Akagera National Park is the biggest national park found in the north eastern part of Rwanda and lies at the international border with Tanzania. It provides you with an ultimate wildlife safari in Rwanda and gives you a scenic view because of river kagera, dozens of water bodies, assorted hills with montane vegetation and open grassland. It was named Akagera national park because of R. Kagera that runs thought the entire park. River Kagera feeds into other lakes with in Rwanda including lake Ihema, Shakani and Gishanju. The park was founded in 1934 covering a total surface area of over 1122km Sq making it the largest and oldest national park in Rwanda. It forms the largest protected wetland with its seasonal and perennial rivers, swamps and a series of water bodies.
It hosts over 8000 animal species including lions, Buffaloes, Rhinos, hyena, leopard, Serval cats, bush pigs, hippos, crocodiles, waterbucks, and giraffes, Antelopes, Warthog, among others. Primates like Olive Baboon, blue monkeys and bush babies are also found in this park. Being the biggest park, and with the variety of mammal species, it offers a range of tourism activities and one of the best parks that you should not miss out on your vacation in Rwanda. It also has over 500 recorded bird species including Shoebill Stock, the Papyrus Gonolek, African fish Eagle, Crowned, Herons, Open-Billed Stork.
The national park faced the challenges of poaching and encroaching during and after the genocide of 1994. After the war, communities settled near the park and were encroaching on it as their means of survival especially for firewood and timber. However, the government of Rwanda made efforts and restore the park and re introduced depleted species like lions and Rhinos in partnership with African Parks Network
Tourism activities in Akagera National Park
Game drives
The best way to explore the park is through game drive with a safari vehicle. Game drives are done during the day both early morning and in the evening and at night. Your safari guide will take you on a game drive and you will be able to view a variety of animals including Zebras, Buffaloes, Giraffes, Bushbucks, hyenas, leopard, Eland, Impalas, Sitatunga, Mangoose, side stripped Jackal, topis, schools of Hippos, crocodile, wild dog, warthogs and the re- introduced lions. You will have a chance to see common primate species including olive baboons, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, bush babies normally sighted during the night game drives.
Boat Ride
You can do a boat ride on Lake Ihema and you will have a chance to view schools of hippos and crocodiles that dominate the waters of this lake. While on the boat, you will be able to see other mammal species along the lake shores including elephants and Buffaloes among others. This boat ride also gives you an opportunity to see many bird species which include African fish eagle, Shoebill Stork, Kingfishers, African Jacana, and the Blue-headed coucal. The number allowed on this boat is strictly 11 people which is always enforced. This means that you need to make advance bookings not to miss out on the space. You can book directly through the visitor information office or through your reliable Tour operator. The boat trip costs $40 per person which lasts for 2 hours.
Spot fishing
Sport fishing is done as a sport on Lake Shakani.it involves catching fish like Nile perch, Tilapia and cat fish. Normally the best and large catches are got in the morning and late in the afternoon. It’s no doubt that many guests would never want to miss on the spot fishing experience while on a trip to Africa. The experience costs only $20 per person and in some cases visitors are allowed to prepare and eat their catch. As a way to spice up this experience, visitors are subjected to a competition to catch fish and those who catch the largest fish prepare and eat the fish they catch. Some of the methods used to catch the fish include using live baits including worms, termites and other smaller fish species. Spinning method can also be used. Sport fishing can be done all around the year with chances of catching large fish species. However, it believed that the best results are got during the dry season when the water levels have reduced.
Bird Watching
With over 500 recorded bird species, the park provides an opportunity to the birders with an exclusive birding experience. Some of the bird species you are likely to see include Shoebill stork, African Fish Eagle, Double Toothed Barbet, red-faced Barbet, Ross’s Turaco and the long tailed Cistola.More bird species you are likely to see include; African open bill stock, Grey crowned crane, African darter, Augur buzzard, long toed and water thick knee, Sacred and Hadada ibis, Viellot’s black weavers, grey backed fiscals, fan tailed widow bird, cattle egret among others.
Guided nature Walks
You can visit the communities one of the best ways to appreciate the biodiversity of this park is through a guided nature walk before ending your trip. The guide will take you on a nature walk that takes between 2 to 3 hours. Forest trails have been established to give you a chance to watch the different wildlife species like Butterflies, birds and/or wild animals. the trails also lead you to the different water bodies with in the park as you will be guided by your guide the professional staff basing on your interest.
Community based tourism;
The neighboring communities surrounding Akagera national park practice cattle rearing. This gives you an opportunity to learn and participate in traditional activities including cattle grazing, cattle naming, milking and traditional milk storage methods. You can also learn how milk is traditionally preserved to make ghee, yoghurt and other dairy products. In addition, Rwanda has several coffee growers most of them centered around Gisenyi near the shores of Lake Kivu. You will learn about coffee growing, harvesting and processing. You can also visit the UWACU communities and cattle keeping communities to learn about their ways of living, visit their souvenir shops and enjoy a series of entertainments.
Some accommodation around Akagera national park include;
- Akagera game lodge
- Ruzizi tented camp
- Epic hotel and suites
- Akagera transit lodge
- Nyagatare diplomatic hotel
- Magashi lodge
- Karenge Bush camp
How to get to Akagera national park;
The park is about 120 km from Kigali which is about 2 ½ hours. Kigali city is about 10km from Kigali international airport. You will drive to park from Kigali international airport through Rwamagana and enter the park using the southern gate. You can also use services of Akagera aviation services and fly into the park.
