Akagera National Park

Akagera National Park is Rwanda's answer to the classic African savannah safari. Stretching along the Tanzanian border in the east of the country, the park encompasses rolling hills, open grasslands, swamps, and a chain of lakes fed by the Akagera River — the most distant source of the Nile. Once decimated by poaching and encroachment, Akagera is one of Africa's greatest conservation success stories. Lions were reintroduced in 2015 and Eastern Black Rhinos in 2017, completing the Big Five roster alongside elephants, buffaloes, and leopards. The park is now managed in partnership with African Parks and is thriving. Boat safaris on Lake Ihema reveal pods of hippos, massive Nile crocodiles, and spectacular waterbirds. With far fewer visitors than Kenya or Tanzania's parks, Akagera offers an intimate, uncrowded Big Five experience — and pairs perfectly with gorilla trekking at Volcanoes National Park.