Akagera National Park
- Updated: 1 month ago
- By Webmasters Killasites
Akagera National Park Safaris, Location, Best time to visit
Picture yourself in an open-style 4 x 4, the sun gradually peeling away the last remnants of dawn haze. The air smells of dry grass and something sweet and mysterious.
Welcome to Akagera National Park, a place that seems to have been waiting, patient and quiet, for your arrival. Here, you don’t want to deal with crowds or tick off items on a checklist. You want to see Africa, to feel it, and to let the landscape seep in slowly.
Why Visit Akagera National Park
Some people have heard about Akagera a bit too early, before they have had the chance to understand Africa. There is always the expectation that all of Rwanda is highlands, covered with mist, teeming with Gorillas and Bamboo. However, there is more to the country’s eastern stretch along the border with Tanzania. It also includes huge savannahs, shimmering lakes, and tangled woodlands, all brimming with the Africa people picture in their dreams.
This is the only park in Rwanda where one can find the Big Five. Just in case you are hearing the term for the first time, it means that in one conserved region you can spot elephants, lions, leopards, buffalos, and rhinos. Granted, a few decades ago, that would have been impossible—there was rampant poaching. But, the park was revived with an almost stubborn focus, and wildlife returning is a sign of hope. Alongside feeling hopeful people, you will also see herds of elephants, hippos yawning in the water, and if you are patient enough, a silhouette of a lion stretched across a low ridge.
Drifting in a boat on Ihema Lake delivers one of the most impactful experiences you can have while you’re here. As you glide past pods of hippos, their eyes blinking just above the surface, the water singing under the sun. Crocodiles laying still along the banks; mouths parted, exposed like they were putting zero effort into closing. Overhead, fish eagles call out with their clear, echoing voices which sound both mournful and celebratory at the same time.
Driving through the park is always entertaining. You can spend an hour tracking a solitary giraffe navigating a thicket so dense it seems to disappear from the shoulders down. Then rounding a bend, you may be greeted by zebras standing motionless as if pondering whether you’re noteworthy enough to continue observing. Part of the beauty of Akagera is the fact that you never quite know what lies ahead.
Best Time to Visit Akagera National Park
For those seeking unobstructed views and easier game drives, try to come during the dry periods from June to September or December to January. In these months, grass is less abundant, the vegetation grows sparser, animals congregate around lakes and spotting wildlife becomes much simpler.
Still, the green season (February to May and October to November) has its merits. The rain transforms the plains into something ridiculously lush, and it’s more quiet. While the roads can be quite the expedition, you will get the feeling of having the park entirely to yourself.
Akagera National Park Gallery
Akagera National Park Location
Akagera National Park is located on the eastern border of Rwanda. It measures approximately 433 square miles which means it will take you more than a day to explore fully. The region is made of savanna, wooded areas, wetlands, and a series of lakes along the road that are hard to ignore. It also shares a border with Tanzania which adds a certain flavor to the atmosphere.
Getting to Akagera National Park
Almost every Akagera National Park journey starts from Kigali. From there, it takes around two and a half hours to reach the main park gate at Kiyonza. The road is well-paved for the most part.
Along the way, you will get to see small towns, banana plantations, and children enthusiastically waving from dusty yards. While most accommodations will provide airport shuttles, it is also possible to hire a car and driver or rent a 4×4 for self-driving.
Here self-driving is very popular but, you would be wise to use a professional company if you must have the very best of the park.
Much as there is a unique pleasure associated with being behind the wheel and slowly easing over bumpy dirt roads—at your own pace, be prepared that navigation may be tricky at times. You will be able to pick up a park map at the gate, and while the rangers are friendly, your sense of direction will be put to the challenge a little. This is, in fact, part of the adventure.
Akagera National Park Accommodations
Depending on your travel preferences and budget, there are many places you can stay at. For high-end accommodation, consider staying at Magashi Camp, a luxury tented lodge set in a private concession overlooking lake Rwanyakazinga. It has a remote, yet elegantly developed nature feel, and offers stunning sunset views of hippos surfacing from the water.
Ruzizi Tented Lodge is a mid-range staying option which is popular for its cozy and welcoming atmosphere. It features a simple set of canvas rooms connected via tree-shaded walkways that give a warm feeling, especially after a long day out on a game drive. You can look forward to warm lantern lighting, lulled by the evening sounds of frogs and chirping insects.
Budget friendly travelers can set up tents and camp in designated areas within the park. You are serenaded by the sounds of night creatures, making falling asleep to be a serene experience. Waking up before dawn in a simple camp is magical.
Tips for Your Visit to Akagera National Park
For first-timers on safari, a couple tips will help make the days smoother.
Make sure to bring binoculars. Even if you are confident in your eye sight, being able to spot wildlife in the tall savannah grass will require some good lenses.
Second, pack jackets. Early in the day, the weather can be fairly cold, but by midday, you’ll want to transition to a short sleeve shirt. You also might want to consider a light jacket that can be rolled up.
Third, There is quite a lot of dust. In the dry season, the roads create a fine, dry powder that settles on everything. Bring something like a scarf to cover your mouth as well as your camera gear.
Normally, guided drives are worth considering. The park rangers have profound knowledge of the park, which makes their tales about it far more enriching than any guidebook. He might show you some fresh lion tracks or tell you how some elephant matriarch directs her herd around.
Don’t rush. For Akagera, the number of kilometers put on the vehicle is irrelevant. There will be stretches where nothing much is visible, and then, when least expected, the bush opens to astonishing views.
Final Remarks
In the case of Akagera, what comes to mind is not a particular animal, but rather the sensation of the region. The tranquil periods during drives when one’s gaze is drawn to an impossibly vast sky. The lakes are so bright they almost sting to gaze upon, yet they reflect too much light for comfortable viewing.
It’s the small details: a warthog walking through camp with its tail raised, a fish eagle that harasses the guests by circling for an hour, the amused reactions of your guide when you finally give up identifying an impala from a topi.
Most visitors may come here just for the savannah and the hope of spotting the fabled “Big Five” game animals. But it is the slower pace that lets you savor the moment such as a gentle boat cruise where you observe a crocodile lazing in the water, or the first time the wind blows cool against your skin in the evening air, or when you notice that the vast land does indeed smell like something distinctive.
If we narrow down all major attractions in Africa, Akagera National Park does not rank among the loudest or most popular. Perhaps that makes it feel so real. Rather than try to amaze you with hours spent at attractions, it liberates you to take the break in your busy life and breathe deep and notice subtle effortless beauty around.
And in the end, that is just how remarkable it is. Back home, perhaps daydreaming about the picturesque view of sunrise over Lake Ihema, such wonders are certainly not unremarkable. Whenever the thought of visiting comes up, you would certainly remember well enough that brining such moments back are something priceless.
