As Rwanda is famous for its mountain gorillas, when people plan a trip to Rwanda, misty volcanic slopes and mountain gorillas usually steal the spotlight. But tucked away on the country's eastern border is a completely different world: Akagera National Park, Rwanda's ultimate safari comeback story.
Managed in partnership with African Parks, this stunning reserve has overcome a turbulent history to emerge as a world-class wildlife haven.
Today it stands as central Africa's largest protected wetland and Rwanda's only savannah park.
Akagera National Park allows you to experience the Big Five: lion, rhinoceros, hippo, leopard and buffalo.
Tracking the Big Five: just a decade ago, rhinos and lions were locally extinct in Rwanda; thanks to intensive conservation and community engagement they are back. Today Akagera is fully fledged with the Big Five.
African bush elephant: Akagera is home to a growing population of elephants. They are most commonly spotted traversing woodland areas or cooling off near the shores of Ihema Lake during the hotter parts of the day.
Rhinoceros: The eastern black rhinoceros was introduced to Akagera from South Africa, followed later by white rhinoceros.
Black rhinos prefer the dense brush of the south, while white rhinos graze the open savannahs of the north.
Lions: Lions were introduced to Rwanda in 2015 after being extinct in the country for decades. The population has since thrived and expanded, frequently seen hunting or resting in the northern plains.
African buffalo: Buffalo is highly abundant throughout Akagera. They are typically seen in large formidable herds wallowing in the mud or grazing along the lake tracks.
Leopard: the most elusive of the big five, leopards are widespread across Akagera National Park. Spotting them requires patience and a keen eye, usually during early morning or nocturnal night drives as they rest in large trees.
Top activities:
. Game drive: explore northern tracks for predators and plains game or southern tracks for primates and woodlands.
. Night drives: use spotlights to observe nocturnal predators like leopards, hyenas and civets.
. Boat safaris: cruise Lake Ihema to see massive pods of hippos, large crocodiles and waterbirds.
Akagera National Park is roughly 110 km east of Kigali. The drive takes approximately 2.5 to 3 hours on well-maintained roads, making it highly accessible for both short weekend trips and extended safaris.
