Akagera National Park Holidays

Akagera National Park, bordering Tanzania, has scenic, undulating plains with dense broad-leafed woodland; lighter acacia woodland and rolling grassland with an extensive series of lakes linked by Papyrus swamps forming a sprawling wetland.

The game in the park has been recovering well after years of poaching and human presence, with African elephant, Cape buffalo, Masai giraffe and African lion,  and a variety of antelope to be seen.

You should easily encounter Topi, Zebra, Hippo and Crocodiles. Eland, Reedbuck; Sable and Roan antelope are among other commonly seen mammals present. Leopard, Spotted hyena, Civet and Serval are also around, but less frequently observed.

Exciting developments include the reintroduction of seven Lions in 2015. Today (May 2024), the park's Lion population has reached 45. Also under management of the ever inspirational African Parks, 18 Black rhino were reintroduced in 2017 and an additional 5 were added in 2019. This turned Akagera into a 'Big 5' park once again. Continuing translocation efforts have also seen 30 White rhino being introduced to Akagera.  This marvellous work has resulted in visitor numbers more than doubling between 2010 and 2019. The subsequent revenue earned has rendered Akagera 90% self-financing. Most of the road network has been graded; new roads and signage constructed and a new entrance gate has been built.

The park's birdlife is phenomenal. Akagera is one of the best places in Africa to view papyrus swamp endemics such as the Papyrus gonalek and White-winged warbler. The monstrous and scarce Shoebill is present, too.  There are enormous concentrations of waterbirds on the lakes: Pelicans, Marabou storks, Goliath and Purple heron, a variety of egrets and other storks and herons. There is a thriving population of African fish eagles. Akagera also contains a good range of savannah birds and raptors.

While Akagera doesn't necessarily boast very high game densities, the trade-off is that this is a park you can explore for hours without encountering another soul.

You can visit Akagera National Park on a day-trip from Kigali, as the drive takes about two hours on a pretty good road, but, it is most definitely preferable to overnight at one of the camps we have included in our website. Then you have time to explore different habitats, take a boat trip on Lake Ihema and enjoy being off the beaten track.

The guiding is in process of improving. Our travel specialist Craig Kaufman was there most recently and was impressed by the level of progress the park has undergone.

If you are considering whether or not to visit Akagera National Park, we suggest you read more about it in the Bradt Travel Guide to Rwanda. The writer is eloquent on both the park's conservation role, and its place in Rwanda's peaceful development.