes.  

Yes, you are right! All these activities to close with a flourish.

The Maasai are an ethnic group living in Kenya and Tanzania. Its population is estimated at about 850,000 people who speak the Maa language, although most of them can also speak Swahili and English. 

They are commonly known in the western world for their big ear expansions decorated with wood and colored beads, their red robes, and their dances in tribal celebrations.

As a predominantly farming and semi-nomadic community, they consider their natural habitat as a sacred environment that since the British colonization has dwindled until they have been forced to get closer socially and geographically to the adjacent urban contexts. 

Dolphin Tour and Snorkeling

Zanzibar is very well known for its friendly bottlenose dolphins. They are often seen and you will be able to swim with them closer.

We know you have been waiting for this as well. Riding a horse through the white sand of Zanzibar beaches is a dreamed activity for many of us.

We will have the opportunity to ride and swim with horses on the top 10 beaches in the world.

Join us aboard on a catamaran yacht for a spectacular time together enjoying a stunning Zanzibar sunset, good vibes, music, and drinks!

Your Organizer

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Most frequently asked questions and answers

What countries have you all visited.

We have curated trips for various groups to countries that include but are not limited to Cuba, Colombia, South Africa, Ghana, Jamaica, Spain, Morocco, Brazil & Bali. We are very experienced in the travel space and are confident that you will not be dissapointed 🙂

Who is able to travel with JetBlack?

Any and everyone! Although we started with medical and legal professionals, we felt a need to diversify our group of travelers. No matter your background, everyone is a professional in their respective careers. We welcome anyone interested in cultural immersion.

Are your trips curated for singles or for couples?

Most people that come on our trips are singles but there are a handful of couples that also participate. Regardless of your relationship status, we welcome you to our group of traveling professionals

Does JetBlack require the travel payments all at once?

Each guest chooses how they want to pay each installment. You can either pay the entire amount for the trip or enter a payment plan option.

Is it safe to use my banking information on your travel site?

We understand your concern and are confident to say that all banking information is made on a certified and nationally recognized merchant service.

If I submit my down payment and unable to travel, would I be eligible for a trip reimbursement?"

Yes, every traveler is eligbile for a refund depending on where we are in proximity to our travel date. The refund policy is outlined on the travel description page, which is all available on the Explore Tab.

What happens when I put my deposit down?

When you make your first installment, you will recevie an email within 1 hour from our travel and logistics coordinator to welcome you. This email will also list some preliminary information regarding the trip and flight details. You will subsequently be placed in our WhatsApp communications group to help streamline communication between members of our team and all travelers.

Does everyone on the JetBlack Team participate?

Yes, we are all typically in attendance!

Get in touch with Us:

[email protected], get the latest news & offers., subscribe to stay updated on our upcoming trips., 1. choose destination.

Decide whether you’d like to join one of our popular group trips or have a private trip curated for your specific needs.

2. Review Itinerary

We provide you with a preliminary itinerary of what to expect on your desired destination. At a later date, all travelers will receive their own personalized roadmap filled with details on day to day activities.

3. Submit Your Deposit

What better way to be fully confirmed for you trip than submitting your deposit. Once this has been made, you will receive an email from our project manager, welcoming you onboard!

4. Connect With Our Partners

We will be adding our travelers, members of our team & international partners in a group message to streamline modes of communication.

5. Sit Back and Relax

We take the entire planning process out of travel, so you don’t have to worry. Now is time to sit back and wait for takeoff!

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