Embark on an unforgettable safari adventure in Akagera National Park with our reliable car rentals in Rwanda. Akagera National Park is located in north-eastern Rwanda, bordering Tanzania to the east. It is dominated by swamps, marshes, and small lakes that dorminate this park and pour their waters into the River Kagera. This network of water sources and picturesque landscape together create a remarkable eco-system and very impressive and spectacular scenery. The park was obviously named after the River Kagera, which distributes its water to different bodies of water, including Lake Ihema.
Akagera National Park’s landscape is quite simply beautiful, surrounded by cultivated hills that are so familiar with Rwandan scenery. The relatively warm and low-lying landscape of Akagera is composed of wide plains dominated by savannah, woodland, wetland, a dozen lakes, and both thick and thin forests, although it does carry on with the general rugged terrain that is so characteristic of Rwanda. The park protects Rwanda’s only Savannah plains, made of acacia and bush, with patches of open grassland and a dozen swampy lakes. Its levels of biodiversity are exceptional, and it forms a large protected wetland.
The park is home to a wide range of wildlife, which includes elephants, giraffes, buffalos, zebras, hyenas, lions, and leopards, among others, as well as a variety of antelopes like bushbucks, topis, oribis, roan antelope, duiker, waterbuck, klipspringer, impala, and the world’s largest antelope, the Cape eland. Being the only Savannah Park in Rwanda, it is the only place to see most of Rwanda’s large mammals on safari, including forest elephants, which are hardly seen in the other parks. Schools of hippos and crocodiles basking in the sun near Lake Ihema can be observed while on a boat cruise. The common primates in Akagera include olive baboons, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, and bush babies that are often seen on night drives. The park is also home to a wide variety of over 500 bird species, including the remarkable shoebill, papyrus gonolek, African Wattled Plover, and Giant Kingfisher, among others. You can explore this remarkable park in the comfort of your safari vehicle while on a game drive.
Activities in Akagera National Park
Game drives
Game drives in Akagera are done on safari vehicles, starting as early as 8 a.m. You will be on the lookout for leopards, hyenas, and the re-introduced lions in action. Early mornings are the best time to sight these predators in action since they usually go into hiding as the heat from the sun increases. You will also see the abundance of carnivores, the scenery of this beautiful park, and several other big mammals.
Bird-watching in Akagera National Park
Akagera National Park is a popular spot and an important bird-watching destination in Rwanda. Avid birders will enjoy great bird watching opportunities in Akagera as it offers birders opportunities to sight two of the endangered bird species, like the papyrus gonolek and shoebill stork, and the more easily sighted species are weavers, egrets, and several kingfishers. Birding is usually conducted while on game drives, nature walks, and boat safaris on Lake Ihema under the guidance of a park ranger.
Boat safari on Lake Ihema
The best way to spend your afternoon in Akagera National Park is to take a boat cruise on Lake Ihema. Larger mammals are hiding under shade from the heat, while others come to the lake shores to cool off from the heat. You will see a great variety of water birds, schools of hippos in the water, and crocodiles by the shores of the lake. Scheduled boat trips are available during the day, but one can book a private, unscheduled boat trip at their own convenience.
Sport fishing
The park also offers great opportunities for sport fishing on Lake Shakani. You can make a booking with the park for a sport fishing excursion on this lake. Even though the expectation is catch and release, you have the opportunity to take one catch for a great meal if you are interested.
Safari lodges and camps in Akagera National Park