Private Boat Cruise In Akagera National Park
Looking for private boat cruise in Akagera national park Rwanda? Akagera national park is the only national park in Rwanda where tourists can do boat cruises. The boat cruises in Akagera national park can be done on Lake Ihema which is the largest freshwater lake in the park for it gets its waters from River Kagera that follows through the park northwards along the Rwanda Tanzania border before it takes a turn to the east and emptying into Lake Victoria in Uganda.
There are normal boat cruises on Lake Ihema which start in the morning at 7:30 am to 9 am and again from 3 pm to 4:30 am but there are private boat cruises that can be arranged at non-scheduled times like 10:30 am to 1:30 pm. Tourists intending to have a private boat cruise safari need to know that they are possible within the park and they are charged at a flat rate for the boat per hour.
Private boat cruises are done on Lake Ihema and Lake Rwanyakizinga in Akagera national park and during the time you spend on the boat, be ready to spot water animals such as crocodiles, hippos, water animals like African darter, African jacana, grey crowned crane, shoebill stork, marabou stork, and open billed stork among others. You are likely to see some of the park animals near the shores of the lake such as elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, giraffes, hippos, and many other trying to drink water or graze most especially in the dry season.
How much are private boats in Akagera national park?
The private boats in Akagera national park are charged $180 per hour and the maximum of people allowed is 11. This fee doesn’t not include accommodation or park entrance fees. The normal boat cruises in Akagera national park cost $35 per person above the age of 12 years and $20 per person between ages 6 to 12 in the morning session. The evening session is $45 per person above the age of 12 years and $30 for children ages 6 to 12.
What is the best time to have a private boat cruise in Akagera national park?
Private boat cruises can be done at any time of the year in Akagera national park but there are months that are better than the rest. Private boat cruises should be done in the dry season which occurs from June to September and December to February when there is little and sometimes no rainfall to stop the activity from going on in case the water levels are high. It’s also the best time for most of the park activities to take place since the game trucks are dry, the vegetation short, and roads leading to the park passable.
Travelers can still visit Akagera national park for the private boat cruises on Lake Ihema and Lake Rwanyakizinga in the rainy season which occurs in March to May and October to November but during this time there is plenty of rainfall and in case of strong winds it might stop the activity from going on. Tourists who have private boat cruises in Akagera national park in the rainy season enjoy huge discounts on accommodation facilities.
Accommodation in Akagera national park on private boat cruise safaris
Tourists intending to visit Akagera national park for private boat cruises don’t have to worry about where they will stay for the park has several accommodation facilities that are constructed within the park and even others outside the park. The accommodation facilities do range from budget to mid-range to luxury options and they include Magashi Tented Camp, Ruzizi Tented Camp, Lake Kivu Serena Hotel, Karenge Bush Camp, Magashi Safari Camp, Akarenge Game Lodge, Akagera Resort and Country Club, Vintage Cottages, Akarenge Game Lodge, Nyagasambu Real Beach Hotel Akagera Rhino Lodge among others.
Other activities in Akagera national park
Other than the private boat cruises, tourists in Akagera national park can do activities such as hot air balloon safaris, game drives which happen in the morning, evening, and night times. The game viewing activity exposes tourists to animals such as waterbucks, lions, bushbucks, duikers, rhinos, cape elands, rhinos, elephants, buffaloes, roan antelopes, zebras, giraffes, warthogs, leopards, spotted hyenas, and klipspringers among others.
The other activity tourists can combine with private boat cruises is birding. Tourists can encounter birds of Akagera national park from different birding spots with the help of a guide. some of the birds in Akagera national park include Amur falcon, booted eagle, cardinal woodpecker, hamerkop, African jacana, grey crowned crane, cabanis’s bunting, blue-shouldered robin-chat, white-faced whistling duck, beaudouin’s snake eagle, northern brown-throated weaver, long-tailed cormorant, dimorphic egret, ring-necked francolin, ring-winged francolin, black-headed weaver, short-tailed pipit, and shoebill stork among others.
Tourists can also have nature walks and visit the communities around Akagera national park and the nature walks will give them opportunities to explore the national park on foot and they will spot different park animals, birds, water sources, and different vegetation covers. The community visits on the other hand do help tourists interact with local people, get to know how they live their day-to-day life, watch them do daily activities, support their business, and get entertained by the traditional dancers.
Apart from visiting Akagera national park, tourists can also visit other national parks such as Nyungwe forest national park and Gishwati Makura national park for chimpanzee trekking and then volcanoes national park for the famous gorilla trekking.
