Why are Travulous the Mountain Gorilla Experts?
Rwanda and Uganda
Greetings from Kigali!

Many of us working in the safari industry believe the term 'Big 5' has become outdated. Although it tends to describe five of the most popular species of wildlife that many travellers hope to see whilst on safari, the term omits some of the planet's most popular animals, including the famous mountain gorilla.

Recently, there have been various initiatives to modernise the traditional 'Big 5' classifications. One of the most popular, the 'New Big 5' (which is supported by 250 global photographers, conservationists and wildlife charities), gave wildlife lovers from around the world the opportunity to vote for their top five animals they wish to see included in the New Big 5 list.

"We now have the results of the New Big 5 project. These five animals, elephants, polar bears, gorillas, tigers and lions, are such beautiful and remarkable species, and are wonderful ambassadors for the world's wildlife, from iconic species to little known frogs, lizards, fish and birds" — Dr Jane Goodall (Founder, the Jane Goodall Institute).

This result most likely does not come as a big surprise to many of you. When reviewing the geographies where the New Big 5 live, the elephant, lion and mountain gorilla exclusively call the African continent their home. Of these three species, the newcomer to the existing Big 5 classifications is the endangered mountain gorilla.

Each year, many tourists make their way to Rwanda and Uganda to visit these magnificent creatures. As the mountain gorilla tourism infrastructure has expanded, so has the number of DMCs and Tour Operators who service their customers via offices in Rwanda and Uganda. We often speak with prospective customers who find it challenging to differentiate between the various companies, as many of them seem to have similar offerings. For this reason, in the spirit of facilitating the decision-making process, we have listed below 10 key differentiators that set Travulous apart from our competitors.
WHAT SETS US APART FROM OUR COMPETITORS?
For many of us, gorilla tracking is a once-in-a-lifetime activity. This is why the team at Travulous is exceptionally focussed on providing the very best services to our customers, including accurate gorilla facts, expert tracking advice and trustworthy accommodation recommendations, both in Rwanda and Uganda. In the latter location, Travulous will be opening a new office in Kampala in the coming months, to better serve our customers visiting Uganda, the 'Pearl of Africa'.

All the mountain gorilla tracking details we publish online (specifically the number of habituated gorilla groups, permits per group, and total number of permits available per day), have been thoroughly checked and verified by the respective Tourist Boards, and their gorilla permit booking offices. We work tirelessly to build Travulous' reputation as a dependable purveyor of gorilla tracking information, and we strive to provide clarity in light of some of the inaccurate information found online published from outdated sources.

Travulous' differentiators are defined and underpinned by our company's product offering, experience, reputation, partnerships, financial protection, and expanding office network in East Africa. We are confident we are the only company in the region whose Tour Leader introduced Sir David Attenborough to the mountain gorillas, and taught Sigourney Weaver to grunt like a gorilla for her award-winning role in 'Gorillas in the Mist'. To add the icing on the cake, Ian Redmond is leading our forthcoming FAM trips in 2023 and 2024!
Our Differentiators
Tour Leaders who lived and worked with Dian Fossey

Travulous' Tour Leaders are the former research staff and colleagues of gorilla primatologist, the late Dian Fossey. Our Tour Leaders lived and worked with Dian at the original Karisoke Research Center in Rwanda in the 1970s and 80s. Today they work for, and advise, leading conservation organisations including the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Born Free Foundation, and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
What other claims to fame do our Tour Leader's have?

Ian Redmond introduced David Attenborough (Photo credit: Ape Alliance/BBC) to the gorillas for the BBC 'Life on Earth' series. Ian also taught Sigourney Weaver to grunt like a gorilla, for her award-winning role in the film 'Gorillas in the Mist'.

Craig Sholley acted as Scientific Advisor for the award-winning IMAX film, 'Mountain Gorilla'. He also surveyed the status of gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda & DRC for National Geographic in 1995
Independently owned offices in Kigali and Kampala

Due to our ongoing company growth, coupled with our quest to provide the highest quality travel experiences, Travulous is expanding its geographical footprint in East Africa with a new office opening in Kampala. Together with our existing office in Kigali, our Kampala office will enable our business to conduct more site inspections, launch additional travel itineraries, and bolster our Duty of Care services to our customers travelling throughout the region
Small Group Tours: Dian Fossey inspired scheduled departures

Led by our specialist Tour Leaders Craig Sholley, Ian Redmond, John Fowler and Peter Veit, you will hear the stories, first-hand, from the very people who worked with Dian to make it possible. There is no better way to learn how mountain gorilla conservation has evolved from the 1970s to the present day, and what it must have been like for Dian and our Tour Leaders living in the remote location of Karisoke Research Center all those years ago
Tailor-made Tours:
Gorilla Conservation- inspired itineraries

