Akagera and Nyungwe National Park Safaris
Are you looking for Akagera and Nyungwe National Park Safaris? Yes, this is one of the best safaris in Rwanda that will enable you to combine Akagera National Park and Nyungwe Forest National Park and enjoy the attractions and activities that are found in these great national parks. Akagera National Park is located in eastern Rwanda, near the border with Tanzania. Established in 1934, this national park covers an area of 433 square miles. Most of the park is covered with savanna, montane, and wetland vegetation. Akagera National Park in Rwanda is frequently visited in conjunction with Nyungwe Forest National Park. On a safari in Rwanda, it is typical to visit either of these two national parks, whether for a wildlife drive in Akagera National Park or chimp trekking in Nyungwe National Park.
The name of the national park derives from the Kagera River, which flows through the park and heads into Uganda. The majority of Akagera National Park is made up of swamps, wetlands, savanna grasslands, forests, lakes, and rivers. There are 10 popular lakes in the national park, including Lake Ihema, Lake Shakani, and Lake Luwanakazinga. The southern gate of the national park is located in the Kayonza district, while the northern gate, which serves as the exit, is located in the Nyagatare district. The park used to cover an area of 2,500 square kilometers, most of which was destroyed during the return of refugees fleeing the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Although much was lost in Akagera National Park, the area has managed to recover from its terrible past thanks to the founding of the Akagera Management Company, which oversees the park. The corporation was founded as a result of a collaboration agreement between the Rwanda Development Board and African Parks, a non-governmental conservation organization that manages the operation of other African national parks.
In Akagera National Park, visitors can participate in a variety of activities, including day and night game drives; boat cruises on Lake Ihema; sport fishing on Lake Shakani; bird watching; behind-the-scenes tours of Akagera; walk-the-line tours; camping; and community visits. Visitors to the national park can also look forward to seeing some of the most spectacular wildlife, including lions, elephants, hippos, baboons, buffaloes, zebras, impalas, hyenas, giraffes, antelopes, leopards, and sitatunga. The national park is also home to more than 480 bird species, including the African kestrel, the rare northern goshawk, the papyrus gonorak, the gray-crowned crane, and many others.
Staying in Akagera National Park for more than one night is feasible at Akagera Game Lodge, Magasi Safari Camp, Ruzizi Tented Camp, and Kalenge Bush Camp. The national park also has campgrounds, such as Shakani Akagera Campground, Mutumba Campground, and Muyumbu Campground. Visitors can go from Akagera National Park to Nyungwe Forest National Park in southwestern Rwanda, which was established in 2004 and encompasses an area of around 970 square kilometers.
It is part of the well-known Nyungwe Forest. There are bamboo forests, grasslands, tropical rainforests, wetlands, and swamps in the area. Nyungwe Forest National Park is home to 13 distinct primate species, including chimps and monkey species such as vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and red-tailed monkeys, among others, as well as approximately 275 bird species, 1068 plant species, 85 mammal species, 32 amphibian species, and 38 reptile species.
You can engage in any of the activities offered by Nyungwe National Park, including chimp trekking, hiking to Ismo Falls, the Nyungwe Canopy Walk, bird watching, forest hiking, the Congo Nile Trail, and Golden Monkey tracking. Visitors to Nyungwe National Park can also participate in any of the park’s activities.
Many visitors come to Nyungwe National Park to track the chimps that live in its dense woodlands. Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park is a key attraction for visitors to the park. The Nyungwe National Park chimp tracking permit is $60 per person and lasts between 2 and 6 hours. At 8:00 a.m., tracking begins from three locations: Wininka, Kitabi, and Gisakura.
Those interested in trekking with chimps in Nyungwe National Park must arrive by 5:00 a.m. to register and receive a briefing from park management. Nyungwe Forest Lodge, Gisakura Guest House, Nyungwe Top View Hotel, One and Only Nyungwe House, and Nyungwe Nziza Eco Lodge are among the lodging options in Nyungwe National Park. Return to Kigali City for a quick city tour before heading to Kigali International Airport to end your booked Akagera and Nyungwe National Park Safaris.
