About Us

Wild Places is part of a group (originally called Green Wilderness Group) that has been operational in Uganda since 1992. Owned and operated by people with a true love for the country and a deep rooted commitment to the preservation of Uganda’s wild places, the business has grown slowly but steadily over the years. The group cut its teeth on Semliki Safari Lodge in the 1990’s and saved the Toro-Semliki Game Reserve from degazettement.

These efforts earned them a prize at the Investor of the Year awards for their contributions to conservation, and the Jonathan Wright (our MD) was appointed to the board of trustees for the Uganda Wildlife Authority. He is still an ‘honourary warden’ . Working closely with both the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the University of Indiana, the group was instrumental in establishing and running a chimpanzee research project in the Reserve.

Jonathan Wright, Managing Director. Wildplaces is a longstanding dream come true for Jonathan. Having been born and raised in Uganda, he spent much of his late teens and young adult years figuring out how to get back home where he belonged. He was educated in Kenya, England and Canada and followed various career paths before striking out on his own, returning to Uganda in the early 1990’s and set up what is now Wildplaces.

Pamela Kertland Wright. Pamela is Jonathan’s wing man. Her focus has been more on the softer side of the business - lodge interiors, marketing,recipe planning and staff training. Pamela was dragged out to uganda 10 years ago and hasn’t looked back since. A career in broadcasting and market research was happily dropped in favour of more adventure. She still writes on a freelance basis for several travel magazines. She and Jonathan live in Kampala with with their children Annabelle and Fergus.

Office

In our head office in Kampala we have a great team of enthusiastic people from all over the world. All have made Uganda their home and show the same love for this country’s wild places as the company’s founder.

Michael Rourke, Group General Manager. Having first arrived in East Africa in 2001, Michael has grown a close affinity with the region. His has lived and worked in Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Mozambique and previously throughout South Africa. A corporate hotelier by training, Michael’s enthusiasm for Hospitality and Tourism in Uganda allows him to lead the team through experience and with vigor – with an added keen sense of humour!

Peter Mwanja, Group Finance Manager. Peter joined us as the Finance Manager at the Emin Pasha Hotel in 2005. Peter now oversees the groups finances. Peter is a registered Chartered Account (ACCA), and holds a masters Certificate in Hospitality Management through a subsidiary of Cornell University in the United States.

Zara Fisher, Sales and Marketing, Logistics. Zara was born and raised in East Africa. After being educated in England and living in Europe, she returned to Africa 10 years ago and has been based here ever since. Zara has worked in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa and now Uganda. Business experience has included a wide variety of very different working environments from the London fashion industry to lodge management in very remote places…

Gabriella Beltramini, Sales. Hailing from Torino in Italy, Gabriella has worked with us since 2005. Having lived and worked in Uganda for over 14 years, Gabriella has great all round knowledge about Uganda, enabling her to tailor-make a great personalised safari for you. Gabriella’s broad experience in Uganda includes owning arguably the best pizza spot in town!

Ezra Akancungura. Ezra has been with the company for nearly 4 years. He joined the Uganda Safari company as a messenger and now looks after many of the daily office routines.

Agatha Nuwewenka. Agatha joined us in 2006, a welcome, forever-smiling, addition in an increasing office. Agatha has had experience working within tourism in Uganda, including at The Kabira Country Club in Kampala and at Mweya Safari Lodge in the Queen Elizabeth National Park. Agatha looks after all the reservations and logistics for the Safari Lodges dotted around Uganda.

Semliki

Mark and Kristen Vibbert. Mark and Kristen have been managing Semliki Lodge for two years.They have extensive experience in Africa having worked in Kenya, Burundi, Namibia and Sudan before arriving in Uganda. Beyond the daily duties of lodge management, they both are very involved in the area: Mark holds a degree in Wildlife Conservation and is very involved in conservation initiatives in Semliki. Kristen, with her Masters in Public Health, has set up several health projects with women’s groups from the surrounding communities.

Emin Pasha

Marc Harris. Marc joined the Emin Pasha in 2007, and brings with him experience from his travels in London, as well as his home country, South Africa. Marc completed his BTECH: in Hospitality Management, and ploughed his trade with a Relais and Chateaux affiliated Private Game Reserve, as well as a family hotel in his native Kwa-Zulu Natal, which was voted the best “Family Resort” in South Africa for three years in a row between 2005 and 2007.

Shaun Christian. Shaun took over the kitchen at the Emin Pasha back in October, 2006. Hailing from Durban, South Africa, Shaun has lived and worked extensively in both London and Cape Town. Formerly of Hout Bay Manor in Capetown and Beanbag Bohemia in Durban, Shaun has transformed the restaurant into an eclectic, buzzing “place to go”. “I love East Africa, everything seems so fresh, vibrant, alive.”