The Pursuit of Safari

A lust for far-flung adventure...

...and a most genuine desire to escape the norm forged the foundation of Classic Africa Safaris, and it continues to drive us today. Traversing overland from London to Katmandu as a tour driver, Phil Ward caught the bug. This catapulted him onward to Egypt and still further into East Africa. By 1984, Phil had arrived in Kenya.

It was what he’d hoped to find when he dreamt of an escape from a career in farming back in England. After serving in the Royal Navy in 1980, Mel Gormley, backpacked through Asia, and later was inspired to convert an old British Land Rover (yes, he’s the guru who modifies our impressive fleet in Entebbe now) for an overland adventure to Morocco and back. That sealed the deal, and Mel’s next expedition was driving a tour group of 16 across the Sahara. He’s not looked back, and has been firmly anchored in Uganda since the early 1990s.

Phil and Mel’s meeting was clearly serendipitous and led to the formation of Uganda and Rwanda’s premier ground handler, Classic Africa Safaris. With years of travel industry experience under their belts, they founded Classic with those safaris as a baseline. And, we suppose, it’s only natural that we all simply gravitated towards each other with that as our North...the pursuit of safari.

We’re all a bit unusual, the Classic team, it’s true...going against the grain for the best and always ready for the next adventure (while still basking in the glow of the last). But, it’s the knowledge that we hold something very special that makes us who we are as a team. The history, the inspiration we find in the wild and remote places that we call home and the deep expertise that we have, which enables us to explore and share those places carefully exposing their raw beauty.

Meet the CAS Team

Your safari specialists in Uganda & Rwanda.
Stella Nakijjo
Stella NakijjoDomestic and Custodial Services
Our expert guides.
Robert Sunday
Robert SundaySenior Driver Guide
Male Asumani
Male AsumaniSenior Driver Guide
Francis Kyaligonza
Francis KyaligonzaSenior Driver Guide
Who We Are

Discover what makes us a
five star safari company

We are a small team of detail-oriented folks with deep experience in the region. Our focus is to provide the most dependable, safe and seamless safari to your travelers in Uganda and Rwanda. Our expertise means your travelers will get off the beaten path, stay at a variety of lodges suiting their interests and budget, and truly experience the Pearl of Africa through the guidance of our team of senior driver guides. We are a business to business company and value our long-standing relationships - many of which we've had for decades. Our partners are what power Classic...thank you for trusting in us.
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