Burigi Chato National Park

Between Lake Victoria and the Rwandan border lies Burigi-Chato National Park, a vast wilderness where hills rise above sweeping grassland and wooded valleys sink toward wide, glinting lakes. Formed from three former reserves, the park protects over 4,700 square kilometres of miombo woodland, wetlands and open savanna. Lake Burigi, the country’s third largest, winds through the park with quiet islands and reed-lined inlets that shelter the shy sitatunga antelope and elusive shoebill stork. Herds of elephant, zebra, and towering Cape eland share the plains with lion and buffalo, while fish eagles and papyrus gonoleks call from the swamps. Travellers explore by boat, on guided drives, or along forest tracks that reveal shifting landscapes and clear views across the Kagera River basin, with each season bringing different wildlife activity.