Akagera National Park

Akagera National Park is one of the top national parks in Rwanda and is the only savannah national park in the country that harbors the big 5. Situated in the Eastern part of Rwanda is Akagera National Park one of the most beautiful and scenic national park in East Africa.  The park is strategically situated in border with a neighboring country Tanzania and it obtained its name from river Akagera which traverses through the park from the east to Lake Victoria and Lake Ihema. The park was the first gazette in 1934 under the government of Belgian and later on due political disputes that arise in Rwanda the park was dismantled until the nation stabilized and the park was again re gazette attracting several tourists from different corners of the world to engage in different park activities. 

Akagera National Park

Recently, the  park is considered the best destination to be visited by the nature lovers on an African safari due to the fact that the park has the best vegetation cover filled with savanna grassland, water bodies such as lakes and rivers, lots of wildlife species including primates such as olive baboons, Vervet monkeys, different mammals, birds, butterflies among others.

Top attractions in Akagera national park

Attractions in Akagera national park are the things that attract travelers to visit the park. Akagera National park is best  known for harboring a lot of tourist attractions in its vegetation cover of savanna filled with blush , water bodies, and wildlife that call the park their home as explained below;

Wildlife: the beautiful vegetation cover of Akagera national park with thick blush and green savanna grassland, papyrus plants, swamps, among others is best known for harboring several wildlife species including;

  • Primate species such as Olive baboons, vervet monkeys, red tailed monkeys among others 
  • Mammal species such as Elephants including Mutware elephant the oldest elephant in the park, king of the jungle, Giraffes, Impalas, rhinos, Sitatunga, leopards, Topis, duikers, Hyenas, among others. In fact Akagera national park is home to all the big 5 games.
  • The park is also known for harboring several species of birds including water birds such as the rare shoebill stork. In fact, the park is the place to find water birds in East Africa. Other bird species include species endemic to Albertine rift, Raptor birds and the forest birds among others.

Top 5 things to do in Akagera National park

Akagera national park is a small park but beautiful with lots of tourist activities to taking place and these top 5 things to do include Game drives, boat cruise, birding , cultural tours and sport fishing among others. 

Game Drives Akagera National Park

Game drive is the most common and one of the top 5 things to do in the park. Akagera national park offers both day game drives and Nocturnal game drives both offering different wildlife sightings. Opting for a morning game drive is one of the most fascinating and adventurous activity where travelers spend about 5-6 hours driving amidst wildlife while sighting out most of the wildlife species including primates such as Red monkeys, vervet monkeys, Sitatunga, Olive baboon, mammal species including Big5 such as Elephants in fact during the morning game you will encounter with the oldest elephant known as Mutware who is 50 years of age and usually encountered almost on every game drive. You will also encounter other mammals including buffalos, Lions, giraffes, waterbuck, oribi, reedbucks, Topis, eland, antelopes, Zebras, Duikers, elands, Rhinos, bird species, beautiful butterflies among others. However there is also a night game drive opens the closed door to the Nocturnal primates and mammals that are always seen during the night with the aid of sport light. Some of the nocturnal mammals and primates sighted in the park include; Serval cats, Hyenas, Civets, bush babies, warthogs, Bush pigs, Leopards, and other carnivores including lions.

Boat cruise in Akagera national park

Boat cruise is yet another fascinating activity that can never miss out on the top 5 things to do in Akagera national park. Boat cruise safaris in the park is carried out on Lake Ihema one of the best lakes in Rwanda. Boat cruise on Lake Ihema takes about 2 hours and you will be cruising on top of the lake enjoying the cool breath while sighting out different wildlife species including schools of Hippos and crocodiles, as they bath in the lake. Keep the eyes to the shores of Lake Ihema for possibilities of sighting out different mammals on the shore such as buffalos, elephants, and antelopes among others as they drink water. You will also spot different water birds such as crowned cranes, kingfishers, marabou storks, rare shoebill storks, African fish eagles, among others.

Birding in Akagera National Park 

Birding has always been the top thing to do by the birders while on a Rwanda safari. Akagera national park is one of the birder’s paradise in Rwanda harboring over 500 bird species including water birds which are usually seen during the boat ride along Lake Ihema, raptor bird species, endemic species, among others.  The most common species of birds seen in the park include the Little Bee-eater Goliath Heron, Bare-faced Go-away Bird, Helmeted Guinea fowl, African Fish Eagle, African Jacana, White-browed Coucal, Fork-tailed Drongo, African Grey Hornbill, Long-crested Eagle, Saddle-billed Stork, Lilac-breasted Roller, Black-headed Weaver, African Darter, African Wattled Lapwing, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Squacco Heron, Crowned Lapwing, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, Grey-backed Fiscal, Hamerkop, Lappet-faced Vulture, Cattle Egret, Bare-faced Go-away Bird, Long-tailed Cormorant, Marabou Stork, Pin-tailed Whydah, White-backed Vulture, Grey-crowned Crane, Spur-winged Goose and many more. All that a birder requires is a pair of binoculars, sunscreen, a hat, gloves, and good attires of long sleeved shirts and pant and off to the forest to watch birders. The best sports for birding in the park is near Lake Ihema, and river kagera thus birding is easily combined with a wildlife safari where birds are seen alongside other wildlife during the game drives and nature walks. Another best way to watch birds in Akagera national park is by taking a boat cruise safari on Lake Ihema.

Sport fishing in Akagera National Park

In Akagera national park, sport fishing is carried out on the shores of Lake Shakani which is designated to offer sport fishing on a basis of catch and release. However, at the end of the day, travelers are allowed to take home at least a fish for enjoyment. Lake Shakani is situated in the far north east of the park and is the best place for sport fishing in the park. During sport fishing, travelers are in position to spot schools of bathing Hippos, crocodiles, and other mammals that flock the shore for water. Adding sport fishing on the list of top 5 things to do in Akagera national park while on a Rwandan gorila tour  is such a rewarding and adventurous experience as one is allowed to spend a day catching and releasing fish with one catch spared for eating.

Other than sport fishing, travelers are in position to camp at Muyumbu with a spectacular view of different lakes in the neighboring country, Tanzania.

Cultural tours in Akagera National Park

Cultural tours in the places close to the park are one of the top things to do while on a Rwanda wildlife safari. This cultural tour enables travelers to visit the nearby places around the park encountering the local Rwandese cattle keepers and learn different practices such as milking, grazing, milk preservation, local ways of extracting ghee from milk.

Akagera National Park
Elephants

Getting there

There are different routes connecting to Akagera national park. From Kigali to the park, it takes roughly 3 hours’ drive in a 4×4 safari van. From Rwamagana, its roughly 1-hour drive to Akagera national park.

There are both private and public transport means. Buses always take travelers on a daily basis from Kigali via Kayonza to kibungo and then take either a bike or a private car to the park.

book a gorilla safari