Safari Time!
Article from the series: Attractions of Rwanda, western Uganda and eastern DR Congo
600mm, f/5, 1/640s, ISO160
Few people travel to the Gorilla Highlands region to go on safaris that don’t involve gorillas or chimpanzees, but maybe you should? This week we are presenting some truly excellent savannah destinations within a stone’s throw of those primates, so why not take the time to enjoy them? Two national parks stand out: Akagera in Rwanda and Queen Elizabeth in Uganda.
Akagera National Park (pictured above) is a true conservation success story. Managed by African Parks Network, it has been the site for the reintroduction of iconic species such as lions and rhinoceros into Rwanda as well as boasting healthy populations of buffaloes, hyenas, elephants, giraffes, zebras and countless antelopes and birds. The park is also hugely diverse in terms of landscapes, from lakes and savannah to thick woodland. And it’s only a couple of hours from Kigali.
Queen Elizabeth National Park, along the border with DR Congo, has a more complicated conservation story — you may have read about the poisoning of its lions before. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful park with wide open grasslands and impressive fig trees, which is where those famous tree-climbing lions tend to relax during particularly hot days. Again, proximity is key: Queen Elizabeth NP is just a few hours from both Bwindi and Lake Bunyonyi in southwestern Uganda. My colleague Moses will tell you more about this park tomorrow.
Don’t miss our extensive interview with Marcus and head to his website for even more.
