Fishing in Akagera National Park Rwanda
Fishing in Akagera National Park is one of the most interesting travel activities available to visitors on a Rwanda wildlife safari. The park is located. It is home to some of Africa’s rarest wild animals and is ideal for game drives. Akagera National Park is located in the eastern part of Rwanda and covers an area of 2500 square kilometers. It was designated as a national park in 1934 and is named after the Kagera river, which flows along Rwanda’s eastern border with Tanzania. Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s only savannah national park, making it the only place to see wildlife in the country.
The park is home to a variety of wildlife species, including elephants, buffaloes, lions, rhinos, leopards, zebras, giraffes, warthogs, impalas, bushbucks, lions, hyenas, and antelopes such as bushbucks, roan antelope, Topes, klipspringer, Oribis, Cape eland, water-buck, duikers, and impalas. This park is home to several species of primates, including olive baboons, vervet monkeys, and nocturnal bush babies. The shallow waters of Lake Ihema are home to a large number of crocodiles and hippos, which are best seen during boat rides.
Fishing in Akagera National Park takes place along the shores of Lake Shakani, which is located on the park’s northeastern side. Lake Shakani is home to several different fish species, including catfish and tilapia. Fishing on Lake Shakani in Akagera National Park is a one-of-a-kind water sport experience that involves catching and returning the fish to the lake’s waters, but you are allowed to keep one after the sport to taste it. Visitors interested in fishing in the lake can catch fish species such as tilapia and catfish, among others.
Akagera National Park also provides a fishing game competition for tourists interested in participating in fishing activities in the park. Tourists interested in participating in this tournament must prepare and book at least 6 months in advance.
There are other places to fish in Akagera National Park, such as Lake Kivu, the country’s largest freshwater lake.
Aside from sport fishing in Akagera National Park, there are other activities that a wildlife safari visitor can participate in to enhance their adventure experiences in the park, such as fascinating guided game drives that will allow you to see a variety of animals, including the Big 5 African animals, such as lions, elephants, buffaloes, rhinoceroses, and leopards. Giraffes, zebras, impalas, topis, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, cape elands, Kobs, and many other animals can be seen in the park. Night game drives in Akagera National Park offer the opportunity to see nocturnal animals such as hyenas, leopards, bush babies, civets, and several cats.
On a daytime game drive, you will be driven along the tracks through the green savannah plains, past wide-leaved woodlands, and into the habitat of beautiful mammal species in Akagera National Park. Other animals to look out for on a day game drive include the Defassa Waterbuck, Topes, Bohor Reedbucks, Oribis, Semi-Aquatic Sitatunga, Eland, Giraffes, Buffaloes, Elephants, and Lions, among others. Akagera National Park also offers a night game drive, which allows visitors to explore the park with an armed guide park ranger in search of nocturnal animals such as wide-eyed bush babies, serval cats, civets, and leopard. You will be guided by your flashlight and an experienced ranger, and it will only take 2 to 3 hours.
Nature Walks
Akagera National Park management provides ranger-guided nature walks in certain areas of the park. During the nature walks, which last 2 to 3 hours, you will follow various hiking trails that will allow you to spend more time and engage with butterflies, insects, and plants that you would otherwise miss while on a safari. You will also enjoy the cool breeze, view of the beautiful hills, and listen to the pleasant sounds of bird species, among others.
Boat rides
Boat rides in Akagera National Park are an interesting activity that takes place on Ihema, the park’s famous and largest lake located in the south. Akagera offers boat rides on two different schedules: morning and evening. During the boat ride, you will be able to see large schools of hippos and crocodiles in the waters, as well as other animals like buffaloes, waterbucks, elephants, and warthogs drinking water along the shores, among others.
Other activities available while visiting the park include cultural tours, helicopter tours, walking the Nile, behind the scenes, and many more.
Cost of a sport fishing in Akagera National Park Rwanda
Visitors can enjoy a cold drink while fishing while listening to local fishermen tell folk songs, tales, or stories. Visitors can interact with Rwandan locals and learn about their culture. Akagera National Park offers sport fishing permits for a fee of USD 25 per person, per day. Visitors interested in the activity are advised to book their fishing permits at least six months in advance, as permits are in short supply, particularly during the peak season in the national park.
Where to stay in Akagera National Park Rwanda?
Akagera National Park offers a variety of accommodations, ranging from budget to luxury. These include Magashi Camp and Ruzizi Tented Camp, both of which are luxury accommodations, Akagera Game Lodge, a mid-range accommodation, and Karenge Bush Camp. Other accommodations near the national park include the Akagera Country Club, the Akagera Resort, and the Vintage Cottage, among others.
How to Get to Akagera National Park?
The lake is located within the Akagera National Park. Akagera National Park is situated in eastern Rwanda, near the Tanzanian border. The distance between Kigali and Akagera National Park is approximately 108 kilometers, and the park is accessible by either road or a short flight. It takes approximately two hours to travel by road. And a 30-minute drive from Kigali, the capital, through the town of Rwamagana to the park’s southern gate (the northern gate is currently only used for exit). Visitors to Akagera National Park can enjoy luxury helicopter flights from Kigali International Airport to Akagera, provided by Akagera Aviation.
Other places to visit in Rwanda include the well-known Volcanoes National Park, which is home to mountain gorillas and golden monkeys, Nyungwe Forest National Park, which is home to chimps and colobus monkeys, and Rwanda’s canopy walk. Finally, there is the newly established Gishwati Mukura National Park, which protects endangered primates.
