thinking , one day the tourism would help make sure that there was some economic contribution to the country ," he says .
LUXURY IN CONTEXT Now Volcanoes Safaris ' Virunga Lodge in Rwanda , the company ' s flagship location , is considered a premier African luxury destination . The company has three smaller lodges in Uganda , in areas that reflect that region ' s biodiversity . The lodges use local materials and culturally appropriate designs with amenities that cater to an international traveler .
" We want to provide ( guests ) luxury and comfort , style and elegance , but is rooted in its context . That ' s the aesthetic journey we tried to make … You don ' t just build a Western-style hotel that is not connected to the area ," Moman says . Volcanoes Safaris ' guests can book safaris of up to seven days for a separate fee .
Moman considers the mountain gorilla the icon of African wildlife not only because of its fragility — only about 900 exist — but because of how similar they are to humans . " When you ' re seeing a gorilla , there ' s this immediate bond on both sides ," he says . " When a gorilla looks at you , the gorilla kind of thinks , ' wait a minute , don ' t I know you ?'"
Trevor Ward , head of consultancy services for W Hospitality Group and Hotel Partners Africa , says although he does not know the specifics of Moman ' s
“
IT ' S NOT JUST ABOUT THE MATERIAL
AND COMFORT . IT ' S WHAT TOUCHES
YOUR HUMANITY .
” business , Volcanoes Safaris likely has a niche carved out , as safari has never lost it allure . " Safari is an experience a huge number of people have not done , and even if you have done it , there are different types ," says Ward , who calls Rwanda , with its ample hotel rooms and ease of access , " Africa light ." The country ' s image now , he says , is " that it ' s the Switzerland of Africa - the mountains , the cleanness , the orderliness of it ."
Safaris include options to interact with local people such as visiting schools and the for guests to fund projects around each lodge ; one project is helping to build a permanent settlement near Uganda ' s Mount Gahinga Lodge for the Batwa people displaced when the national park was created .
" Local people can only support these species if they get benefit out of them ," Moman says .
Connection — whether it ' s to the wildlife or the people — is the essence of the experience . " The essence of luxury is to be involved and included and taken into somebody ' s home in this area and be pampered and looked after ," he says , later adding , " to share people ' s lives is a rare joy ."
Long-term plans include expanding in the DRC , he says . Although Moman did not disclose revenue data , he says over the past five years he has been able to focus on more of the community and conservation efforts . " Now for the last five years we have a steady eddy business that can look after itself ."
Bwindi Lodge in Uganda