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Perhaps the most exciting aspect of\u00a0Akagera National Park<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0is its almost miraculous revival from near destruction just 20 years ago. To see the prospering park today you would never imagine that it had been massively stripped of its wildlife and rich biodiversity due to the country\u2019s domestic troubles.<\/p>\n Many of the conflict\u2019s refugees moved into the park for their very survival but exacerbated the destruction with their needs for food and fuel. Lions and rhinos were hunted to extinction and much of the park\u2019s wildlife was displaced.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But now\u00a0Akagera<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0has come roaring back \u2013 literally, with the reintroduction of lions in 2015 and 2017, plus the return of 18 Eastern black rhinos. The addition of strict conservation measures, new management, and vigorous anti-poaching patrols have ushered in a revival not seen before in an African park. A visit here is a heartening example of the positive spirit and energy of the Rwandan people.<\/p>\n For those who\u2019ve seen the great Savannah parks of Kenya and Tanzania with their wide-open plains, Akagera will be instantly familiar. Your game drives here will bring you up close to zebras, buffaloes, Maasai giraffes, hyenas, leopards, impalas, and great numbers of hippos and crocodiles. And like in those other Savanah parks, at this new Akagera, you\u2019ll also be looking for elephants, lions, and rhinos.<\/p>\n The park is also one of the best African safari spots for bird watching. On your journeys over these deep savannahs, on the waterways, and in its forests, you\u2019ll be met with an astounding 500 plus species of birdlife. Some are endemic like the papyrus gonolek, found in the park\u2019s papyrus swamps.<\/p>\n Few national parks allow\u00a0night-time game drives<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0but nocturnal adventures are a feature of Akagera. Heading out with your guide and a powerful spotlight, you\u2019ll find a very different cast of characters than a day-time safari will provide. Look for leopards, serval cats, and wide-eyed bushbabies staring back at you in the inky darkness.<\/p>\n Adding to this revived national park\u2019s delightful variety, you can take a boat safari on Lake Ihema. Sail past great pods of hippos and drift near large Nile crocodiles. The density and numbers of hippos are one of the largest in East Africa. There\u2019s birding to be found here as well \u2013 keep an eye out for the rare shoebill stork. As you cruise these waters you may also spot land animals like elephants coming to the shore to bathe and cool off.<\/p>\n Another way this re-born park adds to the community \u2013 every year more than 2,000 school children visit Akagera for free with their teachers so they can experience up close the wonders of this beautiful natural environment.<\/p>\n Founded in 1934, the newly protected park covers 1,122 sq km (433 sq mi),\u00a0Rwanda\u2019s largest<\/b><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Expect a moderately warm climate with temperatures being fairly constant throughout the year. Daytime temperatures are usually about 27\u00b0C\/81\u00b0F, cooling down at night to 14\u00b0C\/57\u00b0F. The dry season runs from June to September. Akagera\u2019s \u201cshort rains\u201d are from October to December and the \u201clong rains\u201d run from March to May.<\/p>\n The park is in eastern\u00a0Rwanda, along the border with\u00a0Tanzania.<\/p>\n The park is open from 06h00 hrs. to 18h00 hrs. (6 pm).<\/p>\n The best time to visit is during the long dry season from June through September.<\/p>\n By road \u2013 you can book a tour with\u00a0Pride Drive Tour Solutions Limited. It is a 2-hour drive from Rwanda\u2019s capital of Kigali.<\/p>\n Akagera is a birdwatcher\u2019s paradise \u2013 you may spot over 500 species of birdlife here, along this Nile Valley bird migration route. Look for over 40 kinds of raptors. Throughout the park\u2019s waterways, you\u2019re likely to come upon kingfishers, ibises, herons, storks, cranes, rails, egrets, cormorants, and pelicans. Some of the migratory birds winging in are bee-eaters, terns, and flocks of ducks. Also inhabiting Akagera are the swamp flycatcher and the distinctive shoebill stork.<\/p>\n Searching for animals at night brings a different perspective to an African safari. The atmosphere is charged as you look for the nighttime\u2019s active wildlife such as leopards, lions, hyenas, and wide-eyed bush babies. It is rare for a national park to offer a game drive at night so this is a special opportunity to experience a different sort of park adventure. The two-hour drive begins at 5:30 pm and requires several participants.<\/p>\n Get ready to see one of the largest populations of hippos in East Africa. This water journey is also an opportunity to get up close to the large Nile crocodiles plying the lake. Adding to the activity, you\u2019ll be able to spot plenty of water birds like African fishing eagles, darters, cormorants, and storks.<\/p>\n Want to see up close how the park is managed, talk to rangers, and see anti-poaching patrols? This unique 90-minute program allows a rare view into the world of a wildlife organization few get to see.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a chance to experience what it\u2019s like to patrol the park\u2019s borders as the rangers do. A guide will take you along the 7 km (4.3 mi) route, as you meet farmers, herders, and experience the birdlife and perhaps some wildlife on your journey.<\/p>\n Experience the wondrous rebirth of this beautiful park with its revived fauna and flora. The populations of lions and rhinos are steadily expanding as is the rest of this natural eco-system. Enjoy the savannah-like variety of wildlife and also take a water safari to see great numbers of waterfowl, hippos, and fierce Nile crocodiles. Akagera once again has become a splendid park.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pridedrivetours.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Akagera-National-Park-pride-drive-tour-solutions2.jpg\")
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<\/p>\nAbout Akagera National Park<\/b><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nClimate:<\/b><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Location<\/b><\/strong>:<\/h3>\n
Operating Hours<\/b><\/strong>:<\/h3>\n
When to go:<\/b><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Getting there:<\/b><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Things to do and see<\/b><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Birdwatching<\/b><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Nocturnal Game Drives<\/b><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Lake Ihema Water Safari<\/b><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nBehind-the-Scenes Tour<\/b><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Walk the Line Tour<\/b><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Discover Akagera National Park<\/b><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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