Best Time to visit Akagera National Park
Best Time to Visit Akagera: Akagera National Park in Rwanda is the only safe haven for Rwanda’s savannah wildlife and home to Africa’s big five in the country. The national park parades itself as the ideal destination for wildlife viewing tours in Rwanda.
Akagera is Rwanda’s largest national park covering a total surface area of 1,122 square kilometers. It is also the oldest national park in the country following its establishment in 1934. It was gazetted as a national park by the Belgian colonial government in order to protect the wildlife animals that inhabited the park.
Best Time to visit Akagera National Park in Rwanda.
Akagera National Park in Rwanda can be visited at any time of the year. However, it is best that you visit the national park during the dry season as it is best for wildlife viewing. The dry season in the park is between June to September.
The national park is home to over 8,000 large wildlife animals such as; elephants, giraffes, hippos, buffaloes, black rhinos, lions, leopards, and zebras to mention but a few. Akagera national park is also home to over 500 species of birds such as; the crowned cranes, egrets, marabou stock and the rare Shoebill stock. Bird lovers in Akagera national park can sight most bird species in the park’s forests, lake areas and papyrus swamps.
The park experiences only two types of weather which include the sunny and rainy weather. The sunny weather in the park usually manifests the dry season in the park while the rainy weather shows that the park is experiencing its wet season.
The dry season in Akagera national park is the ideal time for visitors to embark on game drives in the park. During this time of the year, it is easy for visitors to spot most of the wildlife in the park as the animals converge at designated water pools in the park to drink water and cool off. In addition to this, the grass in the national park is short during the dry season which makes it easy for visitors to navigate the parks game drive trails and view wildlife.
The weather in the national park can change at any time of the year; although visitors will experience warmer temperatures during the long dry season. In the same way visitors will also experience cooler weather in the park during the rainy seasons. Temperatures in the national park range between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius.
Visitors should also note that Akagera national park experiences two dry and wet seasons. The park experiences extreme sunny weather during the long dry seasons which are between June to September. The national park can be dry and dusty during this time of the year, as it marks the warmest time of the year. This time is very suitable for visitors taking a game drive in the park since it is easy for visitors to spot a variety of wildlife animals in the park. Also, remember to carry with you enough mineral water to keep hydrated during this time of the year and throughout your game drives.
The months of December- February are the short dry seasons in the national park. However, visitors may experience a bit of rainfall during this period, so make sure you carry a light raincoat just for emergency purposes.
The months between March to May mark the long rainy season in the park. Akagera national park in Rwanda receives a lot of rainfall during this time period and usually the roads in the park are muddy. Visitors travelling to the national park during this time of the year should hire 4×4 wheel drive vehicles to ease your movement in the park. In addition to this, visitors should also pack a lot of warm clothes as nights in the park tend to get extremely cold during this rainy season.
The months from October till November characterize the short wet season in the national park. During this period, visitors travelling to Akagera national park in Rwanda can take part in bird watching activities in the park. Visitors can get an opportunity to view migratory birds pass through the park during this time of the year.
Activities Offered in Akagera National Park in Rwanda.
Visitors in Akagera national park can take part in a number of activities which offered by the park, and these include; guided game drives, sport fishing, boat cruises, camping, behind the scenes tour, walk the line experience and community visits.
Accommodation in Akagera National Park-Rwanda.
The park also offers its visitors accommodation in facilities such as; Akagera Game Lodge, Ruzizi Tented Lodge, Karenge Bush Camp, and Magashi Safari Camp. These accommodation facilities range from budget to mid-range and luxury lodging options.
How to Get to the Park.
Akagera national park in Rwanda can be accessed by means of road and air. Tourists travelling to the national park by road can drive from Kigali city to Akagera within 2½ hours.
If you wish to travel to the national park by air, you can charter a plane from Kigali International Airport and get to the park within 30minutes to an hour. Akagera Aviation offers tourists domestic flights to all the national parks in Rwanda.
Conclusion: Visitors interested in exploring the beautiful landscape and wildlife in the national park should use a trusted tour operator company like Explore Rwanda Tours, which will help you plan your trip to the park and also provide you with the best tour packages to Akagera national park in Rwanda.
