Meet the Team
Lawrie Davies
Managing director
Lawrie is Experience East Africa’s Founder & Managing Director. He is a law graduate with vast experience in operations management as Managing Director of Sporting Marvels, a successful schools-based Christian sports charity in the Rhondda Valleys of South Wales, UK. Lawrie is also the Founder of Rhondda Netball, a charity focused on giving girls and women the same sporting opportunities that boys and men enjoy throughout the Valleys of South Wales
It was while running the biannual Sporting Marvels missions and orphanages trips that he had the idea for Experience East Africa after a number of people contacted him asking if he would run trips for them.
As Chair of Trustees of our partner charity Heart For Africa, he plays an active role in ensuring each of our trips play a key role in supporting orphanages and key community leaders in Arusha, Tanzania.
Ian Coles
Operations Manager
Ian is Experience East Africa’s Operations Manager and like everyone on the EEA team, Ian is passionate about making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves here in the UK.
He has worked the majority of his adult life in the banking industry and now runs 3 small businesses in the Rhondda Valleys. Ian took on the role of Operations Manager at Experience East Africa in 2018 with a focus on developing our infrastructure to enable us to run more trips on a biannual basis.
Ian is also a Trustee of a local Rhondda charity and a keen footballer.
Phil Davies
media manager
Phil is Experience East Africa's Media Manager and like his son, Lawrie, Phil is also a law graduate with decades of experience in sales and management.
A rugby man to the core, Phil was a player in the late 1970's and 80's, and then later, in a highly successful 11-year off-field career, he held some of the biggest jobs in British Rugby following a key role in Treorchy Rugby Club’s “Dream” years in the early 90’s which saw the club finish 3rd in Wales’ premier league competition.
Moving from Treorchy Phil joined Llanelli, followed by a brief spell at Cardiff Rugby Club before he settled at Newport Rugby Club for the “Tony Brown Era” where he played a significant part in making the club one of the UK’s most successful commercial rugby clubs. In 2003 though he founded Sporting Marvels and alongside Lawrie, plays an active role in a number of charities and small businesses.
Chelsea Davies
tour leader & Video producer
Chelsea is one of Experience East Africa's energetic Tour Leaders. However, she is also a skilled video editor and is responsible for the creation of all our trip videos which can be seen EEATV. Having been a frequent traveller to Tanzania since the age of 18, she has a real passion for East Africa and in particular the orphanages we work with through Heart For Africa.
Her heart for children is unrivalled at EEA, and every trip she leads always leaves a lasting legacy, and not just in the form of practical help. Given her experience, Chelsea is a perfect fit for running trips of all ages. Although she hasn't challenged herself with climbing Kilimanjaro... yet!!!
On a day to day basis, Chelsea oversees a large schools operation and is an active sportswoman who runs a number of netball teams in Rhondda.
Ian Smith
tour leader
Ian, or “Smithy” as he’s better known, is Experience East Africa’s most charismatic Tour Leader and being part of one of his trips means the fun will never stop!
He has a huge heart for East Africa having been a key part of several trips that have impacted countless schools through sports programmes and giveaway projects over the years.
Given his role working with teachers and older pupils in secondary school he has proved to be an intrinsic part of several trips to Tanzania and Zanzibar from Rhondda and is a superb leader who is especially suited to leading enthusiastic and energetic groups.
Like Lawrie, Ian is also a Trustee of Heart For Africa.
Rhian Adams
tour leader
Rhian is Experience East Africa's “Miss Kilimanjaro” being the first person from the team to ascend Africa’s highest peak following a successful 2010 summit.
She’s a personal trainer, fitness fanatic, and all-round superwoman, so she’s perfectly suited to leading Experience East Africa's Kilimanjaro Climbs and is she is eager to see more people challenge themselves to conquer "Kili".
As Rhian is based in Dubai, she brings an international edge to Experience East Africa with a number of overseas clients of hers having already stood at Uhuru Peak.
Rhian's husband, Ollie has also scaled the world's highest free-standing mountain.
Steve Owino
East Africa Coordinator
Steve is EEA's East African Coordinator and provides us with on-the-ground expertise and preparatory work for each trip.
Despite being from Kampala, Uganda, Steve is a resident of Arusha, Tanzania which acts as the central base for all our East Africa trips and he has acted in a planning capacity for countless trips to East Africa for all ages 10-70.
Steve is also a pastor and a bit of a celebrity in Arusha given his involvement with many practical schemes and initiatives that has positively impacted the lives of the needy in and around the city. He has vast contact networks, speaks seven languages, ensures that every aspect of every trip is always fully taken care of, and is in constant communication with Lawrie.
Levis Lewis
East africa consultant
Levis is EEA’s East African Consultant and has a lifetime of experience in Safari, Kilimanjaro Climbs and various related business interests across a whole host of East African countries.
He runs his own tour company in East Africa and his negotiating skills and experience ensure that all of the components of each trip stay within the set budgets so that Experience East Africa can continue to offer unrivalled value for money.
Levis works closely with Lawrie and Steve shaping our itineraries and in particular travel arrangements so that EEA can deliver a once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone. He's also a Safari expert and his team oversee all of our Safaris to Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara & Tarangire. Levis and his chief Safari driver, Msabi have a great nose for finding lions!!
