Karenge Bush Camp
Karenge Bush Camp is one of the budget accommodation facilities found within Akagera national park. Karenge Bush Camp is located on the northern side of Akagera national park and gets its name from a local Kinyarwanda word to mean small footprints. Akarenge game lodge was Opened in 2016 and all the accommodation at this lodge is in form of tents.
Akarenge bush camp has 6 tents and each of the accommodation facilities can accommodate 2 people on the good camp beds. All the 6 tents are raised on simple decks and have solar lights to provide light during the night hours. The tents at Karenge Bush Camp are well built-in architectural styles of the Rwanda traditional culture.
The tents of Karenge Bush Camp have sitting areas and private balconies that offer you stunning views of the surrounding area. The rooms have facilities such as hair driers, television, chairs, hot and cold showers, mosquito nets, and towels. There is free wifi at the camo, laundry services, and enough Parking space. The camp has fireplaces that provide warmth for the visitors staying at the lodge at night. They have a good restaurant with the best chefs that prepare delicious foods that are local and international. They also have a bar with all kinds of drinks among which include beers, sodas, wines, etc.
Activities to do while staying at Karenge Bush Camp
Game viewing in Akagera national park
Guests at Karenge bush camp can be part of the amazing game viewing activities that take place in Akagera national park. The game viewing activities are done in the morning or evening in this park but the experience is the same. Tourists from Karenge bush camp going for early morning game drives will have to wake up early in the morning to meet the nocturnal animals before going back to their hide-out places as well as the early morning risers.
The game viewing activities in Akagera national park will expose tourists from Karenge Bush Camp to so many animals among which include the lions, impalas, rhinos, buffaloes, leopards, hyenas, klipspringers, cape elands, waterbucks, warthogs, bushbucks, zebras, giraffes, and roan antelopes to mention but a few. During the game drive, you will also spot different bird species and you will have distant views of some of the lakes within Akagera national park.
Birding
Tourists having a stay at Karenge Bush Camp can organize with a ranger guide for birding activities around the lodge or around the park. Akagera national park is one of the famous birding spots in Rwanda so you don’t have to miss out on this opportunity when you are near the park. While going for the birding exercise, carry your birding book and binoculars to spot over 400 bird species that have been so far recorded in the park.
Some of the birds you are likely to encounter include African jacana, grey crowned crane, goliath heron, papyrus ganalex, white-faced whistling duck, saddle-billed stork, palm-nut vulture, African grey hornbill, woodland kingfisher, pin tailed whydah, white-browed coucal, long-tailed cormorant, eastern grey plantain-eater, great egret, white-backed vultures, lilac-breasted roller, c black-headed weaver, common squacco heron, crowned lapwing, white-browed coucal, and much more.
Other notable bird species in Akagera national park include African rock pigeon, woodland kingfisher, blue checked bee-eater, eastern grey plantain eater, northern fiscal, marabou stork, cattle egret, cardinal woodpecker, red-billed fire finch, African darter, black-headed weaver, palm nut vulture, crested barbet, grey-backed fiscal, crowned lapwing, grey-backed fiscal, little bee-eater, lesser striped swallow, long created eagle, hamerkop, saddle-billed stork, ross’s turaco, grey crowned crane, helmeted guinea fowl, and spur-winged goose among others.
Nature walks
The guests having a stay at Karenge Bush Camp can have simple nature walks around the lodge or nature walks through different walking trails in Akagera national park. The nature walks help the tourists to explore the park more, meet different park animals on foot, view different lakes around the park, spot different birds, and different vegetation types. The nature walks in Akagera national park are done at a fee and it’s the armed ranger guides who take you around different walking trails protecting you from dangerous wild animals and teaching you informing you about different things you didn’t know about the park.
Boat cruise
Guests at Karenge Bush Camp shouldn’t miss out on the fascinating boat cruise which is done on Lake Ihema inside Akagera national park. The boat cruise can be done at any time of the day let it be morning hours or evening hours and it takes 2-3 hours of spotting different water animals such as hippos, and crocodiles, birds like the grey crowned cranes, African kingfishers, white-tailed blue monard, and African harrier hawk to mention but a few. During the boat cruise, you will also spot some of the park animals on the shores of the lake most especially in the dry season drinking water.
Cultural tours
Cultural tours are other things tourists staying at Karenge Bush Camp don’t have to miss out on. The cultural tours can be done among different communities around the area among which include Humure refuge village where you will meet the cattle keepers, interact with the local people, spot them do daily activities, be part of food preparations, taste their foods, drink milk, support art, and craft shops, and get entertainment from traditional dancers.
