Akagera National Park

Akagera National Park is located in Eastern Rwanda hugging the border with Tanzania. In addition, it is a hidden game park characterized by woodland, swamps, low mountains and savannah. Furthermore, it is a home to the Big 5 Animals in Rwanda such as Lions, Elephants, Leopards, Buffalo and Eastern Black Rhinoceros. Akagera is Rwanda’s sole savannah national park, making it a unique conservation area. This Park is a home to various animals, including elephants, lions, leopards, giraffes, zebra and numerous bird species. In conclusion, the park offers a unique blend of wildlife, landscapes and outdoor activities, making it a great destination for nature lovers and adventure seekers.

Activities and attractions

Game drives

Explore the park’s wildlife and landscape by vehicle, starting early morning in search of the leopards, hyenas, etc. This is because the predators prefer to hunt at night or early morning and usually go into hiding as the heat from the sun increases. Besides the carnivores, enjoy the scenery of this beautiful park and several other big mammals like Elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, Zebra and Giraffes. There are also night game drives carried out by the park and these normally last about 2 hours starting from 6pm to 8.30pm in the night. You will have spotlight to help in watching the different nocturnal animals. Here, you might have an opportunity of sighting the leopards or lions as they hunt.

Bird watching

The Park is a haven for bird enthusiasts, with over 480 species recorded. This activity is rewarding whereby it offers birders an opportunity to sight both the endemic and migratory bird species. These include; papyrus gonolek, shoebill, weavers, egrets, Kingfishers, not to mention but a few. Birding is done while on a game drive, nature walk or on a boat safari on Lake Ihema. Birding on lake Ihema will accord one the pleasure of water species which are not seen while on the game drive in the Savannah grassland.

Boat ride

The best way to spend an afternoon in Akagera national park is to take a boat ride on Lake Ihema. Most animals are hiding under shade because of the heat from the sun as others come to the water for cooling off and drinking. Besides a variety of water birds, you will watch schools of hippos in the water and crocodiles by the shores of the lake. There are scheduled boat trips which happen during the day but one can book for a private unscheduled boat trip at their own timing.

Sport fishing

The Park offers an opportunity of sport fishing on Lake Shakani however, you are required to make a booking with the park. Even though the expectation is catch and release, you are given an opportunity to take one catch for a meal if interested.

Cultural tours

Experience the rural Rwandan life around the cattle keeping communities near Akagera national park. Here, you have an opportunity to observe or participate in traditional cattle grazing, milking, traditional milk storage in calabashes for preservation, etc. You can as well have an opportunity to take you through the process of converting milk into different products like traditional yogurt, ghee, etc. Also, take part in preparing a meal with some of the ingredients from the milk products. This is an authentic cultural experience shared by the locals living adjacent to the park whereby they get to earn from this supplementing their agricultural income. This eventually contributes to conservation culture and wild animals in the park.