Akagera National Park campsites

Within the park, there are three campgrounds that offer the bare necessities for an overnight stay. The park’s southern section contains the Muyumbu and Shakani cams. From its vantage point on the ridge above the Tanzanian lakes, Muyumbu offers a breathtaking view of the sunrise. The mumbling hippos and diverse bird population aren’t the only things Shakani has to offer; there’s also a lakeshore camping adventure. In the north, the Mutumba campsite is surrounded by rolling hills covered with abundant game.

camping in Rwanda

The reception offers firewood for hire, and visitors are also requested to bring their own camping gear and equipment. The park’s flat savannah grassland is ideal for camping. There are three campsites in this national park that you should check out, and they include the following:

Campground in Shakani Akagera

Additionally, this campground is located on the banks of Lake Shakani, the only lake in the park where fishing is permitted. If you go camping in the area, you’ll be able to see the abundance of hippos that live there.

The Akagera Campsite in Mutamba

This area is the highest point in the entire park and is well-known for the abundance of wild animals that congregate there, including roan antelope, big herds of elands, and others. Camping in this region will also allow you to get up closer to the park’s wildlife.

Campsite Muyumba

It is located on the ridge and has stunning views over two lakes: Lake Ihema and Lake Shakani, which extend into the neighboring nation of Tanzania. Kiyonza has just one campground near the park entrance.

All three of these campgrounds have the bathrooms and restrooms. It is important to remember that tap water is not potable in Akagera National Park. Additionally, we advise that you boil water before consuming it. Bringing bottled water along may be another option. The reception is where you may rent the tents, and the firewood will be given as well.

Akagera Camping’s Traveler Experience

We packed our camping gear and went east of Kigali on a Friday afternoon. We entered Akagera National Park after turning off the filthy road in front of the Tanzanian border. On the way into the national park, we had to stop at the ranger station and pay $10 for the camping fees. They have the local, a three-tiered, descending tourist price, a pricing scale, and a resident visa, right there at the station. Before arriving at the campsite, we also spotted our first animals. “Waterbuck” was the name of a deer-like creature. The grassy ridge, dotted with trees, overlooked a lake and the border of Tanzania, where this campground was situated. Additionally, there was an outhouse, fire pits spread around, and a covered patio. The men walked off after the tents were pitched and the camp was set up, leaving the women toiling over a dinner of burgers.

These bats, which lived in the pavilion roof, started to leave for the night just before nightfall, and we could also hear them rooting around. The only frightening aspect was the unseen animals. . Sarah went out to the outhouse right after we finished dinner, and there she could hear the baboons. One of the guys in our group sprinted with the bear spray to rescue Sarah, who was terrified by the loud honking sound that came from a very close distance. We weren’t able to identify the source of the sound, which could have been a topee, until today. Sarah was convinced that wild animals were all around their tent for the remainder of the night, and in the morning, nothing could be seen from that spot.

While the women were preparing breakfast, the guys went out to check out the nighttime sounds. We had pancakes and bacon from Germany when they came back. A single baboon entered the campground and started eating the left-behind potato chips while you searched for more food to steal. In addition, these baboons have evolved, developed yogi talents, and are ready to seize anything they can get their hands on. He merely entered the pavilion, and we were fortunate that he didn’t take anything. The potato chips also came out, and a bunch of baboons began to congregate around the campground. We went on a safari drive after leaving one pair behind to guard the tents.

We also returned to the ranger station to pay another charge, this one for the ranger to accompany us and identify the animals. We headed for the savanna in our land cruiser, where we saw more water bucks, impalas, and topees. With 4×4 routes, the savannah is also fairly accessible, and the guide knew all the best places to drive. He pointed out the giraffes chewing, the zebra herd, and the water buffalo in the shade to us. We also went in the direction of the lake, where we could see the hippos, the baboons, the blue-balled monkeys, the ducks, a massive stork, and a swimming snake. We had lunch, took down the camp, and then drove back to Kigali after the three-hour trip.