Created in consultation with our customers, our tailor-made tours can include behind the scenes activities including:

Ellen DeGeneres Campus:
Self-Guided Tour | Silverback Sundowner | VIP Tour

Gorilla Doctors:
Pre-dinner Talk | Gorilla Tracking with Gorilla Doctors

Francois Bigirimana:
Veteran gorilla guide Francois escorts you on your gorilla trek
Conservation-based travel itineraries in partnership with AWF

As part of our exclusive travel partnership with the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Travulous operates specialist conservation-based travel itineraries for AWF wildlife advocates and stakeholders wishing to visit Rwanda’s mountain gorillas. These tours are guided by Craig Sholley, Dian Fossey's former researcher and colleague. Craig has worked full time with AWF for the last 18 years and presently serves as their Senior Vice President
Working for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda and Atlanta

Did you know, prior to co-founding Travulous, Richard operated as the the exclusive Travel Provider and Tour Consultant for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund (DFGFI) in Rwanda? He created specialist mountain gorilla itineraries for DFGFI customers visiting East Africa, escorted by specialist Tour Leaders including Clare Richardson, President Emeritus of DFGFI, and John Fowler. Richard also partnered with the Born Free Foundation and the Jane Goodall Institute
20 Years of Safari Experience in East Africa

Working in the region since 2003, Travulous is the creation of Kristin and Richard. With over 20 years of experience in the travel, tourism and events industries, they have extensive experience of designing one-of-a-kind luxury travel experiences in East Africa, for both the travel trade and customers who book direct with us. From the provision of ground services to flights and accommodations, we take great pride in executing every trip in East Africa to perfection
Specialist Mountain Gorilla FAM trips for the Travel Trade

Tour Leader: Ian Redmond

2023 dates:
  • 30 Oct - 06 November
  • 02 - 09 November

2024 dates:
  • 08 - 15 April
  • 04 - 11 November

Site inspections: 
  • The Retreat
  • Magashi
  • Kwitonda Lodge
  • Bisate
  • Sabyinyo Silverback Ldg
  • Gorilla's Nest
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Protected Trust Services - complete Financial Protection

Travulous is a member of Protected Trust Services (PTS). Regardless of your location, book with confidence knowing all monies are fully protected and safely held in a separate trust account, managed by independent trustees, with the funds only used to pay for your booking. All business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) customers of Travulous benefit from its PTS trust account and insurance model
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IN WHICH GORILLA PARKS DO WE OPERATE?
It is essential to book gorilla tracking permits well in advance, as there are only a limited number of permits available each day in Volcanoes National Park, Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga National Park.

Permits need to be paid for, in full, at the time of booking. A percentage of the gorilla permit fee goes to supporting the communities living around the parks, in addition to funding conservation and management of the parks:
Volcanoes National Park

  • Country: Rwanda
  • Habituated groups: 12
  • Permits per group: 8
  • Total: 96 per day
  • Permit price: $1500
Bwindi National Park

  • Country: Uganda
  • Habituated groups: 18
  • Permits per group: 8
  • Total: 144 per day
  • Permit price: $700
Mgahinga National Park

  • Country: Uganda
  • Habituated groups: 1
  • Permits per group: 8
  • Total: 8 per day
  • Permit price: $700
Virunga National Park in the DRC also has a number of habituated gorilla families but Travulous does not currently operate in this country. As mountain gorillas roam freely, with no wildlife borders between Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC, these numbers are subject to change.
7 REASONS FOR USING TRAVULOUS
Whether you are a Travel Advisor, Tour Operator, or an Independent Traveller, here are 7 reasons why you should consider using a local DMC with offices and staff based in East Africa for your next journey:
Competitive Tour Pricing
When dealing with a local DMC, book direct instead of using multiple intermediaries, thus eliminating unnecessary layers of additional costs
Local Destination Expertise
Create unique and meaningful tailor-made itineraries featuring properties and activities that truly reflect your interests and passions
Superior Customer Services
Speed up booking turnaround times and boost customer satisfaction levels by dealing directly with local staff and eliminating middle companies
Tailored One Stop Solution
Benefit from one point of contact for the provision of ground transfers, flights by private jet or helicopter, and accommodation bookings
Comprehensive Duty of Care
If something on your trip does not go according to plan, a DMC with local staff has the best connections to solve any issues in a timely manner 
Wider Accommodation Choices
Choose a DMC that is not affiliated with any accommodation brands to receive impartial advice that is best suited to your needs
Complete Financial Protection
Your money is fully protected, safely held in a trust account managed by independent trustees, with the funds only used to pay for your trip


If you are not already working with Travulous, why not test our services to determine if we are able to meet your specific requirements?
TRAVULOUS NEWSLETTERS
JUL '23