During my year as a study abroad program leader, I was lucky enough to go on not just one, but two safaris in Rwanda! I am a huge animal lover, so this was a dream come true. To this day, my experience at Akagera National Park was one of the most unreal things I have ever done. Going into the safari, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Follow along for a guide covering everything I wish I knew!
Contents:
- The Itinerary
- Common Misconceptions
- What to Bring
- What Animals Can You Expect to See in Akagera National Park?
- My Tour Company
- Where to Visit on Your Trip to Rwanda
The Itinerary
If you are going on a safari in Rwanda, you can expect an early morning wake-up! Depending on how close you are to Akagera, you may have to wake up as early as 4 AM. (Don’t worry, you can buy coffee inside the park.) In most cases, the safari driver will pick you up from where you are staying and take you to Akagera. A typical safari experience at Akagera National Park takes place from around 7 am to 4 pm.
Before starting your day, you will stop at an entry point where the employees will check your passport. Once you are cleared, you will continue to a Welcome Center where you will find bathrooms, a cafe, and a gift shop with the most adorable animal-themed souvenirs. At this point, your guide will provide you with information about the day and what to expect. They will also let you know that there are no bathrooms inside the park, so make sure you go at the welcome center! I don’t know about you, but I would not want to get out of the car to pee while there could be a lion nearby!
After spending some time at the Welcome Center, you will finally head into the park. The excitement you will feel while seeing your first few animals is unmatched! You will then spend the next 8-9 hours searching for incredible animals.
In the afternoon, you may stop for lunch at a cafe inside the park. There are options to purchase food and drinks, but you will most likely have a packed lunch and water bottles with you. Take some time here to stretch your legs and enjoy the view! Take note that this is the only bathroom inside the park.
At the end of the day, you will have a long drive back to your accommodation. There is one bathroom stop right at the end of the park, so make sure to go if you need to!
Common Misconceptions
Many people think that wild animals roam free around Rwanda. At least I did! However, this is not the case. All safari animals are protected and located inside Akagera National Park, which is fenced off. Do not get this confused with a zoo; this is a huge area of land spanning miles and miles that the animals can live in, just like they would in the wild.
This setup not only protects the people of Rwanda, but also the animals! They can live their natural life and can be observed safely.
What to Bring
As you can tell, a safari at Akagera National Park is a full-day event! Make sure that you are packing a day bag with everything that you may need. This list is a great starting point for a successful safari day!
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Bug Spray
- Binoculars
- Camera (I used my iPhone camera and got great photos, but feel free to bring a more professional camera if you have one!)
- Water
- Snacks
- Hat
- Your passport (This will be checked at the beginning of the park!)
Pro tip: Make sure to wear neutral colors for your safari. Flowy, lightweight materials are the best. This helps to keep you cool and to blend in more, which gives you a better chance of seeing animals! I recommend bringing a button-down shirt to cover you up from the sun.
What Animals Can You Expect to See in Akagera National Park?
Although it is never guaranteed to see a specific type of animal, you will most likely see some amazing species inside Akagera National Park. If you are lucky, you will see some of Rwanda’s Big 5: lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffalo. During my two safaris, I have seen elephants, rhinos, and buffalo. However, I have not seen the big cats yet!
People in my group did see big cats the same day that I was there, so it really is just luck. One time, the car in front of us saw a leopard. By the time we pulled up, about 30 seconds later, it was gone! These animals are fast, and they blend in, so if you see one, consider yourself lucky!
The animals you will most likely see throughout the day are buffalo, zebras, hippopotami, giraffes, antelopes, and baboons. We constantly saw these interesting animals while keeping our eyes peeled for the big cats! If you are a bird-watching fanatic, fish eagles were another animal that I saw frequently during both of my safaris.
On both of my safaris at Akagera, I had an amazing finale with huge herds of elephants greeting us at the end! It was so magical to see so many in their natural habitat. Another animal that I saw on my safari was a crocodile. I only saw one across both of my safaris, so these may be a little rarer.
Personally, the elephants were my favorite! It was incredible to see such a majestic animal so close up. On my next trip to Rwanda, I would love to see a big cat, or have a totally different experience, and go gorilla trekking in Musanze!
My Tour Company
Both of my safaris were with the tour company Hills in the Mist. I had a wonderful time with them! The guide was so amazing and was able to answer all of our questions about the animals and Rwanda. They were experts at spotting animals, and spotted rhinos so far away that we were able to look at them through binoculars.
Where to Visit on Your Trip to Rwanda
There is so much to see in this region of Africa! During your trip to Rwanda, check out the neighboring country of Tanzania. You will be able to see it from Akagera National Park, but if you decide to travel across the border, you can find a whole new adventure at Mt Kilimanjaro! Check out my guest article, “Everything You Need to Know Before Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro” to learn more about the experience!
