Park Gates in Akagera National Park
Park Gates in Akagera National Park: Akagera national park in Rwanda has two gates; the southern gate which is found in Kayonza and the northern gate which is located in Nyagatare district. While the southern gate of Akagera national park (Park Gates in Akagera National Park) is used for entry into the park, the northern gate is used only to exit the park.
The gates of Akagera national park in Rwanda are open from 6am in the morning to 6pm in the evening for day visitors. Day visitors are basically visitors staying outside the park, and such visitors are required to pay entry fees for each day that they enter the national park.
The national park is the best place to visit for tourists who wish to see savannah wildlife in Rwanda such as zebras, giraffes, antelopes, topi, hyenas and various bird species such as; the Papyrus Gonolek, jacanas, herons, sandpipers, malachite kingfisher, the hawk, and the rare shoebill stork among so many more.
It is also the perfect place to be for visitors looking to view and of Africa’s Big Five wildlife animals in Rwanda like; the African elephant, the Buffalo, Rhino, Leopard, and Lion. The park just recently in 2019, received five black eastern rhinoceros from zoos in Europe, an accomplishment that has since the number of black rhinos increase in the park after the 18 rhinos that were reintroduced in the park in 2017 from South Africa.
ABOUT AKAGERA NATIONAL PARK IN RWANDA.
Akagera National Park in Rwanda makes the top of the list when it comes to game drive safaris in the country. The national park is the largest and oldest national park in Rwanda and among one of the oldest national parks in Africa. It spans over a radius of 1,122 square kilometers and was gazetted as a national park in 1934 by the Belgian colonial government in Rwanda.
Although much of the national park was destroyed following the 1994 Rwanda Genocide, a lot has been done to restore Akagera back to its former glory. The park is currently being managed by the Akagera Management Company, a company formed after a joint partnership agreement was signed in 2009 between the Rwanda Development Board and African Parks. The national park derives its name from River Kagera, which flows through the park.
A lot of improvements have been made in Akagera such as; the introduction of an anti-poaching unit, acquisition of a helicopter for aerial surveillance in the national park, the establishment of a solar-powered electric fence to keep intruders away and wildlife in the national park, and lastly, the employment of more park rangers to enforce the rules and regulations in the park and monitor all activities carried out in the national park.
The park is home to over 482 bird species, 100 savannah elephants, more than 15 lions and over 25 giraffes. The park has a registered total of about 8,000 land animals that can be seen roaming the savannah plains in the national park.
Activities in Akagera National Park in Rwanda.
The park offers visitors a series of activities to take part in such as; morning and night guided game drives, boat cruises on the beautiful Lake Ihema, Sportfishing on Lake Shakani, camping, behind the scenes tour, community cultural tours, bird watching and walk the line experience. All activities in the park are favorable for visitors travelling as a group or family.
Accommodation in Akagera National Park.
Visitors who wish to spend more nights in the park can find accommodation in facilities such as; Akagera Game Lodge, Magashi Safari Camp, Karenge Bush Camp, and Ruzizi Tented Camp to mention but a few. There are also designated campsites within the camp for visitors interested in camping, and these include; Shakani Akagera Campsite, Mutumba Campsite and Muyumbu Campsite.
Best Time to Visit Akagera National Park in Rwanda.
Visitors looking to visit Akagera National Park in Rwanda can do so at any time of the year. However, the best time to visit the park is between June to September and from December to February. These are the dry months in the park and these are the best times for visitors to view wildlife in the park. The roads in the park are not muddy at this time of the year and hence visitors can easily navigate game drive trails in the park. During this time the grass in the national park is short which makes wildlife viewing much easier. In addition to this, wildlife animals in the park frequently converge near water pools in designated areas of the national park which makes it much easier for visitors to view wildlife.
How to Get to the Park.
Akagera National Park in Rwanda can be accessed by Road from Kigali City. It is about 110km From Kigali which is roughly a 2 and half hour drive. Tourists are advised to hire 4x 4 wheel drive vehicles for your safari as the roads leading to and within the national park is characterized by murrum or rather dirt roads. Alternatively, visitors can hire a helicopter to transport you to the national park. Akagera Aviation offers charter flights to the park.
