Night Game Drives in Akagera National Park.
Night game drives in Akagera National Park offer one of the most thrilling and immersive safari encounters with nocturnal animals in their natural habitats. It’s situated in the northeastern part of the country, about a 2-3 hour drive from Kigali city to the park. It is the biggest park in the country, covering an area of about 1,122 square kilometres and named after the Akagera River, which flows along its eastern border and feeds various lakes and swamps within the park. Akagera National Park is the only savannah park in Rwanda, home to the African Big Five mammals, making it the best place to do game drives on your safari.
The park has various ecosystems, including wetlands, woodlands, lakes and savannah grasslands that provide a habitat to various wildlife and bird species. It hosts over 480 bird species, 200 butterfly species, 90 mammal species, as well as amphibian and reptile species. When the sun sets and the park grows quiet, a completely different world comes alive in the park as nocturnal animals and birds, which rest during the day, are active at night. Night game drives provide the best opportunities to spot nocturnal birds and animals, which can’t be spotted during the day.
Night Game Drives Experiences in Akagera National Park.
This is a guided activity led by an armed game ranger who ensures the participants’ safety and an experienced park guide who gives more information about the nocturnal birds and animal species that you might encounter on the drive. They use powerful spotlights to explore the park’s savannah and woodland landscapes to witness the secretive nightlife of Akagera National Park. The night game drives in Akagera National Park start when the sun sets, and they typically last two to three hours, offering a peaceful and atmospheric experience under Rwanda’s star-lit skies. Visitors will have an opportunity to see leopards roaming around the park looking for prey or with prey; these are shy animals, and it’s very hard to spot them during the normal game drives. If you happen to see them, consider your selves lucky, they rest during the day and are active at night.
On lucky days they might see lions too looking for prey other animals include spotted hyena which are mostly seen patrolling, servals , civets, genets, side-striped jackals hunting prey, hippos grazing, bush babies, porcupines, African civet, Aardvark, pangolin and more. Bird lovers will enjoy the melodic calls and sounds of nocturnal birds including Verreaux’s eagle-owl, Pearl-spotted owlet, African scoops owl, White-faced scops owl, Square-tailed Nightjar, Freckled Nightjar, Pennant-winged Nightjar among others. The sounds of night rustling bushes, melodic songs of birds and the distant calls of hyenas create an unforgettable safari experience in the park.
Best time to visit the Park
The park is open throughout the year and the best time to do night game drives in Akagera National Park differs from individual’s preferences. The park receives two seasons, the dry season and the wet season. The dry season is the most preferred season by travellers, which runs from December to February and June to September. It receives little to no rainfall, and the tracks are dry, which makes it easy to penetrate them. The vegetation cover is short and scattered, which creates a clear view of nocturnal birds and animals. The park can also be visited during the wet season, which runs from March to May and October to November. During this season, the park receives enough rainfall, the tracks are muddy and slippery, making it challenging to penetrate them. This season favours budget travellers as travel agencies and lodges often give discounts.
