Boat Cruise Safari in Akagera National Park

Boat cruise Safari in Akagera National Park ; Akagera National Park is a magical place to be visited by the tourists on their wildlife safari in Rwanda. However, the national park was sewered in it’s dark past of forest destruction, mismanagement and extinction of some of wildlife animals. In fact, Akagera National Park is a home to highly sought after Big 5. The park was established in 1934 and covers an area of about 1,22kilometers of land making it the largest and oldest game park in Rwanda. Currently, the park is managed by the Rwanda Development Board and African parks, a non-government organization.

The facts are that, Akagera National Park is home rich in diversity of flora and fauna species.  It is home to over 500 bird species, with 8,000 large animals including 22 lions, over 80 giraffes and more than 100 African bush elephants.

Akagera National Park offers activities like day and night game drives, fishing, hiking and nature walks, lazy camping and birding trip.

The park also offers fantastic boat trips. Traveler can explore the lakes in the park along their surrounding Islands and diversity wildlife that inhabits the lake water and shores.

Akagera national park its where you can do boat cruise on Rwanda Safari done on Lake Ihema. The lake lies in the southern side of the national park and sounds as one of the biggest lakes out of 10 lakes in the park.

Fact, Lake Ihema covers a surface area of about 90 square kilometers and estimates about 5 to 7 meters deep. The Eastern side of the Lake found on Rwanda’s border with Tanzania. The Lake is fed by the famous River Kagera and feeds most of the lakes in the national park.

Boat trips on Lake Ihema offers visitors opportunity to explore the various water species around the Lake. While on a boat trip on Lake Ihema in Akagera National Park. Visitors on visit are able to view wildlife animals like hippopotami and crocodiles. The Lake is known as inhabit for largest population of hippo in all East Africa.

Additionally, visitors can view various bird species like malachite kingfisher, hawk, Papyrus Gonolek, Jacanas, herons, sandpipers and the rare shoebill stork many more.

Lake Ihema is featured with lots of water hyacinth which is one of the major threats to the lake. The existence of water hyacinth on the lake are threatens of many aquatic mammals and birds. The water hyacinth also affects the movement of boat on the lake and also affects the quality of water in the lake. It is also connected to most of the swamp in Akagera National Park like Akagera river.

Boat trips in Akagera National Park are scheduled in three sessions; Morning starts 9:00am, Afternoon starts at 3pm and evening starts 4:30 pm. However, there is nonscheduled boat trips available in the national park for visitors who wish to take private tours.

The morning boat cruise trip pay USD35 per person and evening cruise goes at 45 per pers thus an ideal place to go for safari in Rwanda. If you decide to rent the whole boat it costs 180USD.

Akagera national park offers quality of accommodations that ranges from budget, Mid-range and Luxury. Some of lodges includes Akagera Game Lodge, Magashi Safari Camp, Ruzizi Tented Camp and Karenge Bush Camp.

The park can be accessed by either road or air; From Kigali city it takes about 110kimeters from the city Centre.  Visitors on game drive are advised to use or hire 4-wheel drive safari vehicles for movement to and from the park.