Akagera National Park is among the most enchanting destinations in Africa if you are looking for a place to explore. Situated on the eastern border of Rwanda, the “land of a thousand hills,” Akagera National Park is any traveler’s dream destination. This is the only savannah national park you will ever find in Rwanda at the moment. Moreover, Akagera National Park is the biggest protected wetland in the central part of Africa. Akagera National Park covers a remarkable 1,122 km2.
Attractions to find in Akagera National Park?
Physical features
Akagera National Park has plenty of natural features that include 10 lakes. These include among others, Lake Ihema, Lake Mihindi, Lake Hago, Lake Kivumba, Lake Gishanju, and Lake Rwanyakizinga among others. Along the eastern edge of the park is River Kagera, which contributes greatly to the waters of Lake Ihema. Akagera National Park is blessed with amazing landscapes. The rolling hills define Akagera National Park and are composed of diverse vegetation including savannah grasses, woodland, riverine forests and swamps etc.
Flora and Fauna
With almost 500 bird and 90 mammal species, Akagera stands out as one of the best destinations with unique wildlife attractions. Mammal species that you will find interesting include Defassa waterbucks, impalas, plains zebras, Masai giraffes, spotted hyenas, cape buffaloes, African savannah elephants, topis, hippopotamuses, black rhinos and white rhinos etc. Unique birds to spot include the papyrus gonolek, white collared oliveback, African finfoot, Egyptian goose, red-eyed dove and red-faced barbet among others.
Akagera National Park also houses around 179 species of butterflies and 35 species of fish in its waters. Fish species include tilapia, catfishes and lungfishes etc. Flora in Akagera National Park is composed of plenty of distinct Acacia plant species. Other flora includes creeping bluegrass, big bluestem, themeda triandra, whitethorn and thatching grass among others.
What to do in Akagera National Park?
Game drive
This is a highlight of Akagera National Park, offering a chance for visitors to drive along game tracks. The big five can be seen during this tour activity. You will see southern white rhinos, cape buffaloes, savannah elephants, African leopards and lions. More game to see while on a game drive include plains zebras, waterbucks, topis, Masai giraffe and others. There are also night game drives offered to visitors staying overnight. This presents a chance to spot plenty of nocturnal wildlife species.
Boat trip
Discover the hidden gems of Akagera National Park on the serene Lake Inema for an hour. The boat cruise can happen either in the morning, day or sunset. This is an important place to spot various bird species and big animals like crocodiles and hippos. Feel the lake atmosphere as you sunbathe on the motorboat. The guided tour costs $45 per person for morning or day trips while sunset trips cost $35 per person. There are also private non-secluded boat trips on the beautiful Lake Ihema.
Community cultural experiences
Which involves a guided tour in the adjacent community to have an intimate encounter with their rich cultures and practices. The locals here demonstrate how important cattle is to their daily lives. You will learn how milking a cow very effectively is done. You can even drink a cup of milk tea to enjoy the taste. Honey is another product that the communities produce in the place. Another is banana-beer. You might as well purchase and enjoy these for yourself. Community cultural experiences cost only $30 per person for the half day tour experience.
Camping at Mihindi
This is a unique way of staying at Akagera National Park to experience the serenity of nighttime. The camp is situated near Lake Mahindi, which is ideal if you want to feel the evening lake breeze. The Mahindi Campsite is 3-4 away from the main gate in the south of Akagera National Park. There are tents available for hire, and you will also warm yourself around the night bonfire. The cost of camping at Mahindi is only $50 per person per night. Other campsites are Shakani, Mutumba and Muyumbu.
Fishing
Enjoy a quiet delight in fishing on Lake Shakani where you will get the pleasure of catching tilapia, marbled lungfish or silver cat fish. This is a guided experience which involves getting deeper insight into the fishing methods suitable for fishing in the lake. You also get a memorable moment of taking photos with your catch which you could turn into a meal. Fishing in Akagera National Park’s Lake Shakani costs only $25 per person per day. You might come with your own fishing equipment if you do not wish to hire from the place.
How to reach Akagera National Park?
You can reach Akagera National Park by road or air transportation, depending on your preference and budget. Both modes of transportation have their merits, for example road transport offers scenic views while flights offer aerial views during transfers. For road transport you can start your journey from Kigali or destinations like Lake Kivu, Nyungwe NP and Volcanoes NP etc. Driving from Kigali to Akagera National Park takes 2-3 hours and covers approximately 117 km.
By air, you will fly from Kigali International Airport to Akagera National Park on a chartered helicopter flight. This captivating flight is operated capably by Akagera Aviation and takes 20-27 minutes. If you are from Volcanoes National Park, there are chartered flights from Musanze Airstrip to Akagera National Park. These take a duration ranging from 37 to 45 minutes. With us, you will enjoy transfers on our 4X4 safari land cruisers, driven by professional guides. We also help with booking the flight tickets for you to have a hassle-free process.
When to go to Akagera National Park? You will be allowed in Akagera National Park any time of the year. You only have to pay a park entrance fee of $100 if you a foreign non-resident. Rwandan and East African citizens pay RWF 15,000 per person while Rwandan or East African Community residents pay only $50. You may also have preference for the best time you could go to Akagera National Park. We do recommend that you visit during the dry season. This runs from June to September and from December to February. This time offers perfect weather conditions for outdoor activities.