Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s only savanna national park. The park is located in eastern Rwanda stretching towards the border with Tanzania covering a land area of 1,122 square kilometers. Akagera National Park has diverse ecosystems including savanna grass and woodlands, Montane vegetation, and a swamp. The swamp vegetation is supplemented by some lakes and Rivers and it covers about a third of the park. With that Akagera National Park is east and central Africa’s largest protected wetland.
The park initially had a land of 2,500 square kilometers and was once home to a variety of wildlife species including African wild dogs. It also had five big mammals including Black rhinos that at some point became extinct because of poaching.
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Discovery Journeys To Akagera national park
Akagera National park History
Because of the internal insecurity and civil war that happened in Rwanda, the government de-gazetted part of the park’s land to compensate and resettle some Rwandan citizens who had returned home after losing a lot in the war and having lived in exile for long.
Akagera National Park management was in 2009 taken over by Africa Parks Network in collaboration with the Rwanda Development Board. The main aim of this was to foster conservation of the existing wildlife and reintroduce wild animals that once roamed the park. Another aim was to ensure that the park boundary is well protected and secured from any form of encroachment. With that, a lot has been restored so far and major wildlife species including Rhinos and lions have been reintroduced to the park. There has been a lot of financial investment in the park at levels to ensure the park is restored to its glory. Today Akagera National Park stands out and is a must-visit in Rwanda for savanna wildlife and big five safari adventure.
Wildlife in Akagera National park
There are currently over 1200 wildlife species in Akagera National Park. The big five mammals are among the outstanding wildlife and include lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, and Rhinos. The lion population at the park currently stands at 37, with over 4000 buffaloes and about 133 elephants. Other notable wildlife in the park include Hippos, Topi, waterbucks, and giraffes among others.
Akagera National Park has over 480 bird species and it is an internationally recognized Important Birding Area. Of the 480 over 100 bird species occur only here and can therefore not be found in any national park in Rwanda except Akagera. Some of the birds you will not miss on a visit to Akagera include the African fish eagle, Marabou storks, white-browed coucal, booted eagle, and shoebill storks among others.
There are also primates in the park, especially baboons and vervet monkeys that live in the woodlands that the park has.
Activities
Game drives are the leading safari activities done in the park. These feature the major wildlife the park has, especially the big five. Savannah big cats, especially the lions and leopards are often sighted while on early morning game drives. There are well-developed and maintained trails in the park that enable you to fully explore the park as you see the many wildlife species the park has. The northern sector of the park has the highest wildlife concentration and it is the best area for a fruitful game drive.
Night game drives are also done in the park enabling one to explore and catch up with the nocturnal wildlife. The big cats, especially leopards and lions hunt in the night and are very active.
Birding is also among the top safari activities in the park. With the many bird species Akagera National Park has, birding is undoubtedly very rewarding. From November to May, a number of migratory bird species from as far as Europe set in, and those months are the best times for a birding safari.
Akagera National Park has a number of lakes including Lake Ihema where boat trips are done. Here you get to see a number of wildlife including hippos and Crocodiles. You can also spot a number of birds freely roaming the sky as you enjoy the sights and sounds of nature.
Accommodation
There are a number of accommodation facilities within the park. They include Magashi Camp, a high end safari lodge in the northern sector of the park. Magashi camp is perfectly situated in the park and all game drives start right at the camp. It has self-contained tents with great views of the wilderness. Ruzizi Tented Lodge is another beautiful and Cozy situated in the park. The lodge is situated on a lakeside and offers great refreshing views of the lake. The tented lodge is very eco-friendly and rustic and a stay there is very rewarding.
Akagera Game Lodge is the only mid-range safari lodge in the park. The lodge also has great views of the lake and has well-furnished self-contained rooms. It is important and convenient to spend a night within the park premises for an easy start to the park activities, especially game drives. Once you exit you are required to pay again once entering again so to avoid double payments staying within the park is better. Karenge Bush camp is also situated in the park. The park closes at 7:00 am and it is recommended to be there early to avoid any inconveniences.
Other accommodations outside the park premises include the Dereva Hotel, Akagera Transit Lodge, Akagera Rhino Lodge among others.
Getting to Akagera national park
The park can be accessed by road from Kigali. The road to the park is well-turmacked and maintained. Movement within the park is also easy as the major roads and game drive trails are also well maintained. You can also fly to the park in just 25 minutes arriving early to start off the park adventures.
Best time to Visit
Akagera National Park can be visited at any time of the year. All the park activities are doable year-round but the best game drives and photography experiences can be had in the dry season. For bird lovers, the wet months from November are very much suitable.
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