Situated in the country’s east, Akagera is one of four amazing national safari parks in Rwanda. But the only one with lions!
A safari trip is a fantastic idea for your next family holiday and can – and will – be enjoyed by all ages. We stayed overnight in one of Rwanda’s oldest national parks, Akagera, in January 2022 with three kids under 5, and had a superb safari experience. It was my first time on safari (the kids’ first time too!) though my husband has been on a few before. We did a self-drive around on our first day, as well as an accompanied tour in a big safari jeep the second day. Let me share my experience and tips – we had an amazing time!
What our schedule was like
Day 1
We arrived mid-afternoon, and immediately took a drive around by ourselves in our SUV. This is where having an SUV or 4WD pays off – many of the park trails are unsealed, and if you want to drive around yourself, you’ll need to be confident your vehicle can handle the off-road parts. We got there about 3pm and so had a few hours of daylight left. We saw some fabulous safari animals such as giraffes, zebras, and deer/gazelles.
That evening before dinner we had a few drinks outside in the pool area overlooking one of the park lakes. The kids burned off excess energy racing around the paved deck area. For dinner we went into the lodge restaurant, which was in a large room with attentive staff. Our kids were super happy with the available food – pizza and spaghetti went down a treat. We had an early night as our boat trip was planned for the next morning.
Day 2
After a quick breakfast in the restaurant we headed off for a cruise over Lake Ihema. There were all sorts of wonderful water birds, as well as crocodiles, hippos, and one very shy elephant. We got (very!) close to a crocodile minding its own business on the bank. We also passed by a family of hippos but didn’t get nearly as close to them. Apparently they’re super cranky and really should be avoided.
It still blows my mind that hippos are more of a threat to us than crocodiles!
After lunch we took a guided tour. The kids were stoked to be traveling in the special safari jeep. Note that if the weather is cool or wet, you’ll want to rug up a little, especially if you have little kids. The jeeps have open sides which can be closed if the weather sets in. But even without rain you can still get cold owing to the wind chill as the vehicles move quite fast.
Our guide was fantastic and of course knew where all the animals were hanging out. We found troops of cheeky baboons, a group of lions, and water buffalo. There was no rush when we found the animals; we hung out nearby the lions for perhaps 10minutes, which was plenty of time to get our photos.
The lions were amazing to watch. There was one moment when my little son pointed at them and shouted “dog” in his high pitched baby voice. And one of the lions looked up at us, interested in the source of this particular little noise. The lion didn’t get up but my heart skipped a beat. It was good to know we had our very professional guide with us that day!
What else is there to do in the park?
As we had the little kids, and we were already going on 2 daytime safari drives, we didn’t try out the night safari, but I reckon that would have been cool. You can take boating tours on Lake Ihema, as we did (they leave at set times: 7.30am, 9am, 3pm and 4.30pm but do check the Akagera website for more up-to-date info). You can also go fishing at Lake Shakani. They have many different varieties of fish including perch and catfish.
There are a few more activities that you can do too, such as Behind-the-Scenes tours of the Park Headquarters (there is a minimum group size for this activity), walking safaris, and cultural experiences (like visiting a local dairy farm). Again, please check the Akagera website for an updated list of activities and times.
When to go to Akagera
The best times to visit Akagera for a safari are in Rwanda’s dry months: between June and September, and between December and February. The June to September period is drier than the December to February period. We were there in January: the temperature was fine, and maybe even a touch cool as there was some cloud cover. The real rainy months would have been more of a challenge as the roads and trails in the park could become quite difficult to navigate in the wet!
How to get to Akagera National Park
Akagera is in the east of Rwanda and you can drive from Kigali, which takes about 2.5 hours. The roads were in pretty good condition when we went, but as always with Rwanda, you can’t go wrong with an SUV. This covers you just in case there’s any sections of the road undergoing maintenance, or if there’s a lot of rain. Definitely once you’re in the park, an SUV makes the most sense. Even if you’re there during the drier months, the unsealed tracks will be a challenge for smaller cars if you go on a self-drive safari.
The tourist entry point is through the gate at the southern end of the park. There is a second gate in the northern end, but apparently this is solely for exiting the park. Guests of the lodges in the northern end may be allowed to use this gate as an entry point – please talk to the lodge staff for confirmation. Entry for day visitors is 6am till 6pm, and you’ll need to pay an entry fee.
It seems you can also charter a helicopter to get you from Kigali to Akagera, which would be an amazing and very glamorous way to arrive for your Rwandan Safari adventure.
Where to stay with your family at Akagera
There are several options to stay at Akagera. We stayed at Mantis Akagera Game Lodge, just a few kilometres inside from the park entrance. The hotel’s elevated position gives you a great view of Lake Ihema. Our room had a balcony overlooking the the park and the pool. On our second day the sun came out, and while the pool was still too cold for me, my family all went swimming and had a fabulous time! The rooms were modern and well maintained, and the views were wonderful. The restaurant was large and could clearly accommodate a lot more guests than were currently there! This was during the pandemic 😉 The food selection was good and our kids enjoyed all their meals.
Other facilities are also listed on the lodge’s website, such as a children’s playroom, but we were so busy with safari activities that we didn’t get around to finding these.
The park has several other options for accommodation within its boundaries. There are several campgrounds around the park: Muyumbu and Shakani in the south, and Mutumba and Mihindi in the north. Each comes with protective boundaries as required (again, it’s all about the hippos) and varying degrees of creature comforts. Ruzizi Tented Lodge on the banks of Lake Ihema has very pretty looking safari tents. Karenge Bush Camp, located in the northern end of the park, looks to be a more basic and smaller version of Ruzizi. Magadashi Camp, also in the northern end of the park, looks spectacular, and is on the banks of Lake Rwanyakazinga.
What do I know about Rwanda?
I’ve visited the country twice, once in 2021 and again in 2023 with my family. Both times I was there for several weeks, staying with family who live there. Visit my About Me page to understand more about my perspective.
Check out my posts on Rwanda:
- My guide to having a successful Gorilla Trek in Rwanda
- Stay tuned for beautiful Lake Kivu and some glorious restaurants and bars in Kigali!