4 Days Akagera National Park Safaris
4 Days Akagera National Park Safaris: The 2,500-square-kilometer Akagera National Park in Eastern Rwanda, on the Rwanda-Tanzania border, was gazetted as a national park in 1934 to preserve its wildlife and habitat. The majority of people settled near the park and cleared the forest for lumber and savannah animal consumption during Rwanda’s peace restoration in the 1990s following the 1994 Genocide. The majority of the animals, including lions, rhinos, and other park fauna, were hunted, and long-horned cattle replaced them. This makes the history of the Akagera National Park even more fascinating. As a result, the park’s diversity was devastated to the point of nonexistence.
The River Kagera, also called the Alexandra Nile since it is a portion of the higher headwaters of the Nile that convey water from far-off sources, is the reason Akagera National Park got its name. It feeds into Ihema and other lakes as it travels along the Rwanda-Tanzania border. Acacia savannah, open grasslands, woods, bushes, lakes, and swamps are just a few of the diverse landscapes, plants, and wildlife found in Akagere National Park. Savor amazing game drives with species like lions, rhinos, buffaloes, antelopes, elephants, giraffes, leopards, and hyenas, to name a few. Additional excursions include a city tour of Kigali, which will give you a better knowledge of Rwanda‘s history and natural beauty.
Highlights
Day 1: Travel to the National Park of Akagera
Day 2: boat cruise and game drive
Day 3: Community tour and game viewing
Day 4: Departure and Return to Kigali
A thorough itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and City Tour in Kigali
Your safari driver, who will serve as your guide for a city tour, will meet you at the Kigali international airport when you arrive with your confirmed morning flight, or depending on where you are in Kigali. After seeing the Kigali Genocide Memorial Ground, where more than 250,000 victims of the genocide were buried, you will travel 45 minutes south of Kigali to the Ntarama and Nyamata Genocide Memorial Sites. You may get an excellent overview of the full holocaust incident from these two websites. Because you will be able to learn new details regarding the origins of the entire atrocity. The old Catholic church in Ntarama has been turned into a memorial. On August 15, 1994, 5,000 people were killed there as part of the Rwandan Genocide. There are six significant memorial centers in Rwanda that honor the Rwandan Genocide, including this one. Later, you will travel to Nyamata, which and the surrounding area experienced some of the most devastating destruction and horrific bloodshed against Tutsis and moderate Hutus in 1994.
It is thought that the 1994 genocide began here, and it is thought that nearly 10,000 people were murdered in a Catholic church. Following your visit to the Nyamata Memorial Site, you will have lunch before heading off to drive. In Bugesera Reconciliation Village and Mbyo Reconciliation Village, murderers and survivors, Hutus and Tutsis, are neighbors who have intermarried and are attempting to live in harmony. After being imprisoned for nine years, the victims had nowhere to go, so the government had to build the reconciliation village in collaboration with some non-governmental organizations to give them a place to live after pleading with the families they had hurt for forgiveness.
Get a true sense of the place by actively participating in a variety of activities, such as agricultural activities involving interactions with people, learning how to cook and weave from locals, and hearing some testimonies from a community member in a reconciliation village. As you listen and explain the previous circumstances, you will practically cry because the memories are still vivid in their minds. This should never occur again. After hearing several anecdotes about the impact of the genocide that are clearly visible, you will then drive back to Kigali with a genuine experience of the actual situation.
You will be returned to your reserved lodging for a restful dinner and overnight stay at the Step Town Motel for budget travelers, the Des Mille Collins Hotel for mid-range travelers, or the Kigali Marriott Hotel for luxury travelers.
Day 2: Evening game drive and transfer to Akagera National Park
After breakfast, travel for two to three hours to reach Akagera National Park. Once there, settle into your lodge, eat lunch, and take part in an evening wildlife drive. Return to your lodge before dusk to have dinner and spend the night there. Akagera Game Lodge is a mid-range alternative, Dereva Hotel is a budget option, and Ruzizi Tented Camp is a premium option.
Day 3: Boat excursion over Lake Ihema and game drive.
You will start your morning game drive around the park for a great wildlife view after breakfast. Along with other animals like giraffes, warthogs, waterbucks, zebras, hyenas, and several antelope species, you can anticipate seeing the Big Five: lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, cape buffaloes, and the recently arrived rhino. You can anticipate seeing more than 500 different kinds of birds. The gaming drive may go on for three to four hours. While you wait for the next activity, head back to the resort for lunch and unwind.
The driver will pick you up in the afternoon for a boat ride on Lake Ihema, which is Rwanda‘s second-largest lake after Lake Kivu. You will see a lot of wildlife on the lakeshores throughout the boat excursion, including buffaloes, hippos, large crocodiles, and birds like fish eagles and malachite kingfishers, who come to drink and cool down. Return to your resort for dinner and an overnight stay as described above following the fantastic boat excursion.
Day 4: Departure and Return to Kigali
Check out of the lodge and return to Kigali after breakfast. After lunch when you get to Kigali, head to the airport for your next journey home. Safari’s end