Akagera National Park
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Located in the northeastern part of Rwanda just two hours drive from the capital Kigali. Akagera National Park, dominated by tiny lakes, swamps and Lake Ihema and is the largest protected wetland in Africa.
Once close to being decimated due to the Rwandan Genocide. Now, together the Rwanda Development Board and African Parks Organization are bringing Akagera National Park back to life. Named after River Kagera, the park is the most distant head-stream of the River Nile as well as Lake Victoria’s largest tributary. The different water sources form a spectacular network making an amazing ecosystem. Surrounded by cultivated hills that form a breathtaking background, Akagera National Park vegetation is majorly comprised of a low landscape with broad plains, covered with grass, shrubs of Euphorbia candelabra similar to cactus and patches of forests. Unlike most parts of Rwanda the terrain here is not hilly and rocky.
Akagera park is accessible by road or air. It’s an easy two and half hours drive on a well maintained road; and a mere 22 minutes helicopter flight, from Kigali.
highlights
Game Drives
A game drive in the park is the ideal way to spot different animals including elephants, numerous buffaloes, lions, and birds living in the varied habitats in the park.
Sunset Boat Ride
A sunset boat ride on Lake Ihema, with a great number of hippos is a must. The ride takes you to nearby Bird Island which hosts a great variety of bird life and enormous Nile crocodiles.
‘Behind the Scenes’
For more insight into Akagera, including conservation developments within the park, take a ‘Behind-the-Scenes’ tour of the park headquarters and meet some of the people integral to the management of the park. This activity is open to anyone (with minimum numbers applying) but designed for educational groups, or special interest travelers.
Best time to visit
Though this park can be visited throughout the year, the best time is during the dry season, from June to September. This is the best time for wildlife spotting.
