Akagera national park

Akagera National Park is one of the 3 big national parks in Rwanda and is the only national park with wildlife species like the big 5 and other mammals with boat cruise safaris. Akagera is located in the eastern part of Rwanda along the border with Tanzania. The national park is named after the Akagera river found along the eastern boundary of the national park and is also considered one of Africa’s oldest national parks.

This national park is characterized by low lying grassland, savanna woodland, acacia, wetland, bush and shrubs and is an ideal destination for game viewing in Rwanda. The terrain of this national park is also made up of rolling hills and valleys like the typical scenery of Rwanda.

Akagera is said to have the largest protected wetland in East Africa with a series of swamp fringed lakes, marshes, papyrus swamps and diverse habitat for the wildlife and bird species found in the national park.

Following the Rwanda genocide, Akagera national park was turned into farmland to accommodate the refugees of the war who also kept cattle. Some of the wildlife species in this national park were unfortunately killed during this resettling of people into the national park and this prompted the government of Rwanda to construct a fence to protect both the wildlife species and to protect the people.

The fences put in place in Akagera national park have also greatly contributed to the restoration of the national park under the management of Rwanda development board with the help of African parks. This led to an increase in the wildlife populations in the national park.

Wildlife conservation and community involvement have also promoted tourism activity and led to an increase in the number of tourists visiting Akagera for a wildlife viewing experience and to see other attractions in the national park and the beautiful scenery.

Access to Akagera national park can be through two gates to the national park in the north which is used to exit the park called Nyungwe gate and the second entry gate in the south called Kiyonza gate used for entry into the national park. Tourists can also use the following means to reach the Akagera park;

By air/flight; charter flights are available for tourists to visit Akagera national park by means of flight
By road; the drive to Akagera national park from Kigali is about 2 to 3 hours’ drive

The best time to visit Akagera national park is during the dry season in the months of June to September which is good for wildlife viewing. The wet seasons are in the months of October to December and from March to May.

Attractions in Akagera national park include the following;

Wildlife species in Akagera national park can be seen by the tourists during different activities in the national park such as game drives and even during boat rides. The wildlife species include impala, topi, eland, oribi, Masai giraffe, defassa waterbuck, reedbucks, bushbucks, roan antelopes, lions, leopards, hyenas, jackals, klipspringers.
Bird species in Akagera include the grey crowned crane, cormorants, northern brown-throated weaver, papyrus gonolek, white-winged swamp warbler, Carruthers’s cisticola, white collared olive back, African fin foot and many water birds.
Lake Ihema which is the biggest lake in Akagera national park is located in the southern part of the national park and is the ideal spot for a relaxing boat ride as the tourists enjoy the beautiful scenery and view the wildlife species around. Swamps surround this protected lake and a good birding spot and different bird species can also be seen around the lake which is also a bird sanctuary despite the water hyacinth found in the lake.

Activities that tourists engage in during visits to Akagera national park include;

Game drives take place at different times of day in Akagera national park such as in the mornings and in the afternoon and other game drives take a full day. Wildlife species can be seen as they graze around the plains in the national park and they include impala, topi, eland, oribi, Masai giraffe, defassa waterbuck, reedbucks, bushbucks, roan antelopes, lions, leopards, hyenas, jackals, klipspringers, mongoose, genets, serval cats. Different primate species can also be seen during game viewing in this national park and they include olive baboons, vervet monkeys. Morning game drives are very rewarding to the tourist since many of the wildlife species are more active at this time of day. Full day game drives engage the tourist in watching the wildlife species as they graze and hunt at different hours of the day and also study the behavior of the wildlife species in the national park.
Boat rides in Akagera national park take place on Lake Ihema and tourists are able to see a variety of birds during the boat rides such as the red-faced barbet, African fish eagles, grey crowned cranes, marabou storks, open billed storks, cormorants, herons, egrets. Tourists also see crocodiles and hippos during the boat rides and different wildlife species grazing along the banks of the lake and drinking water along the shores of the lake. Boat rides also take place at different times of the day and the evening boat ride has a spectacular touch to it as tourists experience the beautiful sunset and watch while in the comfort of their boat as the different wildlife species graze and drink water along the shores of the lake.
Fishing which takes place on Lake Shakani is done at a cost of USD 20 for a fishing permit since fishing was restricted in Akagera national park. The fishing methods used on this lake include hooking, gill nesting, the lampara method, the spearing and shooting method, the scoop net method and the cast net method. Some of the fishing methods are unique to Rwanda such as the lampara method which is used by the fishermen at night.
Nature walks are a unique way of exploring the beauty of Akagera national park and are carried out within the parks boundaries as tourists enjoy the beautiful scenery and see many of the park’s attractions such as plant species and tree species for tourists interested in botany which could have been missed during game drives and other tourist activities.
Cultural encounters around Akagera national park provide a variety of cultural choices for tourists to choose from such as the heritage which engages the tourists in learning more about the Rwandan cattle, local brewing of beer, seeing local arts and crafts such as Imigongo paintings, traditional dances and food preparation as well as other festivities. Other cultural visits include the Humure refugee village tour, a visit to the imigongo art and craft center.
Birding can also be carried out in Akagera national park with a variety of birds for tourists to see such as the grey crowned crane, papyrus gonolek, white-winged swamp warbler, Carruthers’s cisticola, white collared olive back, African finfoot, lesser Kristel and many other endemic and rare bird species.

Accommodation facilities in Akagera national parks include luxury accommodation, midrange accommodation and budget accommodation and are booked depending on the choice of the tourists. Accommodation facilities in this national park include; Ruzizi tented lodge, Karenge bush camp, Akagera game lodge, Magashi camp, Dereva hotel, Akagera rhino lodge.

Visit Akagera national park for an encounter with a variety of wildlife species and engage in different activities as you explore the land of a thousand hills.