Burigi-Chato National Park

Burigi-Chato was declared a national park in 2019, formed by combining the former Burigi, Biharamulo and Kimisi game reserves in the Kagera Region. At roughly 4,707 square kilometres it is among the four largest parks in the country and part of a huge new protected block in the north-west, alongside Ibanda-Kyerwa and Rumanyika-Karagwe.

The park mixes lakes, rivers, wetlands, rolling hills, savanna and woodland, and its wildlife — elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, hippo, and predators including lion and leopard — is slowly recovering under national-park protection after years as a lightly managed reserve. Tourism infrastructure is minimal and access is via Mwanza or Bukoba, so for now it is a destination for travellers who want somewhere genuinely off the map.