The park’s other claims to fame are that it’s the largest protected wetlands area in Central Africa, and it’s Rwanda’s only refuge for savanna-adapted animals.

Geography

Covering over 1,120 square kilometres, Akagera lies in eastern Rwanda next to the border with Tanzania. Road transfer from Kigali International Airport—roughly two-and-a-half hours—will get you to the national park.

Akagera National Park’s Past

First gazetted into the park in 1934. It then covered 2,500 square kilometers. Land loss started in 1997 as Rwandan civil wars drove refugees back to the region to establish farms and hunt wild animals. This resulted in the regazetting of Akagera, a significant size decrease.

Fortunately, the year 2009 brought change for the better in the shape of a renewable 20-year agreement to run the park. Most notably, financial support to guarantee the safety of the national park and to restore species that had gone extinct because of poaching under joint entry by the Rwanda Development Board and the African Parks Network.

Fauna

Today, actual abundance of animals calls Akagera’s lovely peaks, wide plains, swamplands, and lakes home. Seven lions were reintroduced in 2015; 18 eastern black rhinos two years later finished the Big Five group. Safarists can also look forward to view jackals, hyenas, Maasai giraffe, Burchell’s zebra, and a great variety of antelopes including eland, oribi, sable, roan, bushbuck, reedbuck, and waterbuck. The park’s waters have crocodile as well as hippo. With storks, eagles, herons, egrets, and the magnificent crowned crane among its 480 or so species, the birding is rather exceptional as well.

Things to do at Akagera National Park

Naturally, activities in Akagera emphasize watching all of these predators, herbivores, and birds, via game drives, walking safaris, and boat tours. Currently, we only sell two park properties: Ruzizi Tented Lodge and Magashi Camp. Classic and premium style houses, providing great service and comfortable lodging.

Ruzizi also offers behind-the-scenes tours of the national park headquarters as well as cultural visits to nearby villages and communities. Accompanied by an armed scout and a professional guide, you may even discover about Akagera’s fence line in an activity called “Walk the Line.” Anyone curious about the operation of the park will find this to be a wonderful chance.

Should you wish to see Akagera, please contact our team member!