Head east, where Rwanda meets Tanzania, and the land shifts from mountains and valleys to sun-drenched savanna. Here, you’ll find shimmering lakes, woodlands, swamps, and golden plains—a refuge for savanna-adapted animals and home to the largest wetland in Central Africa.
In the early 1990s, Akagera was a battleground in Rwanda’s civil war. During this period and in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide, the park’s trees were felled for timber and wildlife was largely hunted out. But in 2009, Akagera was set on a course of restoration following a collaboration of local conservation groups and the Government.
Big Five and birds
Today, the Big Five is back, along with an astounding estimation of 500 bird species. On the border of Tanzania, the park’s landscape is as diverse as its wildlife, with wetlands, savannah and forests, backed by gently rolling hills.
The marshes harbour the rare shoebill stork, a bird known for its brutal, survival-of-the-fittest method of parenting. White rhinos potter across the savannah plains, while browsing giraffes watch your safari vehicle with lofty curiosity. Wait until dusk to find the park’s lions, hopefully limbering up for a night of hunting.
Camp like a comeback kid
It’s not only the proliferation of wildlife that’s relatively new in town. The stylish Magashi Camp – with its Millennial pink mozzie nets and velvet chairs – neatly ties together the revamped Akagera experience.
