Top Things to do during your visit to Akagera National Park
Top things to do during your visit to Akagera national Park: Rwanda’s Akagera National Park is a savannah national park in eastern part of the country, near the Tanzanian border. The national park was established in 1934 and was named after the Kagera River, which flows along its eastern boundary and feeds into many seral lakes, including Lake Ihema, Lake Shakani, Lake Mihindi, Lake Gishanju, and Lake Rwanyakizinga.
Akagera National Park has a total area of 1,200 square kilometers and is home to a variety of wildlife species such as elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, lions, leopards, and other animals such as impalas, giraffes, zebras, bushbucks, oribi, warthogs, waterbucks, and a variety of bird species.
Top things to do in Akagera national park
Game drives in Akagera national park
One of the most popular activities in Akagera National area is game drives, which allow tourists to explore the area in a comfortable pop-up safari van with a trained driver guide. Game drives in Akagera National Park are conducted in the park’s northern region and can take place either early in the morning or late in the afternoon. During the game drive, you will be able to see creatures such as buffaloes, elephants, giraffes, lions, leopards, roan antelopes, topi, waterbucks, impalas, elands, oribi, bushbucks, zebras, and klipspringer, among others.
Akagera National Park in Rwanda also provides night game drives, which allow guests to explore the park at night with an armed park ranger and spotlight lights to see nocturnal creatures. During the 2 to 3-hour night game drive in Akagera National Park, you will be able to see nocturnal species like as lions, leopards, hyenas, serval cats, civet, and hippos grazing, among others.
Boat cruise in Akagera national park
A boat tour in Akagera National Park is an exciting activity that takes place on Lake Ihema, the park’s largest lake located in the south. The boat cruises at Akagera National Park include three schedules: the morning schedule, the day schedule, and the sunset schedule.
During the boat ride, you will be able to see large concentrations of hippos and crocodiles in the water, as well as other animals such as buffaloes, waterbucks, elephants, and warthogs drinking water along the shores, as well as aquatic bird species such as the elusive shoebill stork, malachite kingfishers, herons, and papyrus Gonolek.
Birding in Akagera national park
Akagera National Park is home to approximately 525 bird species, including savannah birds, indigenous birds, water birds, and migratory birds, making it one of Rwanda’s greatest birding locations. During bird watching at Akagera National Park, you will be accompanied by an expert bird guide and will follow several birding trails in the park where you will be able to see various bird species such as; the Shoebill Stork, Lesser Kestrel, Papyrus Gonolek, Long-tailed Cisticola, Northern Brown-throated Weaver, African Kingfisher, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Red Faced Barbet, Sooty Falcon, Striped Pipit, Slate-colored Boubou, Western Reef Heron, Ross’s Turaco, Breasted Roller, Heuglin’s Robin Chat, Eleanora’s Falcon, Brown Crested Lapwing, Bunting Crested Barbet, Grasshopper Buzzard, Brown Snake Eagle, Bateleur, Carruther’s Cisticola, Marsh Owl, African Jacana, Rufous-crowned Roller, Greater Honeyguide, Hooded Vulture, Kittlitz’s Plover, Gull-billed Tern, Augur Buzzard, Green Wood hoopoe, Crowned Lapwing, Ring-necked Francolin, African Fish Eagle, Shelley’s Francolin, African Harrier Hawk and many others.
Nature walk in Akagera national park
A nature walk in Akagera National Park is an exciting activity in which you will be able to explore the park on foot with the assistance of a professional park guide and an armed ranger to protect you from any danger.
During the 2 to 3 hour guided nature walk, you will be able to get up close and personal with various wildlife species, enjoy the cool breeze, views of the beautiful hills, listen to sweet sounds of bird species, and take beautiful photos, among other things.
Sport fishing in Akagera national park
Sport fishing is one of the most popular and spectacular sports in Akagera National Park. Sport fishing at Akagera National Park takes place on Lake Shakani, where you may catch and release several fish species like as tilapia and catfish. Tourists who intend to participate in sport fishing must bring their own fishing equipment.
Cultural tours in Akagera national park
Cultural tours are an exciting activity in Akagera National Park where you will be able to interact with the locals in neighboring communities, learn about their culture and way of life, milk their long-horned cows, make local beer from bananas, taste their local dishes, and enjoy their traditional performances, among other things.
Best time to visit Akagera national park
The Akagera National Park can be visited at any time of year, but the best time is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January, and February because there is less rainfall in the park during this period, so vegetation is shorter, allowing you to see different animals more clearly.
During the dry season, hiking paths will be dry and navigable, and plentiful wildlife species will congregate near water bodies to drink water, giving you the opportunity to see and photograph various wildlife.
How to get to Akagera national park
Akagera national park is situated in eastern province of Rwanda and can be reached by road transport. Fly to Kigali international airport and then connect to the park headquarters via Rwamagana, Kayonza, and Kabarondo towns and then to Akagera national park, which takes about 2 to 3 hours.
Where to stay in Akagera national park?
There are several hotel options in and around Akagera National Park where you may stay on your Rwanda safari. Among the cheap, midrange, and premium lodgings are Ruzizi Tented Lodge, Akagera Game Lodge, Magashi Safari Camp, Vintage Cottage, Akagera Resort and Country Club, Nyagasambu Realm Beach Hotel, and Dereva Hotel.
