Akagera National Park

Dominated by the labyrinth of swamps and lakes that follow the meandering Akagera River, the most remote source of the River Nile, Akagera National Park (1,075 sqkm) is archetypal African savannah; tangled acacia woodland interspersed with open grassland, but above all, Akagera is big game country.

Herds of elephant and buffalo can emerge from the woodland to drink at the lakes at any moment and one might stumble across a leopard, a spotted hyena or even a stray lion. Giraffe and zebra graze the savannah and more than a dozen types of antelope inhabit the park – most commonly the handsome chestnut-coated impala and the world’s largest antelope, the statuesque Cape Eland. Alongside the picturesque lakes, pools housing more than 50 hippos can be found, along outsized crocodiles.

There is also a hidden wealth to this park as it contains some of the continent’s densest concentrations of water birds, together with over 500 recorded bird species including shoe-billed stork, glossy ibis, sunbirds, etc.