Facts about Akagera National Park
Facts about Akagera National Park: Akagera national park is located is eastern part of Rwanda along Rwanda’s border with Tanzania. The national park was established in 1934 which makes it one of the oldest national parks in Africa and it covers a total land area of 1,122 square kilometers which is comprised of savannah grassland, woodland, swamps and thick bushes which act as habitats for different wildlife species including elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, waterbucks, bushbucks, roan antelopes, leopards, impalas, Oribi, Topi, hippos, primates like vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, olive baboons, bush babies and variety of bird species such as pied crow, grey crowned crane, open billed stork, giant kingfisher, papyrus gonolek, hadada ibis among others.

Top things to do and see in Akagera national park (Facts about Akagera National Park)
Game drives in Akagera national park
Game drives in Akagera national park can either be done early in the morning or in the afternoon in a 4WD safari vehicle with a professional safari guide. Morning game drives are however more rewarding because you will be able to view different animals when they are more active. During the game drives you will follow different game tracks in the park where you will be able to view animals like elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, bushbucks, giraffes, zebras, impalas, oribi, topi, klipspringer, elands among others which will be grazing in open plains with due, view predators like lions, leopards, hyenas looking for a morning hunt, view various bird species among others.
Night game drives in Akagera national park
Akagera national park also offers night game drives where you will get a chance to explore the park at night with spotlight torches for clear viewing. During the night game drive you will be able to view nocturnal animals like lions, leopards, hyenas, bush babies, mongoose, civets, hippos hunting and other animals like impalas, bushbucks, elands among others.
Bird watching in Akagera national park
The national park is a home of more than 550 recorded bird species including savannah birds, endemic bird, migratory birds and water birds which make it one of the best birding destinations in Rwanda. During bird watching in Akagera national park which can either be done during the game drives or boat cruise you will be able to view different bird species including the elusive shoebill stork, papyrus gonolek, Ross’s turaco, swamp flycatcher, red faced barbet, slate colored boubou, tabora cisticola, brown crested lapwing, blue shouldered robin chat, western reef heron, fischers lovebird, lilac breasted roller, grey hornbill among others.
Sport fishing in Akagera national park
Sport fishing is one of the interesting activities in Akagera national park that shouldn’t be missed during your safari. Sport fishing is carried out on Lake Shakani and visitors who take park in the activity get an opportunity to catch different fish types such as tilapia, cat fish among others. During the sport fishing activity visitors will also be able to interact with the local people and learn about various fishing methods such as the spearing and shoot arrow, the cast net method, the gill net method, the hooking method and the scoop net method.
Boating safaris in Akagera national park
Boat cruises in Akagera national park are done on Lake Ihema which is the largest lake in the park and they give visitors an opportunity to view different wildlife species including large concentrations of hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, antelopes drinking water along the shores, view aquatic bird species like the rare shoebill stork, herons, papyrus gonolek, malachite kingfisher, bee-eaters, fish eagles among others.
Nature walks in Akagera national park
Akagera national park also offers guided nature walks where visitors will get a chance to explore the park on foot with the company of an experienced park guide and an armed park ranger to protect you from danger. During the guided nature walk you will get up-close and personal with different animals, insects, colorful butterflies, birds, different plant and tree species among others.
Best time to visit Akagera national park
Akagera national park can be visited anytime throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season also known as the peak season in the months of June to September and December to February. During the dry season there is less rainfall in the park therefore access roads and hiking trails will be passable and vegetation in the park will be thin which gives you an opportunity to clearly view different animals.
Akagera national park can also be visited in the wet season also known as the low season in the months of March to May and October to November because that’s the best period for bird watching.
Accommodations in Akagera national park
There are a number of accommodation facilities in Akagera national park where you can stay during the safari and they range from luxury, midrange, budget and camp sites. The accommodations include Akagera game lodge, Ruzizi tented camp, Karenge bush camp, Magashi camp, Mutumba Akagera campsite, Shakani Akagera campsite, Muyumba campsite
For more information about Akagera national park or safari bookings you can contact Achieve Global Safaris.
