Why You Should Visit Rwanda Now
Why You Should Visit Rwanda Now
From spotting leopard and lion near Lake Rwanyakazinga in Akagera National Park to tracking endangered mountain gorillas in the picturesque cloud forests of Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda enchants with its majestic wilds and unmatched wildlife. Located in East Africa—bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo—this landlocked country is known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills” thanks to its mountainous landscape where a temperate climate makes year-round explorations a delight.
Rising beyond its infamous genocide nearly 25 years ago, Rwanda is a country renewed. Now regarded as the Singapore of Africa, Rwanda is now the continent’s most progressive country, with new infrastructure promising a prosperous future and tourism forming a main pillar of the economy. While travelers are amazed by the sophisticated architecture and contemporary art scene in the capital of Kigali and are mesmerized by the pristine inland beaches of Lake Kivu, the most exceptional natural beauty is tucked within the country’s northwest volcanoes, where more than half of the world’s approximately 800 remaining endangered mountain gorillas live in an ethereal high-altitude cloud forest.
When you book an A2A Safaris® itinerary to Rwanda, join a tracking adventure in Volcanoes National Park, a dramatic chain of seven active and dormant volcanoes that form a natural border with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda to create one of the lushest parks in Africa. Sure to be one of the most memorable wildlife viewing experiences of your life, come face-to-face with these gentle giants during a ranger-led trek deep into the jungle canopy, the same land where Dian Fossey studied the species in the 1970s and 1980s as detailed in the book Gorillas in the Mist.
About 350 mountain gorillas reside here, with 12 habituated groups accessible to tourists. Hikes can vary from 30 minutes to several hours, a worthy pursuit within the park’s verdant forest, where hanging vines cover the trees and no signs of trails exist. Once you reach your designated family of mountain gorillas, you have around an hour to view them in their natural habitat, as infants eat leaves near their mothers and silverbacks beat their chests to let out a rippling roar.
For the ultimate Rwandan safari, complement your gorilla tracking adventure with a journey to Akagera National Park, a wilderness area set in eastern Rwanda near the border of Tanzania. One of Africa’s greatest conservation success stories, the park recently welcomed the opening of Magashi Camp, launched by Wilderness Safaris in partnership with conservation non-profit African Parks and the Rwanda Development Board. On a life-changing journey to this remote region in Rwanda, you’ll learn how conservation efforts preserve the country’s last protected savannah ecosystem, home to threatened species like the East African black rhino and the rare shoebill stork, as well as iconic species like lion, leopard, and zebra.
