(Travel)To many travelers, the mention of Rwanda may conjure the lush emerald rainforests of Volcanoes National Park and the majestic gorillas that call it home. Yet the East-Central African country’s diverse primate population is just one facet of its abundant ecological riches.

Travel and conservation photographer Marion Payr’s photographic journey through the country’s lesser-known National Parks sheds light on Akagera’s golden savannahs and the ancient forests of Nyungwe. In their unique ways, both are charting ways forward for five-star hospitality centered around responsible wildlife encounters that benefit discerning travelers, local communities and native ecosystems alike. 

Let’s get beyond the proverbial elephant in the room. “Many outdated misconceptions surround Rwanda, often stemming from its tragic past,” notes Drew Bantlin, Regional Conservation Manager at African Parks, an NGO responsible for managing protected wildlife areas across the African continent. While the impacts of the country’s 1994 genocide linger, concerted efforts towards reconciliation, nation-building and economic development have seen Rwanda make significant strides in the three decades since. Investments in tourism and conservation infrastructure have given rise to a burgeoning luxury sustainable travel industry.

Today, Rwanda is frequently ranked on international indices as one of the safest countries in Africa, including for solo travelers and women. International luxury hoteliers like One&Only and Wilderness offer high-end experiences that plunge visitors into the country’s ecological treasures. Yet until recently, these attractions have remained under the radar. “Some believe the country’s small size and dense population leave no room for nature conservation,” Drew notes. In fact, around nine percent of Rwanda is protected within four distinct National Parks, each offering unique environments and experiences.

Beyond the celebrated Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda’s other three parks boast a wealth of wonders awaiting exploration. To the west, along the Albertine Rift where the Congo and Nile rivers converge, Gishwati-Mukura National Park’s lush forests are home to over 60 tree species, golden, blue and L’Hoest’s monkeys and more than 200 bird species. In the eastern savannahs, wetlands and lakes of Akagera, vast golden plains set the scene for a secluded Big Five safari destination. Near Rwanda’s border with Burundi, Nyungwe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Rwanda’s largest forest, shelters the majority of the country’s chimpanzee population.

The diverse landscapes of Akagera and Nyungwe are vividly captured on these pages by Marion Payr, who is dedicated to giving back to the countries and communities she portrays. “I can vividly remember when my love story with Africa started,” she notes. “A herd of elephants had snuck up on us […] I couldn’t believe how silently they could glide through the bush with their padded feet. After countless safaris, my enthusiasm has only grown.” After raising $2.1 million for African Parks between 2020 and 2022, Payr embarked on a research mission with the NGO, traversing Rwanda’s verdant jungles, dusty savannahs and open skies.

Encounters Rwanda’s Big Five Savannah Park

Payr’s journey began in Akagera National Park, which straddles the Tanzanian border to the southeast. Park Manager Ladis Ndahiriwe sets the scene. “Fed by the Akagera River, this unique space combines diverse biomes like grasslands, riverine forests and dry forests, making it one of the region’s most ecologically diverse protected areas,” he notes.

As Rwanda’s sole Big Five game park, Akagera’s golden grasses are home to black rhinos, elephants, buffaloes, leopards and lions, whose populations are increasing thanks to extensive reintroduction and protection efforts. Game drives and rhino treks with rangers and their canine units offer an immersive experience. Above, endemic birds like the shoebill and red-faced barbet flit through the sky. Payr’s aerial survey shows the park’s burnished orange plains and scrubby green bushes dotting distant hills.

“The deep connection with the wild opened my eyes to the beauty of nature in its untamed, raw, mysterious and deeply touching form,” Payr reflects on her love for safari. Akagera’s advantage is that, unlike more established safari destinations like Kenya’s Maasai Mara or Tanzania’s Serengeti, the park offers an intimate experience, free of crowds. “There aren’t 20 cars around a herd. It’s just you and the animals.”

Excursions begin early, aligned with the animals’ rhythms. Morning game drives set off before sunrise, with breakfast either in the open air or back at the lodge. Midday offers a break from the heat before an afternoon drive across the red iron-rich soil, bordered by plane trees. Akagera’s rangers have built trust with elephants, leading to close encounters. Marion Payr’s shot gets up close with a dust-bathing elephant, its textured skin shielded in a powdery cloud.

“Elephants have been subjected to a history of poaching,” Payr notes. “They remember, that’s their generational wisdom. They would be very shy and run away from vehicles or people, but in Akagera, they know they’re safe, so they come close to your vehicle.” Another shot captures the quietude of a solitary pachyderm wandering through the tufted terrain.

Through sustained, locally focused initiatives over the past decades, Akagera has evolved to exemplify the potential of responsible, high-end tourism. The park is almost completely self-sustaining, with all tourism revenue reinvested in conservation and community development. African Parks’ initiatives extend to supporting community economic growth through fishing, beekeeping and traditional weaving cooperatives, whose exquisite handcrafted baskets are available as souvenirs. An emphasis on prioritizing Rwandan visitors ensures the park is ultimately preserved for locals.

Journey to the Heart of a 
UNESCO-Listed Ancient Rainforest

A sprawling expanse of ancient Afromontane rainforest in southwestern Rwanda, Nyungwe National Park is a haven of biodiversity. Awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2023, the park comprises lush, mist-shrouded canopies with over 200 tree types and myriad orchid varieties.

Nyungwe is renowned for its rich primate population, including nearly half of Rwanda’s chimpanzees as well as many other species such as golden monkeys and the elusive L’Hoest’s monkeys. The park’s extensive network of hiking and cycling trails and the graceful Ndambarare and Kamiranozu waterfalls make for a striking landscape for wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers eager to explore its extraordinary ecological tapestry.

Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe offers a thrilling journey into one of Africa’s most enchanting rainforests. Guided by expert trackers, visitors embark on a captivating expedition through dense, ancient trees and verdant undergrowth on the trail of Rwanda’s lively Cyamudongo, Mayebe and Gisovu chimpanzee communities. Rigorously organized to respect the primates’ movements, the treks provide a rare and intimate look into their complex social structures, daily lives and playful interactions.

Payr experienced the thrill of the forest’s trails first-hand. She recounted the experience, which began before dawn. “Chimps sleep in nests up in the trees at night. When they wake up, they run through the jungle, and you move with them,” she says. “The guides are incredibly well-versed in the terrain. They will cut a path with their machetes and you follow them. It’s up and down, through mud and water.”

Those ready to embrace adventure are rewarded with the unique experience of literally forging new paths through untouched rainforest. Full of towering ferns the size of enormous trees, the forest evoked for Payr the ethereal setting of Jurassic Park—“an out-of-a-movie-type situation; incredible and beautiful.” Her image of the park before dawn from above depicts a pristine, inky blue cloudscape of valley fog that delicately drapes over the jungle’s hills, having settled in overnight. In this region of Rwanda, the country’s nickname “land of a thousand hills”, she attests, is palpable.