We are Safari Archive.
Born in the bush, built on trust.
Since 2010, we have guided thousands of travelers into the heart of East Africa with honesty, care, and an unshakeable love for this land.
Safari Archive began not in a boardroom or a travel expo, but at the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, where a young Ugandan naturalist decided that the most extraordinary place on earth deserved to be shared honestly, locally, and with deep respect for the land and people that make it extraordinary.
Our Story
A Childhood at the Edge of Bwindi
Agnes Nabagereka grew up in Buhoma, a village so close to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest that he could hear the night calls of forest elephants from his bedroom window. While other children feared the dense, ancient jungle, Agnes was drawn to it, spending his afternoons tracking birds, learning the calls of colobus monkeys, and memorising the trails that local trackers had walked for generations.
By her early twenties, Agnes had become an informal guide, taking researchers and the occasional adventurous visitor into the forest, translating not just language but the landscape itself. She could identify a gorilla nest by the bent stems of hagenia branches, find a hidden waterfall in under an hour, and name every bird in the canopy by sound alone. Her knowledge was encyclopaedic. Her love for this place was unconditional.
In 2010, with modest savings, a battered Land Cruiser, and a contact book of wildlife researchers, Agnes founded Safari Archive. The name was deliberate: a place where the wild stories of East Africa could be preserved, honoured, and shared with those willing to seek them out.
Fourteen years later, Safari Archive has grown into one of Uganda’s most respected locally-owned tour operators, extending its reach into Rwanda and earning recognition from the Uganda Tourism Board, the Africa Travel and Tourism Association, and dozens of conservation organisations across the region.
Our Journey
Since 2018
Every milestone on this timeline was earned in the field: one trek, one conversation, one wild encounter at a time.
- 2010
Safari Archive Founded
Agnes registers Safari Archive Ltd. in Kampala with four employees, himself, one driver, one cook, and his childhood friend Alex Mango as a field guide. First year: 14 private gorilla treks.
- 2012
Queen Elizabeth Programme Launches
We expand beyond gorillas, launching multi-day game drive packages across Queen Elizabeth National Park. A partnership with a community-owned lodge in the Ishasha sector brings tree-climbing lion safaris to our portfolio.
- 2014
Uganda Tourism Board Recognition
Safari Archive is awarded the Uganda Tourism Board’s Responsible Operator certification, the first small-group operator to receive the designation. We use the recognition not as an end, but as a baseline commitment to keep improving.
- 2018
Rwanda Operations Begin
Grace Uwimana joins as Rwanda Operations Lead, bringing deep knowledge of Volcanoes National Park and Kigali’s emerging cultural scene. Our first combined Uganda-Rwanda safari circuits sell out within six weeks of launch.
- 2022
1,000th Gorilla Trek
We quietly celebrate our 1,000th gorilla trekking permit issued, a milestone we mark not with a press release, but with a reforestation planting day in the Bwindi buffer zone, attended by the entire team and 40 families from surrounding communities.
- Today
Growing, Carefully
Safari Archive now runs experiences across seven national parks in Uganda and Rwanda, with a team of 8 full-time employees and 15 associate guides. We continue to turn down growth that would compromise our quality, our values, or our community commitments. Some things are more important than scale.
OUR TEAM
The Faces Behind Every Safari
Agnes Nabagereka
Founder & Lead Guide
Our Pledge to you
"Every person who travels with Safari Archive will be cared for by someone who loves this land as much as they want their guest to love it."
That is not a mission statement. It is a personal commitment from Agnes and every member of our team, and the reason we will never outsource your experience, rush your trek, or sacrifice your safety for convenience.