Big Five Safaris on Rwanda’s Savanna
Akagera National Park, Rwanda
Following Rwanda’s iconic gorilla trekking experiences, Wilderness Magashi offers a completely different safari dimension. Located within a 6,000 hectare private concession in Akagera National Park, the lodge provides exclusive access to one of East Africa’s most successful conservation landscapes, home to a remarkable diversity of habitats and wildlife.
Set along the shores of Lake Rwanyakazinga, Magashi blends classic safari elegance with contemporary comfort. Eight spacious ensuite tents overlook the water, each thoughtfully designed with a mix of traditional textures and modern finishes, including locally inspired Imigongo artwork. Between game drives, guests can relax by the pool, enjoy the open bar area, or simply watch wildlife moving along the lakeshore.
Magashi is an ideal complement to Rwanda’s forest based safaris, offering open savanna game viewing, predator sightings, and excellent birdlife in a setting that feels both intimate and expansive.
Highlights and Activities at Magashi
ROOMS: 8 luxury ensuite tents
BEST FOR: Couples, families and private groups
ACTIVITIES:
- Big Five game drives
- Night game drives
- Catch and release fishing
- Birding safaris
- Motor boat safaris
Why We Love Wilderness Magashi
Wilderness Magashi delivers a true savanna safari in Rwanda, something few travellers expect. Its private concession allows for flexible game viewing, night drives, and off road exploration, while conservation successes have re established lion, black rhino and white rhino within the park. It is the perfect way to round off a Rwanda journey with classic Big Five wildlife and wide open landscapes.
 FAQs About Wilderness Magashi
Where is Wilderness Magashi located?
Wilderness Magashi is located within a private 6,000 hectare concession in Akagera National Park, in eastern Rwanda. The lodge sits on the edge of Lake Rwanyakazinga, offering a rare lakeside savanna setting in the country.
What makes Wilderness Magashi unique?
Magashi offers Rwanda’s only classic Big Five savanna safari experience, set within an exclusive use area that allows for flexible game viewing, including night drives. It provides a striking contrast to Rwanda’s forest based gorilla trekking regions.
What wildlife can I expect to see at Wilderness Magashi?
Guests can expect excellent sightings of lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, black rhino and white rhino, alongside giraffe, zebra, topi, hippo and a wide variety of antelope species. The area is also outstanding for birdlife, particularly waterbirds and raptors.
Is Wilderness Magashi suitable for families?
Yes. Wilderness Magashi works well for families with older children, offering spacious tents, varied activities and a relaxed safari pace. Family suitability is best discussed during planning, particularly when combining with gorilla trekking, which has age restrictions.
Ready to start planning Rwanda Safari?
Reach out and let’s start talking. We’ll listen and begin to tailor an experiential, private, luxury vacation based on exactly how you want to experience Africa. From adventure to relaxation—and everything in between—let us handle every detail of your unforgettable journey.
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We worked with Ubuntu to plan our honeymoon, and throughout the entire process, we experienced such wonderful customer service. With so many things pulling us in different directions between wedding planning, our personal lives, and work, there were definitely times when our responses and decisions took longer than expected. No matter how long an email sat in our inbox, though, the Ubuntu team was always quick to respond. They patiently answered all of our questions, no matter how silly, and consistently provided helpful specifics, whether that was a direct link or step-by-step instructions. We really appreciated that the team focused on giving us the information we needed to make informed decisions without ever making the process feel like a sales pitch. They were respectful and realistic when it came to conversations about our budget while still making sure they were creating the best experience possible for us. Once we arrived in Africa, the experience continued to be top-notch. The accommodations were beautiful, and every staff member we interacted with was professional, welcoming, and went above and beyond to make our trip memorable. Having all of our airport transfers and domestic travel taken care of was such a relief and exactly what we needed after the chaos of wedding planning. We would recommend working with Ubuntu to anyone we know who is planning a trip to Africa. They made the entire experience seamless, stress-free, and incredibly memorable. We are so grateful for the role they played in making our honeymoon so special.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
