Akagera National Park Hotels & Resorts

Akagera is a great story of revival. It was an ecosystem about to disappear until African Parks took over the park management in 2010 in partnership with the government of Rwanda and local communities, and it is now one of thriving biodiversity, including the Big Five. It has beautiful and unique scenery, including central Africa’s largest protected wetlands, which can be explored by boat. The birdlife is excellent, and even the shoebill is returning.

Akagera is a great story of revival. It was an ecosystem about to disappear until African Parks took over the park management in 2010 in partnership with the government of Rwanda and local communities, and it is now one of thriving biodiversity, including the Big Five. It has beautiful and unique scenery, including central Africa’s largest protected wetlands, which can be explored by boat. The birdlife is excellent, and even the shoebill is returning.

Game drives are best in the early morning or late afternoon into the evening; however, in the plains areas wildlife is fairly visible throughout the day. There are good numbers of zebra, buffalo, topi and impala. Two large herds of elephant roam in the north and south of the park, and are often encountered by guests. Lions tend to be more active outside of the heat of the day, so the ideal chance for viewing them is early morning or evening. There are night game drives, which is the best time to catch sight of one or more of the numerous leopards.

For something different, there are regular boat trips on Lake Ihema. Being on the water is fun and relaxing and offers great viewing opportunities for Akagera’s waterbirds, as well as hippo and crocodile, of which the park has many. There are hot-air balloon flights, which last up to 60 minutes and operate in the south of the park; as with the boat rides, they give a different way of seeing the park, with high-level views over Akagera’s beautiful landscape.

The behind-the-scenes visit at the park headquarters helps guests appreciate the incredible story of Akagera – where they have come from, where they are going, and how. Guests can learn about the effective use of sophisticated technology alongside manpower for law enforcement and the equally important community engagement work they have done over the years to ensure economic and social benefits are provided by the park. Everyone also enjoys a demonstration of the K9 unit, another important component of the law enforcement team.

Walk the Line is a walk along the fence line ‘in the shoes’ of one of the fence attendants. The activity demonstrates the interaction between conservation and community, quite literally, as you see the people and park living alongside each other.