Akagera National Park

In the east the Akagera River feeds a series of lakes, marshes and papyrus swamps that makes this Central Africa’s largest protected wetland. In contrast, the northern sector comprises rolling grasslands offering the classic savannah safari experience, and in the the west you’ll find lush green hills.

For a fairly compact national park, Akagera offers an incredibly diverse landscape and in turn, a vast array of wildlife.

Akagera’s story is one of re-generation.

A war-torn Rwanda in the 1990s led to the park’s resources being quickly depleted. Refugees who returned following the atrocities of the 1994 genocide relied on the land to survive. Wildlife was hunted – black rhino disappeared, along with lions, and by the turn of the decade, the park was left with very little.

In 2010 African Parks in partnership with the Rwanda Development Board and other stakeholders began an ambitious transformation.

An extensive law enforcement programme has significantly reduced poaching; Eastern Black rhino and lion have been re-introduced, and a solar predator-proof fence is helping to mitigate human/wildlife conflict.

Lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo, hippos, crocs, giraffe, hyaena, eland, zebra and hundreds of birds species can now be seen.

Nurturing Akagera since 2010 has seen tourism revenue increase by more than 1,150%, generating US$2.5M annual revenue and making Akagera 90% self-financing.

There are currently just three camps in Akagera – Ruzizi, Akagera Game Lodge and Magashi (pictured), part of the Wilderness portfolio. Access is good with Akagera being only a few hours drive from Kigali. You won’t find the same wildlife densities as further east in Kenya, or Tanzania, but the park is exceptionally scenic and by visiting you’ll be helping to safeguard this biodiverse area for the future.

Combine Akagera with Volcanoes for a superb trip.