Akagera National Park
Akagera National Park is one of the top destinations to visit in Rwanda commonly known for a wide range of wildlife primates. It covers 1,200km2 in North-eastern Rwanda, along with the Tanzanian border. It was founded in 1934 to protect animals and vegetation in three Ecoregions: Savannah, mountain, and swamp from hunting and poaching.
Today, Akagera is one of few parks in Africa with the Big Five: leopards, lions, Cape buffalo, elephants, and rhinoceros.In 2015, seven lions – five females donated by Phinda Private Game Reserve, and two males by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife from Tembe Elephant Park, in South Africa and loaded on to a charter flight to Rwanda.
The reintroduction of lions in Akagera National Park is a groundbreaking conservation initiative for both the park and Rwanda.
What To Do in the Park
Akagera Game Drive
For game drives, you will be accompanied by a guide who is very knowledgeable about the park and the wildlife in the park. These guides are a source of information for you. With our safari vehicles, the Akagera can be accessed from Kigali in about 2 hours drive whereas from Rwamagana it takes about 1 hour. Akagera national park is one of the few national parks where you can go on a game drive at night. Using spotlights to see animals in the night can be surreal and exciting. Some of the animals that are hard to see during the day, the predators especially come out at night and can be seen on a nocturnal game drive. Leopards, hyenas, civets, and bush babies are some of the animals you might see at night in Akagera. You might also see some nocturnal birds.
What To Do in the Park
Birdwatching in Akagera Park
It’s Rwanda’s best birdwatching destination outside of Nyungwe Forest National Park. The many kilometres of waterside habitat support African eagles, kingfishers, herons, ibises, storks, egrets, crakes, rails, cormorants, darts and pelicans. Seasonal visitors include large flocks of ducks, bee-eaters and terns, and the woodlands areas are particularly good places for barbets, shrikes, orioles and weavers. Birding guides can be arranged at the park’s office.
Akagera lies on the great Nile Valley bird migration route, which means that you could potentially spot nearly 500 species of birds, including several endemics, more than 40 different kinds of raptors and, in wetland areas, the much sought after shoebill.
Boat Ride in Akagera
In addition to general safari drives, the park also offers plenty of activities, such as boat trips, fishing tours, walking excursions, and cultural exchanges. Sunset or sunrise boat trips on Lake Ihema (US$40 per person) are unforgettable, with a guaranteed sighting of lazing crocodiles or shy hippos. Taking a boat trip on Lake Ihema, you might have a chance to watch majestic African fish eagles hunting in the lake, while crocodiles bask in the sun, digesting their last meal. These trips can be booked in advance through the African Parks website, as well as organized upon arrival at the park entrance. Additional water birds are numerous with sights of the vivid African jacana trotting on floating small islands of vegetation, the fish eagles usually seen stationed in the trees, malachite kingfisher hawks and multicolored kingfishers soaring above the waters to prey their fish.
Camping in Akagera National Park
Camping alongside the shimmering attractive lakes of Akagera heaving with riverine species of plants and aquatic life is a truly a magical opening to the wonders of African wild bush experience. Campsites are available throughout the park, with the northern site Mutumba offering the best views. Camping maps can be found at the park entrance, and it costs US$20 per person to camp for a night in addition to the added cost of renting a tent (if you need one). Choosing to Camp alongside the beautiful Akagera lakes is certainly a mystical introduction to the beautiful wonders of this African bush. You will be fascinated by schools of hippos and giant crocodiles in addition to the various bird species here.
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