WILDERNESS SAFARIS | RWANDA
How it all began
Wilderness Safaris was established in 1983 with a dream: to share some of the most remote areas on the African sub-continent with guests from all over the world, in a way that lightly touched the environment—but left a big imprint on the soul.
Now with over 40 luxury camps across seven countries on the continent, Wilderness Safaris offers unforgettable high-end adventures that preserve biodiversity, conserve wildlife, and uplift local communities.
Recently, Wilderness Safaris invited Photographer Andrew Ling to document Africa through his lens.
The journey began with Magashi, a lakeside camp in the rolling savannah of Akagera National Park, followed by Bisate Lodge overlooking the misty Volcanoes National Park—home to many of the only wild Mountain Gorillas left in the world.
Bisate Lodge, Volcanoes National Park
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Bisate Lodge perches dramatically on the edge of Volcanoes National Park in north-west Rwanda – one of the most thrilling safari destinations in Africa.
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Since opening in 2017, Bisate has racked up 34 awards and continues to inspire superlatives. Six en-suite Forest Villas embody Rwanda’s rich culture. Edifying cultural interactions, sophisticated, health-conscious dining, and exuberant hospitality all make your stay superior.
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From your sumptuous villa on the slopes of an eroded volcanic crater, designed in the traditions of Rwandan royalty, gaze through a curtain of mist at two extinct volcanoes, Bisoke and Karisimbi. Where primatologist Dian Fossey ran her research station, Karisoke, dedicated to saving mountain gorillas from extinction. Hike through verdant rainforest, up to nearly 3 000 metres, to visit Karisoke’s haunting ruins and Fossey’s grave, next to her beloved gorilla, Digit. Here, gorillas, now numbering more than 1 000 throughout the Virunga massif, await you. For one precious hour, your allocated family may deliver your life’s most astonishing encounter.
“As a commercial photographer, a lot of my work is tied into ‘selling’ products, services, etc., but over the years I’ve learned that doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. The best type of business is win-win, where both parties leave happy. That’s sustainability, and those are the stories I’m in love with sharing. When someone travels with Wilderness Safaris, they get to see and experience some of the most special moments we can have as human beings. It’s good for them, it’s good for the animals, and the environment. It’s good for everyone”.
- Andrew Ling
Magashi Camp, Akagera National Park
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Magashi’s home is 6 000 exclusive-use hectares of Akagera National Park, like Rwanda itself, a miraculous story of survival and regeneration. Located in the country’s north-east, Akagera was devastated by the 1994 genocide and its aftermath, with a rise in poaching and returnees settling with their cattle on park land. Over the last ten years, the park has been significantly rehabilitated and today offers one of the most thrilling safari experiences in Africa.
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Six luxury tents perch like butterflies on the shore of Lake Rwanyakazinga. Approaching by boat, you soon ease into the camp’s intimate, relaxed atmosphere – most welcome after a stay in the bustling capital, Kigali, or after a vigorous gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park. Earthy tones with hints of pink prevail, as does genuine Rwandan hospitality. Magashi’s warm and welcoming staff love sharing their traditional Kugisha supper with guests, accompanied by cattle-herding songs and stories. As you’ll discover, they have many to tell.
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Witness a national park coming back to life, home again to lions, rhinos, and an abundance of plains game roaming over its gently rolling hills and open savannah. Watch elephants submerge in silver-blue Lake Rwanyakazinga, raising their trunks like periscopes for air. Monitor lions, leopards, and black rhinos, learning the latest in monitoring technology. Safari by boat on the lake, and perhaps enjoy catch-and-release fishing. Drive across one of the most lovely, calming landscapes imaginable, for up-close-and-personal wildlife encounters – many predators; buffalo, zebra and antelope herds; a journey of giraffes; a plethora of birds.
2022 Africa in Focus Photo Competition. Celebrating Iconic African Photography.
We further partnered with Wilderness Safaris beyond the trip, to guest judge and help promote (on our channel @andrewling) their highly anticipated annual photo competition. Non-profit organization Children in the Wilderness (CITW) was the beneficiary of the 2022 competition. Together we raised a new record high R300,000 (ZAR) for CITW, as well as a new record high for number of entries (increase of 15% YoY).
Little Kulala | Sossusvlei, Namibia
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Peace and privacy can be found in all spaces at Wilderness Little Kulala. Tucked away in the 37,000-hectare private Kulala Wilderness Reserve, Little Kulala treats guests to unmatched desert luxury. Sossusvlei entices with its adventures, its landscapes, its tranquility. An exclusive-use gate provides direct access to the renowned dunes of Sossusvlei and the evocative panoramas of Dead Vlei.
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Accommodation is provided by 11 climate-controlled villas, which blend in seamlessly with their surroundings. Each thatched villa has a private deck complete with its own plunge pool, as well as both indoor and outdoor showers. The interior decor of natural fabrics and textures allow guests to truly experience the serenity of the area.
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Spot desert-adapted wildlife such as ostriches, springbok, gemsbok, black-backed jackals, bat-eared foxes, perhaps an aardwolf, or Namibia’s endemic dune lark. Stargaze in one of the darkest places on Earth, contemplating space, and your place in it. You can’t get much closer to the renowned dunes of Sossusvlei and the evocative panoramas of Dead Vlei than Little Kulala.
Damaraland Camp | Namibia
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Discover pure freedom in this astonishing mountainous landscape reminiscent of the American Southwest—or Mars. Where it seems impossible for life to thrive, but life there is. Feel the thrill of seeing desert elephants, or fall asleep under a canopy of stars in a stellar sleepout experience.
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Ten elevated adobe-style thatched suites celebrate the expansive Namib Desert with unimpeded vistas across the extraordinary plains. Cool off in the pool, enjoy a spectacular breakfast stop in the desert, or relish a fireside boma evening of cultural cuisine, song and dance, canopied by countless stars.
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Feel like a first-time explorer in a thrilling adventure in this vast and ancient landscape carved out by time. Walk among gigantic fossilised trees in the Petrified Forest, dating back 280 million years. Marvel at 6,000 year-old San rock art. Marvel at astounding wildlife like the Critically Endangered black rhino, living here against all odds.
