In a series of articles about Rwanda’s unique tourist attractions, Hobe Australia has prepared a story about Akagera National Park, famously known as the home of “the Big Five.”
Akagera National Park is one of the largest parks in East Africa and the biggest in Rwanda.
Located in Rwanda’s Eastern Province, the park spans the districts of Kayonza, Gatsibo, and Nyagatare, and also shares a border with Tanzania.
Established in 1934, the park is named after the Akagera River, which forms its eastern boundary and marks the border with Tanzania.
Akagera is home to thriving populations of over 12,000 mammal species, including the “Big Five” — lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffaloes. It also hosts zebras, giraffes, antelopes, and hundreds of bird species.
The park boasts a spectacular mix of open wilderness, wetlands, and lakes, with water covering one-third of its 1,200 square kilometers. Bird enthusiasts can spot several Lake Victoria-endemic species, such as the red-faced barbet and the papyrus gonolek.
Widely regarded as one of the most scenic parks in central-eastern Africa, Akagera offers extraordinary biodiversity. Its landscapes range from open plains grazed by impressive herds of herbivores to swamps frequented by rare and elusive birds.
Since 2010, when African Parks was invited to manage Akagera, poaching has been reduced to an all-time low thanks to measures like the introduction of a helicopter, a canine unit, and rhino trackers. A family of lions from South Africa has successfully adapted and bred in the park, while 18 eastern black rhinos have also been reintroduced.
Following these reintroductions, Akagera now boasts thriving populations of lions, rhinos, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes, and leopards. Its waterways are home to hippos and massive crocodiles, particularly in Lake Ihema, the second-largest lake in Rwanda after Lake Kivu.
Akagera National Park is just a two-hour drive from Kigali and can be visited in one day, with enough time to return before nightfall for those who want to explore its wildlife on a drive trail.
Entry fees are affordable: for Rwandans and EAC citizens, the price is capped at Rwf 15,000, while children aged 5 and below can enter for free.