Curators of Expertise

Led by Travulous’ inspiring Tour Leaders, each an expert in their field, our Small Group Tours provide a unique insight into specific areas of interest, such as Wildlife Conservation, Culture, History, and Humanistic and Philanthropic legacies. Our Tour Leaders bring each destination to life through their personal connections, deep expertise, and unparalleled storytelling:

Ian Redmond, Craig Sholley and Peter Veit are the former research staff of the legendary gorilla primatologist, the late Dian Fossey. They lived and worked with Dian at her Karisoke research camp in Rwanda in the 1970s and 1980s.

Rose-Marie Mukarutabana is our African culture, history and language expert, whereas Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, a leading conservationists and scientists, is the founder and CEO of Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH).

Browse our Tour Leader bios:

**Ian Redmond**
Ian is a tropical field biologist and conservationist, known for his work with great apes and elephants. For more than 35 years he has supported mountain gorillas, through research, filming and conservation work. Ian first travelled to Africa in 1976 where he joined Dian Fossey, studying and protecting the mountain gorillas of Rwanda and Zaire (now DR Congo). In 1978, he introduced David Attenborough to the gorillas for the BBC’s ‘Life on Earth’ series, and has advised in the making of more than 100 documentaries. Ian has been a conservation advisor for organisations including the Born Free Foundation, the Gorilla Organization, the Orangutan Foundation, and International Fund for Animal Welfare. He established and chairs the Ape Alliance, the African Ele-Fund and the UK Rhino Group. Ian was Chief Consultant and Envoy for the UNEP/UNESCO Great Apes Survival Partnership and continues advising on matters pertaining to apes and environmental issues.

**Craig Sholley**
Craig's passion for African wildlife and conservation began in 1973 as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zaire (now DR Congo). As an L.S.B. Leakey grant researcher in the late 1970s, Craig studied mountain gorillas with Dian Fossey and, in 1987, became Director of Rwanda's Mountain Gorilla Project, of which African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) was a sponsor. He has worked and travelled extensively, providing conservation expertise, leading tours and photographing throughout Africa. Craig has acted as Scientific Advisor for the award-winning IMAX film, "Mountain Gorilla," and with the National Geographic Society, he surveyed the conservation status of mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda and DRC in 1995. Craig’s direct involvement with AWF began as a Senior Associate and member of its Board of Trustees. A full-time employee of AWF since 2001, he served as Senior Vice President until September 2024. He has also served on the Board of the Ecotourism Society.

**Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka**
In the legacy of the late Dian Fossey, Dr. Gladys has become one of the leading conservationists and scientists working to save the critically endangered mountain gorillas of East Africa. She is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH), a 20-year old nonprofit organization that promotes conservation by improving the quality of life of people and wildlife to enable them to coexist in and around protected areas in Africa. She became an Ashoka Fellow in 2007 for merging Uganda’s wildlife management and rural public health programs to create common resources for both people and animals. Dr. Gladys trained as a veterinarian at the University of London’s Royal Veterinary College. Between 1996 and 2000, she set up the first Veterinary Unit at the Uganda Wildlife Authority. From 2000 to 2003, she completed a zoological medicine residency and masters in specialized veterinary medicine at North Carolina State University and North Carolina Zoological Park.

**Rose-Marie Mukarutabana**
Rose-Marie is an independent researcher, historian and language expert specialising in traditional Rwandan oral literature, myths and rituals. She is a member of the Rwandan Academy of Language and Culture and regularly moderates informal study groups for cultural heritage. These groups typically attract young professionals, who have dubbed the effort as a ‘School of Rwandan Wisdom.’ Rose-Marie gives regular talks on Rwandan Culture Tourism including the Civic Education Programme known as Itorero ry'Igihugu, to train Rwandans on customs such as Umuganura (annual First Fruits Festival), and the Rwanda Women's Network, on traditional marriage rites and ceremonies. Rose-Marie participates as a key resource person in orientation seminars to educate newly appointed members to the Rwanda National Commission for UNESCO, on Intangible Cultural Heritage, Oral Literature, Heritage Sites and Cultural Industries. Rose-Marie speaks Kinyarwanda, Kiswahili, English and French.

