Things to do in Akagera national park
The Akagera National Park is located in the north eastern part of Rwanda, and it lies only a short distance from Kigali city, so it is only here in this park that tourists can go for a wildlife safari in Rwanda.
One of the oldest savannah national parks in Africa, the Akagera National Park was established as a national park in 1934. It is named after the Akagera River that runs through the park and makes it one of the oldest savannah national parks in Africa.
Akagera national park covers an area of 1,200 square kilometers and is a home for a wide variety of wildlife species, including the big five mammals’ elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, lions, leopards, and others including impalas, giraffes, zebras, bushbucks, oribis, warthogs, waterbucks, and birds of all kinds.
Activities to do in Akagera National Park
Wildlife safaris tours in Akagera national park / Game drives
There are plenty of animals to see in Akagera national park including four of the five big cats as well as elephants, buffaloes and leopards. Other animals to watch out for include hyenas, zebras, hippos, crocodiles, antelopes, cape elands, impalas, wide-eyed bush-bays, warthogs, oribis, bushbucks, Tsessebes, and Sittatungas.
A number of primate species are present in the park, including the vervet monkey, olive baboon, silver monkey, and blue monkey. Game drives in the park are quite thrilling. There are highly skilled and well-trained guides who will take you on your game drive and provide you with detailed information about the various animals that may be seen during your game drive.
Bird watching
Akagera national park is a birder’s haven with over 500 bird species and these include 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-coloured Boubou, Western Reef Heron, Ross’s Turaco, Breasted Roller, Heuglin’s Robin Chat, Eleonoras Falcon, Brown Crested Lapwing, Bunting Crested Barbet, Grasshopper Buzzard, Brown Snake Eagle, Bateleur, Carruther’s Cisicola, Marsh Owl, African Jacana, Rufous-crowned Roller, Greater Honeyguide, Hooded Vulture, Kittlitz’s Plover, Gull-billed Tern, Augur Buzzard, Green Woodhoopoe, Crowned Lapwing, Ring-necked Francolin, African Fish Eagle, Shelley’s Francolin, African Harrier Hawk among others.
Boat Cruise on Lake ihema
There are a number of lakes, swamps and rivers in Akagera that visitors can explore on a boat cruise. The lake cruise along Lake Ihema is one of the highlights of a safari in Akagera, and it is one of the best ways to explore them. While you are on the boat, you will see most of the park animals bathing or drinking along the lake shoreline. A boat cruise is arranged in Akagera to allow visitors to visit the lake Ihema, and it is one of the highlights of a safari in Akagera. While you are on the boat, you will see many of the park animals bathing or drinking along the shores of the lake while you are on the boat.
Cultural Community Tours
In order to provide visitors with cultural visits to Akagera National Park, the park management cooperates with nearby communities. These cultural visits are led by community guides. The tourists have the opportunity to learn how the locals care for their long-horned cows, make beer, prepare food, and celebrate important seasons of the year during these cultural visits.
Fishing in Akagera
For those who would like to indulge in some fishing, either for a sport or for food, Lake Shakani, a large lake in the surrounding area, might be of interest to you. Most of the fish in the lake are tilapia or catfish.
Guided Nature walks in the park
A guided nature walk in Akagera national park offers a wonderful opportunity to get in touch with nature, beautiful scenery, animals, birds, plants, and butterflies. You will be guided along the designated routes by a park ranger as he or she explains some of the things you need to know.
Best time to visit Akagera national park
It is possible to visit Akagera national park at any time of the year, but it is best to go during the dry season, which occurs in June, July, August, September, December, January and February, since the park receives much less rain during this time, and as a result the vegetation will be shorter which makes it easier to observe different animals more clearly.
It will be very easy for you to explore the hiking trails during the dry season as the trails will be dry and passable and abundant wildlife species will gather around water sources to drink water, giving you an opportunity to view various animals and take good photographs of them.
