Exploring Nature

Who we are at Ecotravel Uganda Ltd

Ecotravel Uganda Limited is a fully fledged company providing professional travel advice for business, educational, leisure and any other discerning travelers. For an individual, family, group, traveling to explore nature, for research, religious, community outreach and extending voluntary passion to Ugandan communities, Relax! Just drop us a mail and our professional team will do the rest for you. Through many years of experience and training, we have amassed a wealth of expertise to make your safari to Uganda and Africa at large, a dream come true.

Who we are:

Managing Director - David Bakeine

David, a Ugandan native joined the tourism industry in 2001 and has since developed a strong passion for nature and conservation. David’s travel experiences have taken him round East Africa from Zanzibar, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi. He has vast knowledge of East Africa’s tourism destinations. He has been to 9 out of the 10 National Parks in Uganda. He previously worked with Overland travel companies, Uganda Wildlife education Centre, local tour and travel companies; organizing trips across East Africa and was until August 2007 working with Rhino Fund Uganda an NGO that in partnership with Uganda Wildlife Authority pioneered the reintroduction of rhinos in Uganda after they had been poached to extinction by 1982.

He held various responsibilities including Ag Executive Director and Education Manager at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for 3 years. He developed and presented environmental conservation education programs to Ugandan children across the country and communities adjacent to the rhino breeding sanctuary inspiring the children, communities and tourists to practice conservation and to protect the environment for the future. He has also coordinated and supervised implementation of community development projects targeting disadvantaged groups in various parts of the country. David holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Tourism operations management and is currently the Project Manager for Tree of Life Ministries; a local charity organization supported by Real Partners Uganda.

Lily Vercruijsse

When Lily Vercruijsse first came to Uganda in 2004, she was thrilled by the beauty of the country, fascinated by the smiles of the Ugandan people and amazed by the flourishing diversity of wildlife. She vowed to return and has since made several trips to Africa. Lily, a biology teacher helped in developing the education programs of Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary; a breeding habitat for Uganda’s reintroduced rhino species. Lily is currently undertaking her MSc in Forestry and Nature Conservation and hopes to keep the tradition of conducting educational trips for International and Ugandan students during her holidays. She is our UK coordinator for Ecotravel Uganda  and educational programmes.

Co-Director George Owoyesigire

George has generated diverse experience in tourism and wildlife management after having worked for the Uganda Wildlife Authority as a Ranger and Research Warden for over 10 years. He spent 8 years at Kibale National Park, one of the only remaining tropical rain forests with the highest density and diversity of primates in Africa. Kibale is home to Uganda’s remaining viable chimpanzee population. He also worked for National Forestry Authority based at Bugoma Forest Reserve as a Forest Superviror for nearly a year. He worked for successful tourism projects, conducted wildlife census and monitoring and worked with local people on ecotorism project establishment and problem animal management. He also served as a Wildlife Research Officer at Uganda Wildlife Authority head office. George has extensively traveled covering all the 10 national parks in Uganda.

He has been to neighboring countries of Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Kenya. He has also been to European Zoos and Sanctuaries including Twycross zoo and Chester Zoo in the UK and Apenhaul Monkey Sanctuary in the Netherlands. George has a MSc in Primate Conservation from Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom. He is currently in charge of research, monitoring and training at Ecotravel Uganda.