Akagera National Park Big Five Safari

Akagera National Park is Rwanda's answer to the classic East African safari - a sweeping mosaic of savanna, rolling hills, papyrus swamp, and lake that sits along the Tanzanian border in the country's east. Once reduced to a fraction of its size, Akagera has been transformed by a partnership between the Rwanda Development Board and African Parks into one of the continent's great conservation comeback stories: lions were reintroduced in 2015 after a fifteen-year absence, and eastern black rhinos followed in 2017, restoring the Big Five - lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino - to Rwandan soil for the first time in decades. Waterbuck Tours' Akagera safaris combine open-vehicle game drives at dawn and dusk, when wildlife is most active, with a relaxed boat cruise on Lake Ihema, home to one of Africa's densest hippo and Nile crocodile populations and a magnet for fish eagles, herons, and kingfishers. Birders take note: Akagera's mix of habitats supports more than 500 recorded species, from the elusive shoebill stork to vivid lilac-breasted rollers. For travelers who want to go further, we offer night drives in search of leopard, hyena, and civet, and multi-day itineraries that combine Akagera with gorilla or chimpanzee trekking for a complete cross-section of Rwandan wildlife. Akagera is a full-day trip from Kigali or an easy overnight stay inside the park, and every safari is led by a Waterbuck guide with an eye for spotting wildlife most visitors would drive straight past.