Set at a relatively low altitude on the border with Tanzania, Akagera National Park could scarcely be more different in mood to the breezy cultivated hills that characterise much of Rwanda.
Dominated scenically by the labyrinth of swamps and lakes that follow the meandering course of the Akagera River, the most remote source of the Nile, this is archetypal African savannah landscape of tangled acacia woodland interspersed with open grassland.
Akagera National Park is nature’s blend of swamps, lakes, savannah plains and a rugged terrain encircled by neatly terraced hills. This scenic site was gazetted as a national park in 1934 and named after the river that runs through it, River Kagera. It is located north east of Rwanda bordering Tanzania. The Park boasts of diverse vegetation zones and abounds in mammal and bird species some of which can only be viewed in Akagera national Park. There are several sights and sounds to experience while at the Park.
Akagera National Park has had a difficult past. The 1994 genocide and civil war led to a great refugee crisis that resulted in a large number of refugees fleeing the country through the park. After the war, the refugees again entered the country through the park. Some of the refugees had no land, food or where to go and resorted to poaching and cutting the park trees for timber. This was a challenging period for the park management at the time because the wild animals became threatened while some became extinct in the park. The park animals were slowly being replaced with domestic animals and particularly the local long-horned cattle. The people could not just be sent away without where to go. The government allocated half of the park to those who didn’t have where to start life after the war. The other half was reserved for protecting the wild animals which had survived the human threat.
Things to See in Akagera Park
Akagera is, above all, big game country! Herds of elephant and buffalo emerge from the woodland to drink at the lakes, while lucky visitors might stumble across a leopard, a spotted hyena or even a stray lion.
Giraffe and zebra haunt the savannah, and more than a dozen types of antelope inhabit the park, most commonly the handsome chestnut-coated impala, but also the diminutive oribi and secretive bushbuck, as well as the ungainly tsessebe and the world’s largest antelope, the statuesque Cape eland.
Camping alongside the picturesque lakes of Akagera is a truly mystical introduction to the wonders of the African bush.
Pods of 50 hippopotami grunt and splutter throughout the day, while outsized crocodiles soak up the sun with their vast jaws menacingly agape.
Magically, the air is torn apart by the unforgettable high duetting of a pair of fish eagles, asserting their status as the avian monarchs of Africa’s waterways.
Lining the lakes are some of the continent’s densest concentrations of waterbirds, while the connecting marshes are the haunt of the endangered and exquisite papyrus gonolek, and the bizarre shoebill stork – the latter perhaps the most eagerly sought of all African birds.
Things to Do in Akagera National Park
Game drive in Akagera National Park
With all talk focused on mountain gorillas, it is easy to forget that Rwanda is also excellent for game drives and standard wildlife safaris. Akagera is Rwanda’s only savanna park covering an area of 1,085 square kilometers. It was established in 1934 but the park lost a significant number of wildlife during the 1994 genocide. Thousands of fleeing citizens used the park as an escape route to seek safety in neighboring countries. When the genocide ended, many chose to settle in parts of the park leading to uncontrolled poaching and encroachments.
When the African Parks Network teamed up with the government to manage the park, the number of wildlife increased and species that had been lost were re-introduced. Akagera National Park is composed of swamps, savanna plains, woodlands, lakes, rivers and terraced hills. It is now home to all the Big 5 animals (Lions, Rhinos, elephants, Buffaloes and Leopards) hence offering tourists a chance to experience a full wildlife safari in Rwanda (Taking into consideration other activities like gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, cultural encounters and mountain climbing). Akagera is also home to olive baboons, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, hyenas, leopards and hippos to mention a few. Apart from standard game drives, Akagera is excellent for birding, nature walks and sport fishing in Lake Shakani. The afternoon boat cruise along Lake Ihema is very popular too and rewards tourists with beautiful scenery and encounters with aquatic birds, crocodiles, hippos and antelopes drinking by the Lake shores.
Plan Your Safari
The best time to go on a safari in Akagera National Park
Safaris in Akagera national park are arranged throughout the year. There is no public holiday and tourism activities continue each and every day even on weekends. Most visitors prefer to visit the park during the dry season.
The rainy season occurs in certain months of March and April making the roads difficult to pass through. The best time to visit the park is between December and February. The rains have stopped then but the park is still green from the previous rainy season. At this time of the year, many of the waterholes get dry and the animals go to the few remaining pools. This makes it easy to spot them in one point unlike in the rainy season. Some visitors will find the hot temperatures and dusty roads difficult to bear.
How to reach Akagera National Park
Akagera national Park can be accessed by air and road. The flight from Kigali can give visitors a beautiful aerial view of the park. The Akagera Aviation organizes flights from the park to Kigali and back. It takes at most 3 hours of driving on well paved tarmac road to reach the park from Kigali. Those starting their journey from Rwamagana or Kibungo travel for one hour before reaching the park. The 27km road leading to the park entrance from the main road is dusty though passable by vehicles even in the rainy period. The roads inside the park are not as good as those leading to the gate and will require a good 4 Wheel drive car especially during the rainy season.