Distance from Kigali to Akagera national park

What is the driving distance from Kigali to Akagera national park Rwanda? The distance from Kigali city to Akagera national park is 111km and by road transport from the city to the park it’s about 2 – 3 hours. The national park is situated within the northeastern side of Rwanda on the borders of Tanzania. The journey from Kigali city to Akagera national park takes you through different rolling hills having beautiful views of the scenery, meeting different plantations as well as local people. Use helicopter flights from Kigali international airport to Akagera national park it’s 22 minutes only using Akagera aviation.

Akagera national park comprises savannah vegetation, montane vegetation, and swamps and this has given the national park an upper hand to be the only area for a number of wild animals, birds, and savannah-adapted plants. Some of the animals in Akagera national park include lions, rhinos, elephants, duikers, leopards, impalas, spotted hyenas, buffaloes, topis, giraffes, oribis, reedbucks, waterbucks, olive baboons, bushbucks, klipspringers, zebras, vervet monkeys, and blue monkeys to mention but a few. All the above animals and much more can be seen during the day game drives as well as night game drives.

Akagera national park is also a home to different bird species that are over 400 species a reason it’s named one of the best birding areas. In Akagera national park, you get a chance of seeing birds such as northern brown-throated weaver, white-winged swamp warbler, grey-backed fiscal, helmeted guinea fowl, sooty falcon, palm nut vulture, papyrus gonolek, slate-colored boubou, long-tailed cormorant, cabanis’s bunting, ring-necked francolin, ring-winged francolin, denham’s bustard, black-headed weaver, short-tailed pipit, and grey crowned cranes among others.

Akagera national park also hosts a number of lakes and some of them include Lake Shakani, Lake Ihema, Lake Rwanyakazinga, Lake Hago, Lake Muhazi, Lake Gishanju, and Lake Mihindi among others. Lakes such as Ihema and Rwanyakazinga are used for boat cruises and during the activity, tourists do stop different water animals such as hippos, crocodiles, fish, water birds like the rare shoebill stoke, grey crowned crane, African darter, African jacana, and open billed stork among others. Lake Shakani is for sportfishing activities but on all the lakes, you will spot some of the park animals such as elephants, giraffes, and zebras near the swamps grazing.

Tourists intending to visit Akagera national park can do it in 1 day and do a number of activities an example is when you sleep in Kigali city, you can wake up early in the morning start on your journey to Akagera national park, do a morning game drive and in the afternoon have a boat cruise or sportfishing and then drive back to Kigali city. You can as well do birding activities, nature walks, and communities tours in a single day in Akagera national park.

What is the best time to visit Akagera national park?

Akagera national park is always open at all times of the year but there are those months that are better than the rest. The best months to visit Akagera national park are the dry months and these occur from June to September and December to February because during these months, there is little or no rainfall, the roads leading to the park are passable, the game trucks are dry and the vegetation in the park is short giving clear views of the park animals.

Tourists most especially budget travelers can still visit Akagera national park in the rainy season to enjoy the huge discounts on accommodation facilities. The rainy season occurs from March to May and October to November and during these months, there is plenty of rainfall, the vegetation is tall giving unclear views of park animals and the roads leading to the park are impassable.

Accommodation in Akagera national park

There are several accommodation facilities that are built inside and outside Akagera national park so tourists intending to visit the park shouldn’t worry about where they will stay. The lodges are luxury, mid-range, and budget so where to stay always depends on the travelers’ budget. Lodges in Akagera national park are Magashi Safari Camp, Karenge Bush Camp, Dereva Hotel, Magashi Tented Camp, Akarenge Game Lodge, Akagera Resort, and Country Club, Akagera Rhino Lodge, Lake Kivu Serena Hotel, Ruzizi Tented Lodge, Vintage Cottage, and Nyagasambu Realm Beach Hotel among others.