RWANDA

WHY IT’S HOT: ITS WILDLIFE IS FINALLY BOUNCING BACK.

We say: More than doubling the cost of gorilla trekking in Rwanda compared with neighbouring Uganda has had a notunexpected effect. Early reports show visitor numbers at some lodges may have dropped 40%. But it might also yield the benefit of shifting attention to other wonders.

The big draw in 2019 is the expected opening to visitors of Gishwati-mukura National Park in the north-west. Its wildlife suffered greatly in the wake of the 1994 genocide when returning locals tore down trees to rebuild homes, but it’s now set to rival the country’s top chimp-tracking spots.

Another of Rwanda’s under-the-radar successes is Akagera National Park, one of Africa’s largest protected wetlands. Having lost many of its animals during the war, it can now claim ‘big five’ status after the recent reintroduction of the eastern black rhino.

Don’t miss: Trek up Mount Muhabura in Volcanoes National Park to swim the crater lake marking the border with Uganda.