**Peter Veit**
Peter is a conservationist and the former Director of the Land and Resource Rights initiative with the World Resources Institute (WRI) in Washington, a role he held until June 2025. For more than 35 years, Peter has worked on environment and development issues, in 70+ countries. Early in his career, Peter studied animal behavior and wildlife conservation at the University of California, Santa Cruz. This work inspired him to study wildlife in Africa. In 1978, Peter met Dian Fossey in the San Francisco Bay area, after which he was invited to study the behavior of mountain gorillas at the Karisoke Research Center in the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Peter lived in the park and worked with the mountain gorillas for more than 2 years from 1979 to 1981, serving as the director of the Karisoke Center whilst Dian moved back to the US to teach at Cornell University in New York. Peter has worked for WRI for more than 30 years, specialising in the links between natural resource management, human rights and democratic governance.

View our itineraries via the slider below:

In the Footsteps of Dian Fossey

Country: Rwanda | Duration: 5 days | Price: Based on the time of year, length of stay, accommodation choices, number of participants, and inclusions
Highlights:
• Trek to visit the majestic mountain gorillas living on the slopes of the Virunga Mountains
• Visit Dian's gravesite, including Digit's and the ruins of her Karisoke Research Center
• Enjoy an after-dinner talk by a renowned mountain gorilla conservation organisation
• Explore the sites and sounds of the vibrant Rwandan capital city of Kigali

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The Old Kingdom of Rwanda

Country: Rwanda | Duration: 3 days | Price: Based on the time of year, length of stay, accommodation choices, number of participants, and inclusions
Highlights:
• Visit Nyanza, Rwanda’s centre of learning, showcasing its culture, history and traditions
• Visit the King’s traditional palace, to learn about the monarchial system and its abolition
• Visit the King’s modern palace, to learn about Rwandan history dating back to the 15th century
• Listen to an exclusive Travulous after-dinner talk by a Rwandan cultural scholar

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The Gorillas of Rwanda & Uganda

Countries: Rwanda+Uganda | Duration: 6 days | Price: Based on time of year, length of stay, accommodation choices, number of participants, and inclusions
Highlights:
• Enjoy up to 3 gorilla treks in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park
• Visit the Gahinga Batwa Village and learn about the Batwa’s culture and traditions
• Visit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Volcanoes National Park
• Go in search of the Golden Monkeys in Volcanoes National Park and Mgahinga National Park

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Uganda's Mountain Gorillas

Country: Uganda | Duration: 5 days | Price: Based on the time of year, length of stay, accommodation choices, number of participants, and inclusions
Highlights:
• Visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, one of Uganda's most biologically diverse rainforests
• Embark on 2 gorilla treks, and spend a magical hour per visit in their presence
• Spot chimpanzees, baboons, colobus monkeys, and Vervet monkeys
• A bird lovers paradise, go in search of over 347 species of forest birds recorded in Bwindi

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Uganda's Gorillas and Chimps

Country: Uganda | Duration: 7 days | Price: Based on the time of year, length of stay, accommodation choices, number of participants, and inclusions
Highlights:
• Embark on an unforgettable trek in Bwindi, and spend a magical hour with the gorillas
• See and learn about the critically endangered Pangolin at the Pangolin Rescue Center
• Go in search of Kibale National Park’s 13 primate species, including its elusive chimpanzees
• Go in search of Lake Mburo’s zebra, impala, buffalo, leopard, hippos, crocodiles and birds

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The Highlights of Uganda

Country: Uganda | Duration: 13 days | Price: Based on the time of year, length of stay, accommodation choices, number of participants, and inclusions
Highlights:
• Enjoy a boat trip to the base of Murchison Falls, where the Nile thunders through a gorge
• Embark on 2 gorilla treks in Bwindi, and spend a magical hour per visit with them
• Go in search of Kibale’s 13 primate species, including its elusive chimpanzees
• Encounter crocodile, elephant and hippos on a Kazinga Channel cruise

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The Highlights of East Africa

Countries: Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya & Tanzania | Duration: 13 days | Price: Based on the time of year, length of stay, accommodation choices, and inclusions
Highlights:
• Go mountain gorilla tracking in Volcanoes or Bwindi National Parks in Rwanda and Uganda
• Marvel at the Great Migration and Big Five from a hot air balloon in the Maasai Mara or Serengeti
• Visit a selection of world famous wildlife sanctuaries across Kenya and Tanzania
• Relax on the white sand beaches of Zanzibar, Diani or Lamu

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