Wild Can be Luxurious: Inside Rwanda's Most Opulent Wilderness Retreats

From the plunge pool of my suite at Wilderness Magashi Peninsula in Rwanda, Africa, I watch a pod of hippos surface and slip back into the water. They are trying to save their skin from the sunburn while staying warm, as the late-February sky plays peek-a-boo with drifting clouds. A solitary giraffe reaches for the highest branches of an acacia. In the distance, an elephant tears bark from a tree. Here, the outside world recedes into irrelevance. What remains is Rwanda’s frontier wilderness experienced in rare privacy and understated luxury.

With more than 60 camps across Africa and over four decades of conservation-led tourism experience, Wilderness Destinations has deliberately raised the bar over the past two years with its two new extensions in Rwanda’s tourism circuit, attracting the travellers the government hopes to bring in.

Inside Wilderness Magashi Peninsula

Deep within a 5,000-acre private wilderness in Akagera National Park lies Magashi Peninsula, an ultra-luxury outpost of the original Magashi Camp and the only property here with its own private concession and stretch of lakeshore. With just two suites and one family suite, along with a staff of 41 devoted to spoiling guests, the experience feels almost prohibitively indulgent. Each suite is designed with a rustic palette and comes with a separate living room, a walk-in wardrobe, indoor and outdoor showers, a freestanding bathtub, and a long semicircular patio with a private plunge pool.

Experiences at Magashi Peninsula

Soon, a message crackles through the walkie-talkie. It is time for the evening boat safari. The main lodge sits far from the suites, deliberately so. Walking between them is discouraged as wildlife moves freely across the peninsula. Part of me wonders what more there is to see beyond the living panorama already before me. Yet the polished pontoon boat by the water is an invitation enough. I am promised mimosas — if not a clear sunset on the horizon, should the clouds hold.

As the boat glides across the sparkling waters of Lake Rwanyakazinga, crocodiles nearly five feet long play dead along the muddy banks. A small troop of baboons settles into the branches of a tall tree in the order of their social hierarchy.

But the boat ride turns out to be an excuse for a surprise. My guide, Alphonse, steers the boat towards a tiny clearing by the water. Waiting there, almost in the middle of nowhere, is a sundowner set-up. Two chairs face the lake. A bartender shakes up cosmopolitans as a table is laid with cheese platters and small appetisers, including samosas.

Later that night, when I return to my suite, a large circular bed with a mosquito net and a down comforter awaits me on the rooftop terrace. It is set up for sleeping under the stars, with the sounds of the wild adding to the nocturnal pleasures.

Magashi Peninsula offers a front-row seat to Rwanda's wildlife and the rare opportunity to experience night, boat, and game drives all in one place, one-on-one.

Safety in Rwanda

But the first question any traveller would ask is, is it safe?

To begin with, yes — and there is international data to support it. According to the 2018 Gallup Global Law and Order report, 88 per cent of Rwandans said they feel safe walking alone at night, a figure comparable to Finland. The World Economic Forum has also ranked Rwanda ninth among the world’s safest countries, ahead of Qatar and New Zealand.

Kigali, the capital, has become synonymous with immaculate streets, strict civic order, and an almost obsessive commitment to cleanliness.

Instead of BC or AD, Rwanda’s timeline is now referenced as before and after 1994. That was the year when more than 8,00,000 people were killed in a devastating genocide in just 100 days. Yet the transformation of this country stands as one of Africa’s most compelling comeback stories. After agriculture, tourism is now one of the most important sectors the Rwandan government is investing in, and not just any tourism but high-value, low-impact tourism.

Why Rwanda

The second inevitable question is why Rwanda over other African nations?

The short answer lies in four compelling reasons. Cinematic mountain scenery rather than endless grasslands. The Big Five are all present. Numbers may be lower than in East Africa’s larger reserves, yet sightings feel more intimate, with fewer tourists and far fewer safari vehicles. Rare mountain gorillas inhabit forests shared between Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Part of the exclusivity is the permit to the Gorilla trek itself. At around USD1,500 (Rs 137940) per person, it is significantly pricier than permits in neighbouring Uganda. Rwanda knows the travellers who choose to trek from this side are usually willing to pay for a smoother, more organised experience.

Inside Wilderness Bisate Reserve

Bisate Reserve is for those who do not mind spending around USD3,350 (Rs 307819) per person per night in the low season and who do not want to worry about anything before or after the trek.

The lodge has just four villas set along the slopes of Volcanoes National Park. They are shaped like elongated inverted nests with thatch-effect roofs and look like something between sci-fi architecture and forest hideouts. In the distance, three dormant volcanoes dominate the skyline: Mount Bisoke, Mount Karisimbi, and Mount Mikeno. Some mornings, a lenticular cloud hangs above Karisimbi’s summit like a floating UFO.

When I check into my forest suite, the trekking logistics are already arranged. A selection of hiking shoes is laid out so I can find the right fit. There is a backpack, a rain poncho, a jacket, and a walking stick waiting for me. Patrick assures me he will take care of the rest —  arranging my permit, porter, and the drive to the trekking start point, while I relax in the room.

The suite itself is designed for trekkers. There is a mud room to leave the dirty gear after the trek.

Seeing a mountain gorilla up close feels strangely familiar. They share about 98 per cent of our DNA, which makes the moment feel less like a wildlife encounter and more like meeting a long-lost relative in the forest.

As I finish the trek, Patrick is waiting with a hot towel, fresh juice, and snacks in the trunk of his car. Back at the lodge, a hot tub with healing salts awaits my sore body.

Since Kigali lies in the centre of the country, and both Akagera and Volcanoes national parks are within reach, it is worth setting aside a day or two to explore the city.

Rwanda offers a visa-on-arrival for Indian travellers, and the good news is that there is no fee. African safaris are best booked through specialist travel companies. Pangea Travels offers luxury travel in some of the world’s most breathtaking wildernesses.