Akagera’s Thriving Wildlife Makes It a Must-See
Nestled in the northeastern corner of Rwanda, Akagera National Park is a one-of-a-kind conservation area. Contrasting with the country’s volcanic landscapes and mountain gorilla trekking experiences, Akagera offers open grasslands, wetlands, and rolling hills teeming with wildlife. Its varied terrain makes it a fantastic place to observe both the savanna animals typically associated with East African safaris and the incredible birds thriving in its wetlands.
Covering about 435 square miles along the border with Tanzania, Akagera gets its name from the Kagera River, which runs through the park and feeds scenic lakes.
Here’s a detailed look at Akagera National Park, what makes it special, and what you can expect when you visit this spectacular part of Rwanda.
What Makes Akagera Special?
Akagera is unique because it combines several ecosystems within one park, each hosting a different set of wildlife.
- Wetlands: Akagera encompasses the largest protected wetland in central Africa. It plays a central role in preventing flooding, improving water quality, and maintaining local fisheries. A myriad of birds nest and raise their young in this food-rich environment, and it also supports mammals such as elephants, bohor reedbucks, sitatungas, and Defassa waterbucks.
- Savanna: On the open plains of Akagera, you can see browsers such as zebras, wildebeest, rhinos, and giraffes, as well as predators like lions, leopards, and hyenas.
- Lakes: Akagera’s lakes are critical to the park’s ecosystem and are home to hippopotamuses, crocodiles, and a wide variety of bird species. Explore them by boat!
Established in 1934, Akagera is special for the amazing recovery it has shown since the 1990s, when poaching and habitat encroachment after the Rwandan genocide led to the local extinction of species like lions and rhinos. In 2010, the Rwanda Development Board partnered with non-profit conservation organization African Parks to bring the park into a new era. Poaching of endangered species came to a halt as the park reached out to local residents with education and community development initiatives, including a sustainable tilapia farm.
Since 2010, the number of large mammals in Akagera has more than tripled, and over 480 bird species have been recorded here, including the papyrus gonolek and red-faced barbet. In 2015, lions were reintroduced to Akagera, and black rhinos were brought back in 2017 after a 10-year absence. Today, the park is home to the Big Five (elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes, and rhinoceros), making it one of the most exciting places for wildlife viewing in East Africa.
What to Do in Akagera National Park
Game drives
Game drives are the most popular way to experience Akagera’s rich wildlife. During the day, you’re likely to see herds of zebras, giraffes, wildebeests, Cape buffaloes, and antelopes on the savanna, as well as visually striking avians like the secretary bird and African swallow-tailed kite. You might also spot a lion on the hunt or one of the park’s impressive rhinos.
Night game drives are also available and offer a completely different experience. Under the darkened sky, the park comes alive with nocturnal creatures such as galagoes, bat-eared foxes, civets, and genets. You might also have the chance to spot an elusive leopard or hyena on the hunt.
Boat cruises
No trip to Akagera would be complete without a boat safari on Lake Ihema. You’ll get a look at the park’s hippos and crocodiles, and you’ll see a wide variety of birds, such as the African fish eagle, kingfishers, egrets, herons, and enigmatic shoebills. A boat safari offers an entirely different experience from the land-based game drives.
Explore Akagera on These Safaris
Walking safaris
While Akagera is predominantly explored by vehicle, guided walking safaris are another option for connecting with this unique landscape. The standard walking safari stretches over three nights and takes you across the park. While on your journey, you stay at a different fenced-in campsite each night, with the option to check into more luxurious accommodations at the end of your walking safari for a day or two of game drives and boating.
If a multi-day hike is too much for you, how about a morning walk along the park’s boundary fence? You’ll ascend a gentle slope, then some steeper and rockier sections before you stop to take in spectacular views down the hill and across the valley—the park with its native shrubland on one side and cultivated farms dotted with cows and goats on the other.
Behind-the-scenes tour
For more insight into Akagera, take a 90-minute behind-the-scenes tour of the park headquarters to meet some of the people integral to the management of the park and learn about the park’s critical conservation activities.
Cultural experiences
While wildlife is the main attraction at Akagera, you can also enjoy a cultural experience in the surrounding communities. Watch the process of making banana beer, tour a dairy farm, or visit a honey cooperative. You’ll learn about Rwandan culture and how local communities support conservation efforts around Akagera.
Visiting Akagera National Park
Akagera is a year-round destination just 70 miles outside the capital of Kigali, about a two-and-a-half hour drive. The best time to visit depends on what you’re hoping to see.
From June to September and mid-December to mid-February, the weather is drier, making it easier to spot animals through the thinned-out grass and as they gather around water sources. For that reason, these are the most popular times of year to visit Akagera.
March and April see the most rain, followed by October and November, which can make some of the roads impassable. However, October and November are good months for spotting grassland birds, songbirds, and migratory birds—migrants stay in the park from November through April. The lush green landscapes are also stunning during this time.
Want to learn more about visiting Akagera? Contact Ujuzi today.
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