Explore Akagera National Park, Rwanda's lone haven for animals, big cats, birds and savanna grassland, which is bordered on one side by Uganda and Tanzania on the other side. Akagera National Park is one of Rwanda's most popular tourist destinations, because of its unique flora and fauna. It is one of Rwanda’s four major national parks.
Volcanoes National Park, which is home to the endangered Mountain Gorillas, Nyungwe National Park, which is known for its outrageous population ofchimpanzees and Giswhati-Mukura National Park, which is another shelter of Rwanda’s most vital biodiversity. A dozen lakes, savannah grassland, flora and dotted wetlands surround the warm and low-lying plains of Akagera National Park.
The park is one of Africa's oldest conservation zones, spanning 1,122 square kilometers and established in 1934 in the eastern part of Rwanda, bordering Tanzania and Uganda. Akagera River, which feeds into Lake Ihemais where the park’s name originates. In the various locations, lions, elephants, hyenas, cape Buffaloes, roan Antelopes, hippos, Impalas - world's largest antelope species, zebras, giraffes, duiker, Topis, crocodiles and cape Buffaloes can be seen feeding and roaming. The shoebill stock, Senegal lapwings, African open Bill stock, grey crowned cranes, papyrus gonolek and water thick-knee are among the notable birds. Primates on the list are not limited to Olive baboons, bush babies, Vervet monkeys and blue monkeys.
Whether you're visiting Rwanda for honeymoon, family day out, picnic, weekend escape, wildlife safari, business trips, summer or winter vacation, Akagera National Park is the place to visit for a day or more. It is open all year, with some of the best accommodation facilities, excellent security and generally pleasant environment. The park's tourism draw is the Africa Big5 (lions, Cape Buffaloes, African elephants, and rhinos). The gorgeous terrain and the enormous Lake Ihema equally attract visitors here.
This is the park's principal activity, which takes place in the morning, afternoon / evening and at night for nocturnal animals. Visitors approach close to Mother Nature with a safari vehicle and a professional ranger guide, seeing grazers such as African Elephants, Warthogs, Rhinos and Cape Buffaloes, among others, primates, birds, and the sweeping savannah plains. Lions and leopards, for example, like to hunt at night or early in the morning.
The activity at Akagera National Park occurs year-round, making it a popular birding destination in Rwanda. Birders can see endangered and migrating birds in the marshes, as well as dedicated birding sites such as the shores of Lake Ihema. Egrets, weaverbirds, shoebill stock, papyrus gonolek and kingfishers are some of the birds on the park’s collection.
This is done on Lake Ihema. Visitors sail on the calm waters for about two hours, either on a traditional canoe or motorized engine boats, while looking out for the hippos, crocodilesand several other aquatic birds. The scheduled boats run in the morning and afternoon hours while carrying a restricted number of persons.
Sport fishing is available at Lake Shakani, which is also located within the park. Sportfishing is a great way to test your fishing skills at a specific location while also catching and releasing the fish. Chances of capturing the fish are guaranteed and one is rewarded with the fish to consume at a later time. Everyone who plans to participate in this activity should schedule at least a few months ahead of time.
A visit to the communities living around the park is always made special with a typical village experience; enjoy the dances and cultural interactions. These communities often tend to be vulnerable because of the restrictions attached to them and the fear for wild animals. A Village tour gives one an insight into Rwandan rural setups and life. Visitors are urged to participate in the activities, purchase some souvenirs and also contribute towards the community development.
For an hour or more, visitors to the park can have an opportunity to walk, take photos and watch Mother Nature, birds and the stunning landscape at a much short-range and on foot. Landscape is low-lying and gives a perfect opportunity for exploring what wildlife has to offer. The park is safe and perfect for adventure.
Accessing Akagera National park is possible through the southern and northern gates for entry and exit respectively. The drive from Kigali city passes through Rwamagana town and lasts for roughly 2-3 hours. The park is open all year round, though the best month to visit is June to October and December to February.
It is in Akagera national Park where visitors to the Republic of Rwanda can spot a variety of Wildlife species, encounter the prey and predators in their natural habitat, take great photos and escape stress. The park is so accessible by road and and can be visited by booking through a tour operator or directly from Kigali city.
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