Most visitors think of Rwanda as a land of mountains and lakes, but eastern Rwanda hides a classic savannah wilderness. Akagera National Park covers more than a thousand square kilometres of open plains, acacia woodland and papyrus-fringed lakes along the border with Tanzania.
The park is home to lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo and rhinos, as well as giraffes, zebras and more than five hundred bird species. In recent years the reintroduction of lions and eastern black rhinos has restored Akagera to full Big Five status.
A day in Akagera typically starts with a morning game drive. Your guides know where the resident prides and elephant herds have been seen in the past days, giving you the best chance of quality sightings. The park's network of graded tracks makes it accessible in a comfortable safari vehicle.
The afternoon is a chance to take to the water. A boat trip on Lake Ihema drifts past pods of hippos, basking crocodiles and a remarkable variety of water birds, from fish eagles to herons and kingfishers. Sunset over the lake is one of the park's quiet highlights.
Akagera is easily reached from Kigali on a long day trip, but overnighting at the park makes the experience far richer. Watch for game at dusk from your lodge and return for an early morning drive before the heat of the day. Global Line Safaris can arrange the transfers, park entry and a professional guide who knows the park well.
