Walk the Line Experience in Akagera National Park

Akagera National Park is widely regarded as one of the most picturesque parks in central and eastern Africa. With its remarkable biodiversity ranging from rare and elusive birds that frequent the wetlands to huge herds of herbivores that graze the open plains,

Since 2010, when African Parks assumed management of the park, there has been a notable increase in wildlife populations. After the reintroduction of lions and rhinos, Akagera has grown into a home to significant populations of several wildlife species, including elephants, buffalo, zebras, giraffes, and leopards. The waterways are also filled with hippos and crocodiles.

Despite being a relatively small park, Akagera National Park is home to various wildlife species and a convenient tourism destination offering an array of tourism activities.

The Walk the Line experience is one of the newly introduced tourism activities that provides visitors with an opportunity to explore the park on foot. It involves participants traveling along the 120-kilometer fence line. This 7-kilometer hike follows the park’s perimeter fence into the hills, starting from the park entrance after a briefing at 7:00 am.

The scenic walk is led by a park ranger and community volunteer guide, lasts for two hours, and ends at the summit of the hill with clear views of the park in all directions.

Cost of the Walk the Line experience in Akagera National Park.

Adults pay 30  US dollars and children pay 20 US dollars. Children under 5 years are not charged, 6- 12 years are charged as children, and people from 13 years and above are considered adults.

Best time for the walk the line experience in Akagera.

Visiting Akagera national park can be done at any time of the year, but for this particular walk the line trip, the dry months (June to September and December to February) are most ideal.   This is because most walking paths are dry and have little vegetation cover, allowing visitors to have clear views of different park species, especially small wild creatures that cannot easily be seen during game drives.

Other activities that can be done after the Walk the Line trip in Akagera National Park

Game drives

Akagera National Park offers day and night game drives. Day drives are either in the morning or afternoon, and the night game drives start in the late evening hours from 6:00 pm and last for 2 hours.

You may embark on a morning game drive to observe the park’s early hunters, grass eaters, in the afternoon or evening, and at night to observe the park’s nocturnal creatures. the main entrance to the park is in the southern sector, and the exit is in the north. The northern sector of the park is said to have the highest concentration of wildlife.

Some of the animals that can be spotted during a game drive include hyenas, leopards, topis, elands, the newly reintroduced Eastern Black Rhinos, elephants, Zebras, Giraffes, Buffaloes, Lions, Giraffes, Impalas, Topis, Zebras, bush bucks, African swallows, eland, vervet monkeys, warthogs, baboons, Mongoose, hippos, crocodiles, and elephants among others. There are about 120 elephants in the park, as well as other animals like as the Defassa waterbuck, oribi, reedbucks, roan antelopes, sable, buffaloes, and many more.

Boat cruises

Another way to enjoy the park’s beauty is going on a boat ride on Lake Ihema, the second-biggest lake in Rwanda. Not only can you see aquatic animals like hippos and crocodiles, but also amazing aquatic birds like malachite kingfishers, Fish eagles, hamerkops, jacanas, ibis, hawks, herons, and the rare shoebill stock in the surrounding swamps. This is a great chance to increase the number of animals you see on safari.  boat trips are arranged at different hours of the day, that is, at 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 3:00 pm, and 4:30 pm. Private and non-scheduled trips can also be arranged.

Fishing

This is another activity in the park, mainly carried out on Lake Shakani.  You can spend the day fishing at the shoreline. Remember to come with your own fishing equipment.  As you carry out this activity during the day, expect to hear the snorts of crocodiles and hippos.  At times, elephants come to drink water in the evening hours. With the help of qualified guides, you will have a successful activity. The good thing is that the park allows you to take your catch. You can cook, fry, or roast it at your campsite or take it to your hotel for supper.

Community /cultural tours

Get a chance to interact with members in the surrounding local community. This will help you to understand some of Rwanda’s culture and traditions and learn how the locals spend their daily lives. Such activity can be arranged by your tour operator or local community guide. From the community tour, get to learn about local cattle, beer, and honey production, witness arts and crafts, and unique entertainment through songs and drumming.

Birding

Akagera is home to over 482 bird species, including the endangered shoebill and several endemics to Lake Victoria.  Birding can be done throughout the day, in the evening, and on cold days. Combining a birding safari with your Walk the Line tour in Akagera National Park is an amazing experience.

Camping

Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s only savanna park; it has flat grasslands, making it good for camping.  The park has several campsites that provide a terrific outdoor experience where you are deeply connected with nature.

The breathtaking and accessible savannah area is two hours from Kigali and an excellent stop before or after seeing the gorillas. Since it’s Rwanda’s only Big Five Park and home to lions and rhinos, Akagera National Park is an attractive conservation narrative. The beautiful landscapes emanate from a combination of lakes, marshes, savannahs, mountains, and woodlands in one park.