Rwanda National Parks

AKagera National Park

The park covers a total area of 2500 sq km of savannah to the west of Akagera River. Set at a relatively low altitude on the border with Tanzania, Akagera National Park is different than the cultivated hills that characterise much of Rwanda. Dominated by the labyrinth of swamps and lakes that follow the meandering course of the Akagera River, this park is devoted game preservation and is home to big game and varied birdlife. This park offers game viewing, with herds of elephants and buffaloes emerging from the woodland to drink at the lakes, then other mammals include leopards, spotted hyenas and lions. Giraffes and zebras haunt the savannah, and more than a dozen types of antelope inhabit the park, most commonly the chestnut-coated impala, but also the oribi and bushbuck, as well as the ungainly tsessebe and the world's largest antelope, the statuesque Cape eland. The lakes of Akagera are inhabited by hippos and crocodiles, a part from some of the continent's densest concentrations of waterbirds. The connecting marshes are the haunt of the endangered and exquisite papyrus gonolek, and the bizarre shoebill stork.

Volcanoes National Park

The park is part of the Virunga Mountains, which is a range of six extinct and three active volcanoes situated in Rwanda, Uganda and The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The park is approximately 13,000 hectares and was formed 1929 during the Belgian colonial times, it was then named Albert National Park and extended into DRC. The volcanoes in the park range in altitude from 2,400 to 4,507 meters above sea level, the highest one being Karisimbi (4,507). The vegetation consists of bamboo forest, hagenia woodland, Afro-Alpine moorland, grassland and marshy areas. The park is probably best known for being the place where Dian Fossey, the American primatologist worked for almost 20 years. It is largely because of her tireless work that the gorillas were saved from extinction while there still were enough to be saved. Volcanoes National Park is today not only a place for trekking the gorillas. Visitors can come and stay for several days doing various treks and walks such as visiting the ruins of the Karisoke Research station where Dian Fossey is buried as well as visiting a troupe of the recently habituated Golden Monkey – another of Rwanda’s world unique attractions. Walks range in difficulty from ascending the Karisimbi volcano to various walks and hikes in the forest and nearby lakes. Some of the animals found in the area include forest hog, bush pig, silver monkey, blue monkey, elephant, buffalo, bushbuck, spotted hyena, and black-fronted duiker. About 180 bird species was recorded in 1980, some should with a bit of luck be spotted during various walks and treks.

Nyungwe Forest National Park

This National Park is the biggest single area of montane forest in East and Central Africa. It hosts an amazing diversity of mammals, birds and plants. The main attraction at Nyungwe are the primates and in specific the chimpanzees. 13 primates are found here including the common chimpanzee and 8 types of monkey and the Ruwenzori colobus. Leopards still exist though not in large numbers and there are a number of smaller predators living in the forest such as golden cat, wild cat, serval, side striped jackal and a few types of mongoose. The forest consists of more than 200 tree species including some magnificent tracts of African mahogany, Mulanje Cedar, newtonia and albizia. There are also large areas of bamboo forest at higher altitudes.

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