Akagera National Park
Akagera National Park is a special Rwanda’s only savannah national park. Located in the eastern region of the country, it’s a paradise of much of the wild species including some of the big five. The park shares borders with Tanzania about 2½ hour drive from Kigali.
This amazing Akagera is named after the magnificent Akarea River that feeds eastern boundary and pour to lakes like Lake Ihema. The park is among Africa’s ancient parks, first gazetted in 1934, with the intention to protect animals and vegetation of the three eco-regions of savannah, mountain and swamp.
The park features biodiversity and system of lakes linking papyrus swamps forming up over 1/3 of the park. Then, the savannah forms the dramatic space of the park which entertains the highest concentration of wildlife.
The largest savannah coverage of the park was lately settled in by late 1990s by former refugees returning at the end of Genocide. Then, the challenge of land shortages of 1997 prompted the western boundary to be regazetted. Also much of the park land was allocated to make farms for the Genocide returning refugees. However, the remaining savannah is the richest bio diverse and a perfect scenic landscape in Africa.
Adventure activities done at Akagera national park
Wildlife Game Drives
The Africa’s most trending adventure activities. A tour to Rwanda without visiting Akagera National Park is considered incomplete. Game drive as well stands out as the most rewarding nature activities with longest list of wildlife. Wildlife of the park have amplified over recent years. The latest updates estimated the park to now park accommodates about 8,000 large animals.
With over 19 lions, and 18 black rhinos were reintroduced within the park in 2017. Leopards can occasionally be sighted on a luck day game drive. Even the incredible back-up of elephants and buffalos counts the major mammals called the big five in the close of so many other wildlife.
Bunches of wildlife diverse which are sighted elsewhere in the amazing tiny Akagera National Park. The common encounters include Burchall’s zebras, giraffes, impalas and topi, bushbucks, eland, African swallows, vervet monkeys, baboons, wart hogs, mongoose, hippos, crocodiles, and even an elephant, and other mammals include oribi, Defassa waterbuck, reedbucks, sable and roan antelopes, buffalos and more.
Game drive at Akagera National Park is mainly done on the south to north with the most glorious views from the top of the mountain across Lake Ihema that extents to Tanzania which is accompanied by the beautiful flora of the park.
Boat launch safari
It’s an amazing experience, with motorized engine boats leading across park along the Lake Ihema drainage system. Cheering from your boat expect to experience exciting moments watching tens of hippos and crocodiles. However, much of the land mammals, aquatic and bird species are well positioned for watching during the game drive. The including buffalo and elephants, antelopes that gathered at the banks of the lake to draw water.
Night Game Drives
With the minimum of two participate, and the guidance of park rangers on lights. A night game drive is a perfect timing to watch leopards actively hunting. When all the daylight characters have resorted to resting, its predators time to watch them and sometimes on a luck day can see leopards factitively hunting. The most likely animals to watch include hyenas, leopards among others.
Bird watching Tours
The swampy, savannahs, and thickets and papyrus are much actors in accommodating larger animals. Birding is a famous adventure done at Akagera, bird enthusiasts are amazed by the immense variety and abundance of species at Akagera
The park is recorded with about 500 bird species. The gem of birds sighted here include threatened papyrus gonolek restricted to papyrus swamps. Other species include; the gorgeous lilac-breasted roller, black headed gonalek, heuglin’s robin-chat, grey hornbill, ross’s turaco, crested barbet, red-faced barbet, swamp flycatcher and many more.
The southern area has a wonderful variety of birds and butterflies, more rewarding for birding than the North which is good for larger wildlife.