Akagera National Park

Nestled along the border with Tanzania in northeastern Rwanda, Akagera National Park was originally established in 1934, making it one of Africa’s oldest national parks. It is also the largest protected wetland on the continent. Consisting of about 400 square miles of savanna, woodlands, and wetlands, Akagera’s rich and varied terrain provides shelter to zebras, giraffes, elephants, lions, and more than 500 species of birds, including the rare shoebill stork. Another attraction of Akagera is the opportunity to experience water safaris. A boat ride on Lake Ihema in the park’s southern section offers a relaxing way to observe wildlife emerging from the dense woodlands for a drink or to cool off along the shore—and the lake waters themselves teem with crocodiles and one of Africa’s greatest populations of hippos.

Akagera was once much bigger than its current size, however. Almost half of its land was given over to refugees returning to Rwanda after the 1994 genocide. Poaching and cultivation during this period also led to the loss of the park’s lion and rhino populations—but after a recent program to reintroduce these species, beautiful Akagera National Park is once again home to Africa’s “Big Five.”

Explore Akagera National Park with O.A.T. on:

• Rwanda: Mountain Gorillas in the Land of a Thousand Hills

Kigali

Rwanda’s capital and largest city was founded in 1907 by German colonists. Situated in the geographical heart of the country, Kigali is ringed by mountains and sprawls across several ridges and lush valleys. Currently home to about a million people, Kigali is a forward-focused city that offers a remarkable mix of red-roofed homes, terraced farm plots, ultra-modern buildings, trendy restaurants, and brilliant green foliage. As one of the focal points of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, Kigali is also home to several memorials that honor the victims and ensure that these dark days are never repeated—including the Kigali Genocide Memorial. One of Africa’s best museums, this moving memorial features exhibits that trace the roots of the Rwandan genocide and is located on the site where more than 250,000 people who died during the fighting were buried in mass graves. A modern-day reminder of Kigali’s role in the genocide is encompassed by a stay at the popular Hotel des Mille Collines—whose famous story about lives that were saved during the genocide inspired the film Hotel Rwanda.

In recent years, Rwanda’s capital has worked tirelessly to reshape its image and has successfully transformed itself into a model of urban development. In addition to a ban on plastic bags, men and women are regularly seen on the sides of roads picking up trash or sweeping. In fact, all citizens are required once a month to partake in a neighborhood cleaning effort—including Rwanda’s president. The level of upkeep along the streets of Kigali is so exceptional that the United Nations declared it as the most beautiful city in Africa.

Explore Kigali with O.A.T. on:

• Rwanda: Mountain Gorillas in the Land of a Thousand Hills

Volcanoes National Park

Tucked into Rwanda’s northwestern corner, Volcanoes National Park (or Parc National des Volcans) protects the Rwandan sector of the Virunga Volcanoes—a magnificent range of six extinct and three active volcanoes that straddle the border with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). About a two-hour drive from Kigali, the forested slopes of Volcanoes National Park provide a dramatic natural setting for one of mankind’s closest living relative: the endangered mountain gorilla. Dian Fossey, the American primatologist who fell in love with these gentle giants in the 1960s (and went on to live among them for about 20 years), described this region as “so high up that you shiver more than you sweat.” And she called the Virungas “great, old volcanoes towering up almost 15,000 feet, and nearly covered with rich, green rainforest.”

With fewer than a thousand mountain gorillas left in the world, roughly half of them make up the ten habituated families currently living on the Rwandan slopes of the Virungas. A face-to-face encounter with these rare creatures is one of the world’s most thrilling and sought-after wildlife experiences. Tracking mountain gorillas can take anywhere from an hour to a day—it all depends on what they are doing and how fast they are moving. But mountain gorillas aren’t the only endangered primates living in Volcanoes National Park. Golden monkeys are often seen swinging from treetop to treetop in the bamboo forests of the Virungas—although at a lower altitude than the mountain gorillas. Large troops of golden monkeys living here are also habituated to human contact—and following the antics of these playful primates can really keep visitors on their toes.

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