Akagera National Park
Explore Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s only Big 5 game destination and also the country’s largest park. Here is everything to discover about Akagera including wildlife, birds, where to stay, getting there, location, size, formation, history, the best time to visit the park, and different safari activities to do plus exciting safari itineraries worth booking.
Location of Akagera
Akagera National Park is situated in the Northeastern part of Rwanda. It is located in Rwanda with Tanzania. Akagera was created in 1934 and today, it occupies an area of 1122 sq. km. The park’s landscape is characterized by swamps and small lakes that flow in the wake of the scenic River Kagera. Akagera features a network of water sources making it one of the stunning destinations on the African continent. Akagera takes its name from River Kagera, a natural river that pours its water into the different water bodies in the park including Lake Ihema.
In the surroundings, there are cultivated hills, and generally, the park’s landscape is low. The landscape of Akagera features wide plains characterized by grass, shrubs, and thin forests.
History
Akagera National Park was officially established in 1934. The primary goal for its establishment was to protect wildlife and its unique vegetation. Originally, Akagera covered a land area of about 2500 sq. km. Around 1997, its size reduced by 50% with most of its land reallocated to refugees returning to Rwanda after the 1994 Rwanda genocide.
The Rwanda Development Board and Africa Park later signed a joint management agreement in 2009. In the agreement, the Akagera Management Company (AMC) was formed to assist both bodies in the management of Akagera National Park.
Attractions in Akagera National Park Rwanda
Wildlife
Akagera National Park is the only savanna wildlife park Rwanda has and is home to all the Big 5 game. This makes it an ideal location to enjoy a guided game viewing or game drive tour. The different wildlife in Akagera includes African elephants, cape buffaloes, hyenas, lions, zebras, giraffes, leopards, and roan antelopes.
Other wildlife species to find in Akagera include topis, oribis, waterbucks, cape elands, klipspringers, duikers, impalas, and waterbucks. The park also supports a significant primate population including vervet monkeys, bush babies, and olive baboons. The aquatic animals to find in Akagera Game Park include hippos and crocodiles.
Birds
Over 520 species of birds survive within Akagera including terrestrial and aquatic species of birds. The birds that make Akagera a great bird-watching destination include the grey-backed fiscals, viellot’s black weavers, black-headed weaver birds, long-crested eagles, Augur buzzards, Cattle egrets, fish eagles, papyrus gonoleks, Carruthers’s cisticola, brown-chested lapwing, cabanas’s bunting, wattle-eye, red-faced barbet, ring-necked francolins, brown-chested lapwing, phylloscopidae, and monarch flycatchers.
Akagera also protects birds such as sooty chat, marabou stork, African fish eagle, white-browed coucal, black-crowned night heron, Amur falcon, blue-spotted wood dove, blue-shouldered robin-chat, double-toothed barbet, Eleonora’s falcons, cardinal quelea, grasshopper buzzards, the semi-collared flycatchers, pennant-winged nightjars, martial eagle, rufous-billed francolins, Shelley’s francolins, shoebill, marsh tchagra, yellow-bellied eremomera, yellow-throated leaf-love, striped pipit, slate-colored boubou, and Ruaha chat.
Top Things to do on the Akagera National Park tour
Akagera National Park has plenty of exciting safari experiences for nature enthusiasts to enjoy. The different activities to do in Akagera include a game drive, launch cruise, bird watching, nature walks, and community walks.
Game drives in Akagera National Park
Game drives in Akagera National Park offer nature enthusiasts unforgettable wildlife encounters in the wild. The expected wildlife to encounter on Akagera guided game drive include civets, hyenas, topis, elands, cape buffaloes, lions, leopards, giraffes, zebras, serval cats, jackals, Uganda Kobs, waterbucks, rhinos, and several birds. A game drive in Akagera is safe in a 4×4 safari with a pop-up roof which guarantees you clear views of the different wildlife species in the park.
The available sessions include day and night game drives. The night game drives offer you a great chance to explore nocturnal species including serval cats, leopards, jackals, lions, and many others. A normal nocturnal game drive takes about 2 hours and keen game watchers, expect to encounter a myriad of nocturnal species.
Boat cruise tours/launch cruise trips
Boat cruise excursions in Akagera are best enjoyed on Lake Ihema. This is likely to last for 2-3 hours and is all about exploring aquatic species such as hippos, crocodiles, and water birds. The most sought-after bird on launch cruise is the shoebill often spotted on a lucky day along Lake Ihema.
Bird watching
Akagera National Park protects up to 520 species of birds all surviving in different habitats. The presence of these diverse avifaunal species makes Akagera an Important Bird Area. The birds to expect to spot on Akagera bird watching trip include swamp flycatchers, shoebill storks, crowned crested cranes, yellow sunbird, grey-backed fiscals, fish eagles, cattle egrets, carruthers’s cisticola, brown-chested lapwings, blue-headed coucal, Dimorphic egret, Caspian plover, cardinal quelea, Cabanis’s bunting, booted eagle, hadada ibis, Denham’s bustards, semi-collared flycatchers, mustached grass-warblers, Marsh tchagra, marsh owl, grasshopper buzzard, papyrus gonoleks, ring-necked francolins, northern brown-throated weaver, and pennant-winged nightjars.
Additional birds to expect to explore on a birding tour in Akagera include western reef heron, Souza’s shrikes, slate-colored boubou, rufous-bellied herons, Tabora cisticola, yellow-bellied eremomera, and many others. Essentials for your birding trips in Akagera include a good camera, a pair of binoculars, and environmentally-friendly attire.
The best time to go for birding in Akagera is during the dry months (June to September), perfect for birders interested in francolins plus several nightjars and owls. During the early rainy season (October), lapwings and several grassland species of birds can be spotted. September to November are ideal for you to explore songbirds or visit around March to April.
Breeding, especially herons, darters, cormorants and ibises can be spotted from February to July, Migratory birds visit the park around November and April.
Sport fishing
Sport fishing in Akagera is only conducted on Lake Shakani. This is the only place to enjoy sport fishing excursions. Different fish species can be spotted here including Nile perch, Nile tilapia, catfish, and more. Anglers are advised to come with their gear ready to experience the best of this sports activity.
Hot air balloon excursions
Hot air balloon excursions provide great aerial wildlife viewing experiences. Visitors fly high on a balloon with the pilot and other experts as they enjoy the diverse wildlife freely foraging. Hot air balloon excursions are part of the new wilderness experiences Akagera is known to offer nature enthusiasts on Rwanda safaris.
Nature walks
Guided nature and bush walks perfectly take you on a search for the diversity of wildlife in areas hard to reach by safari vehicles. This is done with the lead of an expert from Akagera and can go for about 2 hours.
The best time to visit Akagera for a wildlife trip
Akagera National Park is one of the best destinations in Africa which can be visited at any time of the year. However, the peak dry months are the most preferred period to enjoy guided game drives. The two dry seasons occur from June to September and then December to February. Peak dry months such as these are characterized by no rains and the game tracks are drier making it easier to navigate through on a game drive.
Where to stay on Akagera National Park Tours
Akagera National Park Rwanda has all categories of lodges for visitor stays; budget, midrange, and luxury. They include Magashi Tented Camp, Akagera Transit Lodge, Akagera Game Lodge, Rusizi Tented Camp, Akagera Rhino Lodge, and camping sites.
How to get to Akagera National Park for a vacation
Akagera Game Park is accessible 2.5 hours drive from the heart of Kigali. The park is situated in Eastern Rwanda. It can also be reached by air using Akagera Aviation helicopter tour services.