Mountain gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Our Story

About Still Wild Safaris

Regenerative travel, born from a university dorm room.

Hot air balloon over the Masai Mara at sunrise

Our Story

Still Wild Safaris was founded in 2024 by two university graduates who shared a simple but stubborn belief: that safari travel could give back to the wild places it depends on, instead of quietly costing them.

It began as a university project called Keep Your Safari Green — a small research initiative built around one question: how much carbon does a single safari actually produce, and what could realistically be done about it? What started as a class assignment quickly became something neither founder could put down. The data was sobering. The opportunity was obvious. And the idea that travel through Africa's wildest landscapes could become part of the solution, rather than part of the problem, refused to let them go.

That university project became Still Wild Safaris — a tour operator built from the ground up around regenerative travel, with carbon reduction stitched into every itinerary we design.

Guide scanning the water at Akagera National Park, Rwanda

What We Believe

We believe a safari should leave a place better than it found it. Not just "do less harm" — actively contribute to the health of the ecosystems, communities, and wildlife that make the journey worth taking in the first place. That's what regenerative travel means to us: travel that restores, not just travel that tries to tread lightly.

Buhoma Lodge at dusk, on the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

How We Cut Down Carbon on Safari

Reusable Bottles on Every Trip

Every guest receives a refillable bottle at the start of their safari, cutting down dramatically on single-use plastic waste across multi-day itineraries.

Eco-Lodge Partnerships

We prioritise accommodation built and run on genuine sustainability principles: solar power, water recycling, local sourcing, and low-impact construction.

Carbon-Conscious Routing

We design itineraries that reduce unnecessary transfers and flights wherever a lower-carbon alternative exists without compromising the experience.

Destination Selection

We actively promote destinations and tour circuits that are structured around conservation outcomes, not just wildlife viewing.

Carbon Offset Partnerships

A portion of every booking contributes to verified offset and reforestation initiatives across East Africa.

Aerial view of a river valley and terraced hills in Rwanda

Where We're Headed

We're still early in this journey — and we mean that literally. Still Wild Safaris is a young company built by people who are still learning, still testing, and still improving every itinerary we put out into the world. But our founding question hasn't changed since our university days: how do we make sure the wild places we love are still wild for the next generation of travellers?

Breakfast laid out on a boat at sunset on the Victoria Nile

Regenerative, Not Just Sustainable

These two words get used interchangeably in travel marketing, but they mean very different things — and the difference matters to us.

Sustainable Travel

Aims to do no further harm. Minimise waste, reduce emissions, leave no trace.

Regenerative Travel

Goes further. It aims to leave a destination measurably better off than before the visit — healthier ecosystems, stronger local economies, more resilient communities.

Sustainability is the floor. Regeneration is the goal. Every itinerary we design is built to clear that higher bar.

Community members sharing a cultural demonstration near Akagera National Park, Rwanda

Giving Back, Built In — Not Bolted On

Local-First Guiding

We prioritise hiring guides, drivers, and staff from the communities surrounding the destinations we operate in.

Profit-Share Commitment

A percentage of every booking is directed back into community and conservation partners along our routes.

Women- and Youth-Led Partnerships

We actively seek out and support women-led and youth-led guiding and hospitality initiatives across East Africa.

Reforestation Partnerships

We work with local reforestation and conservation initiatives to put real trees and real funding behind every trip we run.

Local guide at work on a boat at Akagera National Park, Rwanda

Our Impact So Far

We're a young company, and we'd rather under-promise than inflate our numbers. Here's where we stand as we grow.

Trips Run Since 2024

Building steadily, one regenerative itinerary at a time.

Reusable Bottles Distributed

Cutting single-use plastic out of every multi-day safari.

Eco-Lodge Partners Onboarded

And growing every season.

Carbon Offset Contributions

Channelled into verified East African reforestation projects.

As we scale, we'll publish real, audited numbers here rather than vague claims. Transparency is part of the deal.

Forest-facing veranda at Buhoma Lodge, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Frequently Asked Questions

Not necessarily. Many of our eco-lodge partners are competitively priced with conventional options. Where there's a small premium, it's usually tied directly to a specific, traceable impact — like solar infrastructure or community wages — not vague marketing.

Forest cabins at Buhoma Lodge on the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Travel With Us

If you're looking for a safari that's as conscious about its footprint as it is about its wildlife sightings, we'd love to plan your journey. Every itinerary we build carries the same DNA as the project that started it all — smaller footprint, deeper impact, still wild.