Elephant Encounter in Akagera National Park

Elephant encounters provide you with variety of options to meet the African elephants in Akagera National Park. Visitors can be part of this fascinating experience by helping in morning routines, bath time where they can be sprayed, scrubbed among other amazing activities. Elephant encounter is more of educational experience visitors on safari in Akagera National Park shouldn’t miss out. It involves in depth learning about elephants, photography among others.

The elephants in Akagera National Park were transported from Bugesera in Kigali in 1975 and at the time, they were about 7 years. About 26 of them were transferred to the park and they included 14 males and 12 females including Mutware-that became famous as chief unfortunately he passed on, Mwiza and Helico. These elephants were habituated and others remained wild. Currently, Akagera National Park has about 100 elephants most of which can be spotted while on game drive.

Akagera National Park also offers refuge to other wildlife species including zebras, lions, leopards, buffaloes, rhinos, 12 antelopes (including Oribis, topis, kobs, roan antelopes, crocodiles, hippos, impalas, bush bucks and others), giraffes, over 550 bird species (including marabou stork, Augur buzzard, fish eagles, shoebill storks, cattle egrets, hammer kops, ibis, giant kingfishers, African open bill stock, squacco herons, papyrus gonoleks, African wattled plovers and many more.

Besides elephant encounters, Akagera National Park is also perfect to visit for game viewing (with opportunity to see the African elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, birds and others), bird watching (over 550 bird species are confined in Akagera National Park and they include shoebill storks, papyrus gonoleks, bee-eaters and others), nature walks, behind the scenes, boat cruise along Lake Ihema, sport fishing, cultural tours and many others.

Best time to visit Akagera National Park

Depending on your travel needs, Akagera National Park is regarded as all year round destination. However, the dry season is the best time to visit Akagera National Park for wildlife viewing tours. The dry seasons in this park starts in June, July, August, September and December, January, February. For birders, consider visiting Akagera National Park during the wet or rainy season which begins in March, April, May and October, November.

Where to stay at Akagera National Park

Magashi Tented Camp/Ruzizi Tented Camp (Luxury)

Akagera Game Lodge (Midrange)

Dereva Hotel (budget)

Getting to Akagera National Park

Akagera National Park is reachable by road or by air. By road, you will drive for about 2-3 hours from Kigali to Akagera National Park. The entrance point to this park is through the southern gate and the exit gate is the northern gate. Or use Akagera Aviation to fly from Kigali to Akagera National Park.