AUTHENTIC SAFARIS & PERSONALIZED TOURS IN AKAGERA WITH AFRICANMECCA

Safari Game Viewing Guide For Akagera Park

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Akagera National Park is located in the northeast part of Rwanda and showcases the fabulous diversity of landscapes in the country. As you travel through the park in specially fitted safari vehicles, your accompanying guide will point out to you expansive savannah with golden grass gently waving in the breeze, undulating highlands, gorgeous lakes with dense forests of acacia and brachystegia surrounding them, and swamplands filled with papyrus reeds. These grasslands are the only protected savannah areas in the country, and perhaps the last location where you’ll be able to see the species of flora and fauna native to them.

You will be delighted to learn that the Kagera River, which supplies water to the park and feeds its lakes and extensive swamps, is actually one of the sources of the Nile River. Look out for four of the Big Five of Africa, namely the leopard and buffalo, as well as the recently reintroduced lion and elephant. You may be exceptionally lucky to spot the fifth: the Eastern black rhino, 20 of which were reintroduced to Rwanda in May 2017.

Spend your safari game drives viewing both small and large grazing herbivores, including the giraffe, zebra, eland, topi, defassa waterbuck, tsessebe, roan antelope, impala, bushbuck, klipspringer, bohor reedbuck, oribi, duiker, and the rare and shy sitatunga, a swamp inhabitant. You might spot predators such as the lion, leopard, hyena, side-striped jackal, viverrid, serval, and mongoose stalking these herbivores. On a lucky day, you could even witness a hunt in progress. Olive baboons, elusive blue monkeys, vervets, and bushbabies are some of the primates you may see. Of course, you can also appoint your safari consultant at AfricanMecca to encompass other trip destinations into your itinerary plan, including a journey to Nyungwe National Park to view elusive chimpanzees coupled with trekking at Volcanoes National Park to view the endangered mountain gorillas of the Virungas for which Rwanda is famous for.

Birdwatchers in Rwanda will be enchanted by the sheer multitude of avian fauna that inhabits Akagera Park. Many visitors are awestruck to learn that the reserve hosts more than 500 species of birds, including the rare and eccentric-looking shoebill stork and papyrus gonolek. Your game drives and nature walking safaris may be filled with sightings of seemingly countless birds, like the swamp flycatcher and red-faced barbet, along with small insects, amphibians, and reptiles like tortoise, chameleon, monitor lizard which hide in the bush. The experienced ranger directing your expedition will also talk to you about the diverse species of flora.

Should you take a tour by boat on Lake Ihema, you might have a chance to watch majestic African fish eagles hunting in the lake, while crocodiles bask in the sun, digesting their last meal. If you happen to spot a hippo lazily yawning, take note: it is, in fact, showing off its gaping teeth to deter possible intruders from entering its territory. If you enjoy angling, Lake Shakani is the destination for you. At the end of an exciting day, you can cook your fish catch on a campfire and enjoy it for dinner while evening descends on Akagera. When you exit the reserve after yet another memorable wildlife holiday experience in Rwanda, be sure to stop at the Akagera Community Gift Shop to pick up a souvenir in support of sustainable tourism in this lesser known wilderness of Eastern - Central Africa.