Akagera National Park: Rwanda’s Premier Safari Destination
Akagera National Park: Rwanda’s Premier Safari Destination Safaris & Tours, Location, Best time to visit, attraction, Safari accommodations and more
Akagera National Park: Rwanda’s Premier Safari Destination
Akagera National Park is one of the biggest safari destinations in Rwanda that offers the best wildlife viewing located in the Eastern part of Rwanda along the border with Tanzania.
Spanning a total land area of 1,200 square Kilometers, Akagera National Park was named after River Kagera which feeds several lakes including the famous Lake Ihema, Lake Gishanju, Lake Mihindi, Lake Rwanyakizinga and Lake Shakani.
Akagera National Park Landscape
History of Akagera National Park.
With an incredibly rich bio diversity of wildlife, Akagera was a forest reserve before gaining its status as a national park in 1934 a title given to them by the Belgian government. This was an initiative taken to protect and conserve the remaining wildlife initially under threat.
Previously with coverage of a total land area of 25,000 square kilometers, Akagera National Park is one of the oldest ecosystems in the African continent and the largest in Rwanda. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances, it lost half of its land.
In the year 1994, Rwanda experienced an unfortunate event that led to loss of many innocent lives and displacement of people- the 1994 Rwanda Genocide. Akagera National Park was greatly affected by this civil war seeing refugees fleeing the country pass through the national park.
On their return after the war, since they had lost their homes, some resorted to poaching and deforestation for survival leading to high threat of the wildlife population.
Since they couldn’t be chased away, the government of Rwanda made a thoughtful decision to allocate half of the parks land to the refugees to address the issue at hand therefore leaving the National Park with only 12,000 square kilometers to itself.
However, as a result of loss of its wildlife, Rwanda, supported by the Howard Foundation alongside other organizations partnered with African parks to restore Akagera in 2010.
This initiative included increasing security with aerial surveillance and fencing in return strengthening anti-poaching measures alongside reintroduction of lions and rhinoceros
Along with a variety of other wildlife, today Akagera National Park is home to the African big five; lions, buffalos, elephants, rhinos and leopards
Lion in Akagera
Akagera National Park: Rwanda’s Premier Safari Destination Pictorial
Attractions in Akagera National Park
During your visit to Akagera National Park, be certain to sight see a lot of attractions and these include the following;
Wildlife
Like we established before, Akagera is home to the African big five which include; lions, African elephants, rhinoceros, leopards and buffalos.
Other wildlife species that you will be sure to see are topis, antelopes like impalas and roan, hippos, warthogs, hyenas, waterbucks, elands, reedbucks, serval cats, duiker, black masked civet, klipspringer, zebras, giraffes and jackals among other wildlife species.
On the other hand, primates like olive baboons, vervet monkeys and bush babies are seen thriving in this ecosystem of Akagera National Park.
Giraffes in Akagera National Park
Birds
With over 500 species of birds, you will be overly amazed by the large number of bird species you will spot in Akagera National Park. Birds like the African fish eagle, crowned cranes, marabou stork and the rare shoebill stork happily thrive in their different habitats in Akagera.
The National Park is a prime location for birding because of its diverse habitats from savannah to papyrus swamps.
Lakes
Akagera National Park has a total number of 10 lakes located in parts of its 12,000km2 land area. The most commonly visited lakes include Lake Shakani for sport fishing and Lake Ihema which is a major spot for boat cruises.
Other lakes located in this National Park include Lake Gishanju, Lake Mihindi, Lake Rwanyakizinga and many others.
Recommended Safaris to Akagera National Park: Rwanda’s Premier Safari Destination
Activities in Akagera National Park
Due to its diverse habitat and landscape, Akagera National Park has quite a number of activities that can be carried out during a visit and these may include the following
Game Drives in Akagera National Park.
The most ideal way of exploring this beautiful, vast and rich National Park is through a game drive. Akagera National Park offers morning, afternoon and night game drives therefore giving you the opportunity to see a wide range of wildlife.
During night game drives with spot lights and open roof land cruisers, you get to see nocturnal species like genets, bush babies, owls, leopards and hyenas. Our experienced guides at Nata Adventures enhance the whole experience with their expertise.
Boat cruises in Akagera National Park.
Among all the lakes in Akagera National Park, Lake Ihema is the only one that offers the most satisfying boat cruise safaris. You will encounter various hippos, crocodiles and elephants along the shores.
Birdwatching in Akagera National Park
With its diverse habitats, Akagera National Park remains a rewarding bird watching destination. It is home to over 500 species of birds that collectively live in the swamps and savannahs of the National Park.
Some bird species that you will spot are Arnot chats, double-toothed barbets, lilac-breasted rollers, ross’s turacos and long tailed cisticolas among others.
Shoebill stork in Akagera National Park
Sport Fishing.
This is simply an activity that allows you to engage in fishing but later release your catch back into the water. In Akagera National Park it is carried out in Lake Shakani. However, occasional tournaments allow participants to cook and eat their catch.
Guided Nature Walks
This is an activity that gives you an up-close experience with the various species of wildlife in Akagera National Park. With the help of experienced guides and armed rangers, you are taken on a walk on the safe sides of the national park. Guided walks are limited to adults only.
Fence Line Walks
Closely related to nature walks, you can choose to join the park rangers for a two hour walk along the 7-kilometer fence. This security fence has helped Akagera National Park to eliminate poaching and other human activities that threaten the wildlife in the park.
On top of gaining insights into the conservation efforts, you get to enjoy scenic views of the game park.
Cultural experiences.
Community visits is the only activity in Akagera National Park that gives you an insight of the daily lives of a typical Rwandan person. You get to learn a lot about the Rwandan traditions and how they take care of their long-horned cattle.
Among many things, you get the chance to milk the cows, taste local cuisines, sing and dance to local songs.
Cultural Encounter
Top Sightings in Akagera National Park: Rwanda’s Premier Safari Destination
The Shoebill Stork
Blue Monkey
Black & White Colobus Monkey
Leopard
Olive Baboon
The Rüppells Vulture
African Fish Eagle
Bateleur Eagle
Grey crown cranes
Banded mongoose
Waterbucks
Warthogs
Best time to visit Akagera National Park.
Akagera is the only big game destination in Rwanda receiving visitors all year round. Although it’s open to travelers throughout the year, the best time for an ultimate safari in Akagera National Park is during the dry season when the park trials and roads are less muddy and easy to traverse.
The long dry season that starts from the month of June all through September offers the best game viewing. It is also when the grasses in the game park are shorter making it easy to drive along the game trails looking for wildlife animals.
From the December to February is the short dry season that offers numerous game viewing experiences as well. However, be sure to carry a rain coat and umbrella for emergency since it can rain anytime in the park during this period.
The months of March to May is when Akagera National Park receives the most rain which results to a very beautiful green scenery throughout the park. However, with that comes the bad hard to navigate roads making it extremely hard to have successful game drives in the National Park during this season.
The best time for bird watching in Akagera National Park is during the short rainy season that spans from the month of October to November. This is when migratory birds also pass through the National Park.
How to get to Akagera National Park.
The Park is easily accessible by road and air from Kigali city.
After your entry flight has landed, you will need a transfer from the airport to Akagera National Park which is an approximate total distance of 98 kilometers.
Lucky for you, Nata Adventures has experienced and professionally well-trained driver guides who will pick you up from Kigali International Airport for the almost 3-hour drive to the park.
Alternatively, you can decide to take a flight from Kigali to the national park. This is an expensive yet most convenient way to get to the park.
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