We just arrived home from a 31 day epic adventure in Africa. We covered SA (Cape Town and surrounds), Singita at Sabi Sands, Vumbura Plains in the Okavango Delta, Joburg, Vic Falls Zimbabwe, Tanzania (Nomad at Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti and Tarangire National Parks), Rwanda (Kigali and Singita at Volcanoes National Park). Ubuntu did an absolutely amazing job in arranging the trip. They were with us every step of the way. Excellent team and service! CDTTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Could not ask for a better safari firm. No stone is left unturned and you always feel like you can get answers, day or night! This is my second time using Ubuntu and I highly recommend them.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Absolute 1st class travel planning. We had the most amazing and memorable trip, and as a person who likes to travel plan myself, this trip had so many moving parts there's no way I could have tackled it. I'd give Ubuntu an 11/10 rating if I could. They made our travel seamless, relaxed, and delivered the most incredible experience. 100% we will use them again.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
We had the BEST experience with Ubuntu planning our South Africa trip! From the beginning, they were so easy to work with and were amazing at communicating with us both before and during the trip. They put together the perfect itinerary for us with safari at two different lodges, time on Benguerra Island, and we even decided to add Franschhoek a couple of months before we left. They made everything so easy and somehow managed to make the entire trip feel completely seamless. One of the biggest things that stood out was how responsive they were when we had our international flight canceled. I literally just had to send them a WhatsApp message with our new flight information, and they immediately took care of rearranging everything for us. We never had to stress about figuring out transfers or logistics ourselves. They even had porters meet us at every airport, so we barely had to think about our luggage or where we were supposed to go. We truly felt taken care of every step of the way. It was honestly the trip of a lifetime, and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. We are already talking about when we can go back and will 100% be using Ubuntu again to plan our next trip. Highly, highly recommend them!Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
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What an incredible South Africa trip Ubuntu planned for my wife and I! Ubuntu set us up with full-day guided Peninsula and Winelands tours during our few days in Cape Town, followed by four days of Safari game drives at the Savanna Lodge within the Sabi Sands Nature Reserve. A huge thank you to Ubuntu for finding a perfect balance/mix of fun activities and relaxed downtime throughout out trip! Ubuntu took care of all the travel logistics once we got down to South Africa. Ubuntu set us up with our Guest Experience Liaison that would check-in with us ever couple of days and was available on call if we needed any sort of logistical support. We didn't end up needing to lean on our liaison since everything went so smoothly, but surely felt we had all the support we needed had something come up. We know we will be utilizing Ubuntu the next time we travel to Africa and highly recommend Ubuntu to anyone else planning a trip to Africa!Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
From the plains of the Serengeti to the shores of Zanzibar, Ubuntu Travel designed an unforgettable Tanzanian package to celebrate a milestone birthday. I was especially grateful that they embraced this solo traveler and ensured that every detail was planned out in advance, making this a trip of a lifetime.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Ubuntu Travel planned the most epic safari vacay for my husband and in Tanzania. We loved every place we stayed and every detail was taken care of! Their communication was exceptional! 100 out of 10!Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Best vacation of our lives!! My husband and I booked with Ubuntu for an unforgettable vacation to Kenya, Tanzania, and Zanzibar this past June. The experience and support of Ubuntu was beyond our wildest dreams. We had first class, 5 star luxury service from start to finish. Jenna was absolutely amazing and was always a text, email or phone call away to answer our 100s of questions we had during the planning process. Owner's, Kyle and Leah were so kind as to even share links with my husband and I from some of their favorite stores so we could look safari chic. The care and support we were given during this entire vacation were top tier. The vacation itself was so personal, intimate and beautiful. The accommodations were breathtaking. Every lodge and camp left us speechless other than uttering the word, WOW, over and over. The service and staff at the lodges and camps were first class and luxurious. I didn't know a tented camp could be so fancy. I could have never dreamed of having a hot shower in the middle of the Serengeti with fresh French pressed African coffee brought to our tent every morning, or a 3 course breakfast with fresh fruit smoothies in the Masai Mara. We felt connected and so safe throughout our 3 week journey. The safaris were breathtaking and educational. You cannot describe how incredible this vacation is, you have to experience it and Ubuntu gave us a vacation of a lifetime. I cannot recommend Ubuntu enough to anyone looking to book a luxury African vacation. They did the hard work for us all the way down to sending us our beautifully embroidered Ubuntu duffle bag. Great customer service, great company, great people!