Location of Akagera National Park Rwanda
Akagera National Park is located in eastern Rwanda, approximately 2-3 hours from the country’s capital, Kigali. The park, which covers 1122 square kilometers, is located next to Kibungu city and west of the famous Akagera River.
The park is a protected area on the Rwanda-Tanzania border (Location), separated by Lake Ihema, which receives water from the Akagera River. To get to the park, you must first enter Rwanda, which can be done by air through the Kigali international airport or by crossing the Uganda-Rwanda border.
From your entry point, you will travel by road to Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, and then another two to three hours east to Akagera National Park. There are no domestic flights to the park, so you can only get there by road.
Akagera National Park was established in 1934, but due to the genocide that occurred in the 1990s, the park was damaged and lost the majority of its wildlife. Following the genocide, the park deteriorated further because people returned to the area and settled in some of the parkland, encroaching on the habitat of wild animals. This drove the animals away even more, and the majority of them died from a lack of food or were killed by locals as a form of self-defense.
African Parks took over management of the park in 2009, partnering with the Rwanda Development Board, and has since worked to restore it to its former glory. The park has undergone several face-lifting and wildlife projects thanks to the Akagera management company, which was formed following the partnership. These projects have improved the park’s facilities and activities, making it one of the top wildlife destinations in East Africa.
The park’s construction has also emphasized the conservation of wildlife and its natural beauty by enforcing laws against poaching and trespassing, as well as erecting a fence around the park to keep intruders out. This helped to keep animals in the park while also making their habitat suitable for survival.
Furthermore, more animals have been introduced to the park since 2015, including lions, rhinos, and elephants. The introduction of these animals has greatly increased the variety of animals in the park, introducing animals that were previously absent. Also, the number of animals in the park has increased from 4000 in 2010 to approximately 13,500 by the end of 2018.
The park is made up of savannah and montane vegetation, papyrus swamps, and several water bodies, all of which add to its beauty. The park provides an ideal habitat for a diverse range of animal, bird, and tree species. The park’s most famous feature is Lake Ihema, Rwanda’s second largest lake and the largest lake in Akagera National Park. Lake Ihema is fed by water from the river Akagera, which flows into the river and continues to Tanzania.
AKagera National Park was famous for its numerous wild dogs that used to live in the park; at one point, it was known as the hub of wild dogs; however, to the park’s dismay, an epidemic in the 1980s drove the wild dogs to extinction; it is reported that by 1984, the park had no wild dogs.
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Akagera National Park is now a tourist hub, with thousands of visitors coming to the park for various activities such as game drives in the morning, afternoon, or throughout the day. The game drives allow tourists to see all 13,500+ animals that live in the park, and depending on the game drive you take, you will see the majority of diurnal animals roaming around or hunting for food in the wild, or the majority of nocturnal animals running into their sleeping nests after a night’s hunt; this is id for the afternoon and morning game drives, respectively.
On a morning game drive, you will see over 500 bird species flying out of their nests and heading to eating or hunting hubs to find food. Birding in Akagera can also be done while on a boat cruise on Lake Ihema; these boat cruises provide a relaxing ride on the lake while you observe various water birds, water animals, and other wildlife as they stand along the lake’s shores or take water from the lake.
While in the park, you can also go sport fishing, nature walks, and community walks to learn more about the Rwandan cultures of the people who live around or near the Akagera National Park. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also participate in cattle keeping activities with the locals to spice up your Akagera Rwanda safari.
The communities surrounding Akagera National Park are cattle-keeping communities that engage in traditional cattle-keeping activities such as grazing, cattle spotting, milking, traditional milk processing and preservation, and milk storage, among others.
When you visit the communities surrounding the park, make sure to bring some milk and other dairy products, and you will learn amazing new things about cattle keeping and milk production.
All of these features make Akagera National Park a popular destination for wildlife viewing and bird watching, particularly among birding enthusiasts.
With well-furnished accommodation facilities around the park or just a few minutes away that cater perfectly to all of your sleeping, feeding, and other needs, you can be confident that you will not only have the best wildlife safari in the Akagera National Park, but also the best places to rest after the exciting activities.
