The park is located in the north east of Rwanda along the border with Tanzania. It is named after the Akagera River that flows along its eastern boundary and feeds into a labyrinth of lakes of which the largest is Lake Ihema. The Akagera Park is the most prominent Savanna reserve found in Rwanda. As compared to the other parts of Rwanda, this area is moderately warm and is a low altitude lying area whose plains are covered with thick, broad leafed woodland as well as transparent acacia woodland plus patches of rising and falling grassland dotted with expressively stands of the cactus like Euphorbia-candelabra shrub.
Akagera National Park is among the game reserves in Africa where you can enjoy drive for a number of hours without finding another safari vehicle, and without guessing which wildlife you will encounter in the next few minutes. This park is one of the most picturesque savanna reserves, with its splendid lakes surrounded by forests, high mountains as well as constantly varying vegetation. The park offers Game drives best for you since it has a variety of animals that is, large herds of buffalo, giraffe and zebra move across the savannah, lucky visitors might catch a glimpse of elephants emerging from the woodland to drink at the lakes. The park is home to more than a dozen types of antelope, most commonly the handsome impala, oribi and bushbuck as well as the world’s largest antelope, the cape eland. Leopard and hyena might be seen on a night drive as well as other secretive creatures of the night. Guides are offered at no additional price and these will assist you to get your way while in the park.
The game viewing circuit is limited to a single main road that runs northwards starting at the park’s headquarters found at Lake Ihema. The road passes majority of the lakes here, or it can be approached by a short fork. Just North of Lake-Hago, this road separates into two major forks, with one heading west to the verdant Mutumba hills. However the potential for game drives is limited by the reason that this park can only be accessed close to Lake Ihema or at the Game Lodge.
Lake Ihema offers boat trips to the visitors, and these are worth enjoying. On this trip you will enjoy close encounters with giant crocodiles plus large hippos, and in addition you will sail pass extensive breeding settlement of African darter, and open-bill storks plus cormorants. Additional water birds are numerous with sights of the vivid African jacana trotting on floating small islands of vegetation, the fish eagles usually seen stationed in the trees, malachite kingfisher hawks and multicolored kingfishers soaring above the waters to prey their fish.
Camping alongside the picturesque lakes of Akagera, or atop Muyumbu ridge overlooking the lakes and Tanzania in the distance, is a truly mystical introduction to the wonders of the African bush.
With a private safari vehicle, the Akagera can be accessed from Kigali in about 2 hours drive whereas from Kibungo / Rwamagana it takes about 1 hour. The usable entrance-gate, 500 meters from the newly established Akagera Game Lodge, which can be reached using a 27 kilometers dirt road that branches from the major surfaced-road at Kabarondo, north of Kibungo. This road is in a reasonable condition, which can be used by all types of vehicle with the exception of the rainy months.