To know more about Akagera National Park and conservation efforts please click here.
Jean-Marie Twambaze is a safari guide at Akagera National Park in Rwanda whose photos showcase the beautiful and diverse wildlife of Rwanda.
On a visit to Akagera National Park, visitors have a chance to see several big mammals, birds and aquatic animals. The hillside roads provide encounters with many antelope species, zebras, giraffes and birds, along with impressive views of the park’s valleys and lakes.
The park offers tourism services, such as boat trips on Lake Ihema with opportunities to see hippos, crocodiles and other animals on the lake, and a diverse range of birds on Nyirabiyoro Island. A nature walk along the park’s fence is one of the best ways to experience wildlife on foot — the guided walk ranges through woodland vegetation and open grassland as well as nearby cattle farms.
Akagera now offers a Night Game Drive for seeing predators during their preferred hunting time. Visitors might see leopards, spotted hyenas, jackals, civet cats and lions, among many others. There are also guided cultural activities for learning about the day-to-day life of locals, cattle keeping, bee keeping and the local brewery. Visitors enjoy being able to meet locals and experience some of their culture firsthand.
Another activity takes guests behind the scenes, with insight into the daily operations of the park from managers and other team members of Akagera National Park. They learn about what the park does to ensure the safety of the animals and their natural habitats, and how different conservation challenges are solved.
To read more about the history and biodiversity of Akegara, click here to read Twambaze's article on our National Geographic Blog.