Akagera National Park

In Akagera National Park, game drives

Game drives in Akagera national park; among the most visited savannah national parks in Rwanda’s eastern region along the Tanzania border is Akagera national park. Covering a total land area of 1,200 square kilometers, the national park was established in 1934 Named for River Kagera, Akagera National Park is home to a variety of wildlife including elephants, buffaloes, lions, bushbucks, impalas, zebras, giraffes, leopards, rhinos, waterbucks, reedbucks, oribi, crocodiles, hippos, bush pigs, Klipspringer, hyenas, warthogs and over 500 bird species including the elusive shoebill stork, grey crowned crane, African fish eagle, Papyrus gonolek among others.

The main activity in Akagera national park is game drives, where you will have a comfortable pop-up safari vehicle driven by a professional driver guide access to explore the savannah plains. Either in the afternoon or very early in the morning when animals are more active, game drives at Akagera national park can be completed. You will be able to see other animals including impalas, topi, elands, bushbucks, zebras, giraffes, oribi, reedbucks, waterbucks, warthogs among others during the game drives. The big five mammals are lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and rhinos.

Night game drives are another feature of Akagera national park, whereby guests will be able to explore the area under the direction of an experienced park ranger and underclear view of nocturnal animals which become active at night by means of spotlight lamps. You will be able to see nocturnal animals including lions, leopards, hyenas, serval cats, civet, genet, bush babies, mongoose, nightjar, view hippos feeding at night and other animals including bush pigs, bushbucks, impalas, buffaloes, topi, waterbucks among others which will be resting during the night game drive in Akagera national park which takes about 2 to 3 hours.

Ideal time to explore the national park Akagera

Though the best time for the game drives is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February since during this period there is less or little rainfall in the national park thus vegetation will be short which allows you to have clear views of different animals. Akagera national park can be visited anytime throughout the year. Many animals gather around the water bodies during the dry season to drink water, which provides you with an opportunity to see enough of them and the game drive tracks in the park will be dry and passable which makes game drives easier.

Where on your safari in Akagera national park should you stay?

From budget, mid-range, and luxury to Ruzizi Tented Lodge, Akagera Game Lodge, Karenge Bush Camp, Akagera Transit Lodge, Akagera Rhino Lodge, Magashi Safari Camp, Akagera Resort and Country Club, Akagera Safari Camp, Vintage Cottages, Nyagasambu Realm Beach Hotel, Dereva Hotel, Lake Shakani Camp among others.

Other pursuits within the national park of Akagera

Travel to Akagera National Park.

Located in eastern Rwanda, Akagera national park may be reached by road from Kigali to the park headquarters, almost three hours’ drive away.

Another way to reach Akagera national park is by air; you will schedule helicopter charter flights with Akagera Aviation from Kigali airport to Akagera national park.

Combining game drives in Akagera national park with chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale Forest National Park is possible.

Akagera national park is located in eastern Rwanda along the border with Tanzania. Safaris in Akagera national park are very exciting and are done in one of the oldest and only savannah park of Rwanda. The national park gets its name after the Akagera river which flows in the park and is among the attractions in Akagera national park.

The park consists of grasslands, woodland, wetlands and lakes. Akagera national park is among the best places for wildlife safaris in Rwanda and is home to a variety of wildlife species including the big five.

Attractions in Akagera national park

There are different attractions to see during safaris around Akagera national park and they include the following;

Wildlife species

Akagera National Park is home to a variety of wildlife species such as elephants, lions, leopards, hyenas, impalas, topis, giraffes, zebras, buffalos, hippos, elands, topi, and bushbucks among others.

Bird species

During tours in Akagera national park, various bird species can be seen around the national park including in locations such as around Lake Ihema, around the wetlands and in the savannah.

Akagera national park is home to over 500 bird species making it a paradise for birdwatchers and some of the bird species which can be seen around the park include the White Faced Whistling duck, Crested Francolin, Helmeted Guineafowl, Red winged Francolin, Speckled pigeon, Africa Green-Pigeon, Black Bellied Bustard, Ross’s Turaco, White Crested Turaco, Black Coucal, Swamp nightjar, African Swift, Red-Chested fluff tail, Corn Crake, African Crake, Grey Crowned crane among others.

Lake Ihema

Another attraction to see during tours in Akagera national park is Lake Ihema which is a spot for boat safaris in the destination. There are different wildlife and bird species which can be seen around the lake.

What to do and see in Akagera national park

Akagera national park offers a range of activities for visitors, including game drives, boat safaris on Lake Ihema, guided nature walks, and bird watching.

Game drives in Akagera national park provide an opportunity to spot a wide variety of wildlife species such as elephants, lions, giraffes, buffalos, impalas, hippos, zebras among others around the savannah plains.

The game drives in Akagera national park take place in the morning or in the afternoon and are carried out in 4×4 safari vehicles.

Boat safaris are a wildlife safari experience in Akagera national park which offers a unique perspective of the park and its attractions.

During the boat ride on Lake Ihema which can be done in the morning or afternoon, tourists can see wildlife species like hippos, crocodiles, and also see different water birds up close.

Guided nature walks in Akagera national park allow visitors to explore the park on foot with the guidance of experienced rangers.

During the guided nature walks in the park, the ranger guides provide information about Akagera national park including the habitat of the wildlife species and the animal tracks and how to identify the wildlife species.

Bird Watching in Akagera National Park can be done during safaris around the destination which has numerous birds.

The diverse habitats of Akagera national park including wetlands, savannahs, and woodlands, are some of the places where the bird species can be seen during safaris.

Cultural tours around Akagera national park involve interactions with the locals to get to know about their culture and way of life.

Tourists during the cultural tours experience the Rwandan culture through their food, traditional dances, local art and crafts such as the Imigongo paintings.

Best time to visit Akagera national park

Safaris in Akagera national park can be carried out during the year including the dry season which is considered the best time to visit the national park.

The dry season is experienced in June to October and also in December when wildlife species can be seen during safaris in Akagera national park.

How to get to Akagera national park

There are different ways to get to Akagera national park during safaris. The drive from Kigali to the national park takes about 3 hours.

Accommodations around Akagera national park

There are different places to stay around Akagera national park including lodges such as Akagera game lodge, Ruzizi tented lodge, Karenge bush camp, Magashi camp among other midrange, budget and luxury lodges.

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