Boat cruise in Akagera National Park
Boat cruise in Akagera National Park: Akagera National Park is the premier site for any traveler seeking a classic wildlife safari in Rwanda. The national park has transcended its bleak past of deforestation, oversight, and the extinction of numerous wildlife species. Akagera National Park hosts a vast array of wildlife, including the coveted Big Five. The park hosts over 500 avian species and 8,000 large mammals, including 22 lions, more than 80 giraffes, and over 100 African bush elephants. The national park offers daytime and nocturnal animal drives, fishing, hiking, nature walks, relaxed camping, and bird watching excursions to its visitors. Boat excursions are also offered to tourists of Akagera National Park. Visitors can investigate the national park’s lakes and adjacent islands, together with the wildlife residing in the aquatic and coastal environments.
Touring Akagera National Park by boat is an exhilarating and audacious adventure. The predominant boat cruises in Akagera happen on Lake Ihema. The lake is situated in the southern region of the Akagera national park and ranks among the largest of the park’s 10 lakes. Lake Ihema encompasses an area of approximately 90 square kilometers and possesses a depth ranging from 5 to 7 meters. The eastern extremity of the lake is situated on the border between Rwanda and Tanzania. The lake is nourished by the renowned River Kagera, which predominantly provides water to the national park’s lakes.
A boat tour on Lake Ihema facilitates the exploration of the diverse fauna inhabiting the lake and its surroundings. Visitors can observe wildlife, including hippopotamuses and crocodiles, during a boat cruise on Lake Ihema in Akagera National Park. The lake is renowned for hosting the largest population of hippos in East Africa. Visitors may observe various avian species, including the Papyrus Gonolek, jacanas, herons, sandpipers, malachite kingfisher, hawk, and the rare shoebill stork, among others.
Boat cruise in lake ihema
Your personal guide will escort you to the jetty, where you will meet an Akagera National Park guide who will accompany you on the boat tour on Lake Ihema. Prior to embarking on the water, the guide will deliver a safety briefing and comprehensive instruction. Your guide will also transport a cooler containing drinking water and soft beverages. Private excursions are available upon reservation. Lake Ihema is significantly threatened by an abundance of water hyacinth. The proliferation of water hyacinth in the lake jeopardizes the survival of various aquatic organisms and avian species. The water hyacinth affects both the navigability of boats on the lake and the purity of the water.
The lake is connected to the Akagera River, often referred to as the Kagera River, as well as the majority of the marshes within Akagera National Park. The bulk of boat tours on Lake Ihema are scheduled, occurring four times daily at 7:30 a.m 9:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. Private tours are available through non-scheduled boat rides throughout the national park.
What to know About Akagera National Park
Akagera National Park, situated in eastern Rwanda, encompasses 2,500 square kilometers predominantly of savannah landscape. The park is named after the Kagera River, which runs along Rwanda’s eastern boundary with Tanzania. Lake Ihema and other smaller lakes within and surrounding the park are nourished by the river. The park maintains an acacia and shrub ecosystem, featuring areas of open grassland and numerous marshy lakes characteristic of the African Savannah. It possesses significant biodiversity and is situated within a vast protected wetland. Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s exclusive savannah national park and the only location to observe the majority of large animals during a safari in Rwanda. Forest elephants inhabit other parks, yet they are challenging to observe. During a wildlife drive, you can traverse the park from the comfort of your safari vehicle.
Additional Activities to do in Akagera National Park
Game drives in Akagera National Park
Game drives in Akagera National Park commence early in the morning to seek leopards, hyenas, and the reintroduced lions. Predators tend to hunt at night or early in the morning and generally seek refuge as temperatures rise during the day. In addition to the predators, observe the environment and other sizable fauna, like elephants, buffalo, antelopes, zebras, and giraffes. The setting and exquisite wildflowers will offer exceptional photographic opportunities for the discerning photographer.
Park officials additionally facilitate nocturnal game drives. These often last approximately 2 hours, commencing at 6 p.m. and concluding at 8:30 p.m. A torch will be provided to facilitate your observation of various nocturnal creatures. You may have the opportunity to observe leopards or lions during their hunting activities.
Bird watching in Akagera National Park.
Akagera National Park in Rwanda is a prominent and significant avian observation site. Bird enthusiasts will appreciate Akagera National Park for its opportunity to observe both endangered species, such the papyrus gonolek and the shoebill, as well as more prevalent species such as weavers, egrets, and numerous kingfishers. Birdwatching occurs during game drives, guided nature walks, and boat safaris on Lake Ihema. Birdwatching on Lake Ihema enables the observation of aquatic species not typically encountered on a wildlife drive in the savannah grassland. We promote birdwatching at Akagera National Park due to the diversity and accessibility of species observation.
Cultural Experience around Akagera National Park
Engage with rural Rwandan life in proximity to the cattle herding communities of Akagera National Park. You may observe and/or engage in conventional cattle grazing, milking, and the storage of milk in calabashes for preservation purposes. You thereafter engage in the process of converting milk into diverse products, including classic yogurt and ghee, and ultimately partake in the cooking of a dinner with elements derived from these milk products. This is a genuine cultural experience appreciated by the peasants residing near the park, who may augment their agricultural income through it. This ultimately enhances conservation efforts and the park’s wildlife.
How to get to Akagera National Park
Kigali International Airport (KGL) serves as the main point of entry for any visitor intending to visit Rwanda. Numerous international airlines operate flights to Kigali, including Ethiopian Airlines, RwandAir, Kenya Airways, Brussels Airlines, KLM, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines. The airport is situated 10 kilometers from Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. Your local Rwanda safari tour operator typically organizes airport pickup and manages all subsequent transportation as part of your Rwanda safari package.
Akagera National Park is situated in the eastern region of the country, 120 kilometers from Kigali. A road trip to Rwanda’s Akagera Park requires approximately 2-3 hours, and Akagera is readily accessible as part of a 4×4 tour of the country, accompanied by a driver-guide. No domestic flights are available to Akagera; instead, Akagera Aviation provides charter helicopter transfers around the country. The duration of the flight from Kigali to Akagera National Park is 22 minutes.
When is the best time to visit Akagera National Park
The best time to visit Akagera National Park is when travelers may most effectively explore its diverse features and participate in various activities. Akagera National Park is situated in the eastern region of Rwanda, adjacent to the Rwanda-Tanzania border. The best time to visit Akagera National Park is from July to September and in January, coinciding with the dry season. Akagera National Park experiences a wet season around March, April, and December. The wet season, however, hinders wildlife watching and other activities within the national park due to poor road conditions.
Diverse tourists frequent Akagera National Park to partake in wildlife observation and game drives, appreciating the picturesque landscapes of rolling hills, open grasslands, woodlands, rivers, lakes, and swamps while observing various wildlife species grazing and roaming within the park.