Wildlife Is Thriving In Rwanda’s National Parks Again

 


Three years ago when I walked from my room to the camp-fire at Rwanda’s Ruzizi Tented Lodge, I worried about running into a hippo in the dark, jumping at the swoosh of their ridiculous, low-slung bellies in the grass. Returning to the same lodge in Akagera National Park last June, I have even more reason to be on guard. Rwanda has since been transformed into a Big Five destination with the reintroduction of lion in 2015, and, more recently, rhino.

 

“Big Five? Nah. This is Big Six country,” says my safari fixer, Alice Daunt, whose travel agency looks after 100-odd high-profile clients. “If you include Rwanda’s mountain gorillas, we’re talking the Big Six for the Big Spenders.” Daunt is referring to one of the most dramatic turnaround stories in the annals of safari land, with millions of dollars invested since 2011 in wildlife security within Akagera, overseen by the conservation NGO African Parks. (The spend includes an antipoaching helicopter, ranger training, and a pack of Belgian Malinois and Dutch shepherd tracker dogs gifted by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.) As of this writing, there has been no poaching in the park this year. I am dumbfounded. The last time I visited Rwanda, the snare pile in Akagera’s HQ reached almost to my chin. That was during the 20th anniversary of the 1994 genocide, when an estimated 800,000 Rwandans were murdered; Akagera’s long grass had for years served as a hideout for the rebel fighters, led by future president Paul Kagame.

 

Arrive in Kigali and have a juicy burger brunch next to the pool at Hôtel des Mille Collines (aka Hotel Rwanda, where during the genocide the hotel manager, Paul Rusesabagina, sheltered more than a thousand people). Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, vital to understanding the context of where you are. Drive two and a half hours to Akagera National Park, staying one night at Ruzizi Tented Lodge on the edge of Lake Ihema, then two at Karenge Bush Camp for your Big Five safari. Spend a full day driving to Volcanoes National Park—don’t be tempted to use a helicopter; the drive is a breathtaking lens on everyday Rwanda—and two nights at Bisate Lodge. For your gorilla trek, request to see the Susa primates if you’re fit, or the Sabyinyo group if you’d rather do a shorter hike. Finish with two nights at Virunga Lodge, for its views of Lake Burera and its reflective feel: terraced rose gardens, private parterres, and a library with a roaring fire

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Exploring The Magical Wanders Of Uganda The Pearl Of Africa

As the plane descended from the above the clouds, plunging into the gushing afternoon winds as it descended into the arid thorny savanna of Kidepo Valley National Park, they appeared more like rock outcrops. At 11,000ft above sea level, they appeared nothing more than a mirage of anthills on the Savannah grassland. As the plane descended from the above the clouds, plunging into the gushing afternoon winds as it descended into the arid thorny savanna of Kidepo Valley National Park, they appeared more like rock outcrops. A little closer and the scene took on the shape of a dazzling plateau. Suddenly, behold; the view of the beguiling volcanic Mount Morungole ranges towering majestically 2,750 metres above the plains of the most scenic wilderness in Uganda As the plane glided over dry montane forest in a final descent to the airstrip in Kidepo, the mesmerizing view that welcomed them to this; Africa’s most picturesque park and third best on the continent as described by CNN Travel...
Read more

Everything You Need to Know About The Great Migration Serengeti

Image
  In simple words, the great Migration Serengeti is a wonderful magical natural cycle that takes place in Serengeti National park . Every year, over two million wildebeest and over 20 000 plains games take part in this spectacular phenomenon. They migrate from Tanzania's Serengeti National Park to southern Kenya's Masai Mara in search of water and lush grazing grounds. This epic journey spans over3000 kilometers and is virtually endless. This is the main reason The Wildebeest Migration Safari Serengeti is one of the most popular Tanzania Safari Holidays . What is The Great Migration of Serengeti? Even though it is referred to as an annual event, the Great Migration of Serengeti is actually a fluid and continuous, year-long journey of animals migrating through Tanzania and Kenya in search of sustenance. Known to be virtually endless, the Great Migration moves rhythmically in a clockwise direction. At the start, significant multi-thousand animals march ahead formi...
Read more