Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema in Akagera National Park
A Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema in Akagera National Park is one of the boat safaris offered in Rwanda. The park is home to wildlife species exclusively found in the savannah and is the only safari destination in Rwanda with game drives. Taking a boat safari on Lake Ihema in the Akagera National Park is one of the greatest ways to see the park and its wildlife. Akagera National Park is a protected region in eastern Rwanda that covers 1,122 square kilometres (433 sq mi) along the border with Tanzania. The park’s name comes from the Kagera River, which flows along its eastern boundary and empties into Lake Ihema and several smaller lakes.
Lake Ihema is the location of most boat cruises offered by Akagera. Situated in the southern region of the national park, this lake is among the ten largest in the area. The surface area of Lake Ihema is around 90 square kilometres, and its depth ranges from 5 to 7 metres. The easternmost point of the lake is where Rwanda and Tanzania meet. The famous River Kagera, which supplies most of the lakes in the national park, feeds the lake.
After the hour-long boat excursion, you’ll get a wonderful, unforgettable experience of the Rwanda national park. At 7.30 am, 9 am, 3 pm, and 4.30 pm, trips depart. In order to appreciate the park from the water’s edge, where crocodiles, hippos, and birds abound, there are three prearranged boat rides available: day, morning, and sunset.
The guide will give you a complete instruction and safety briefing before you set out on the lake. Furthermore, a cooler box with soft drinks and drinking water will be carried by your guide. It is possible to schedule private travel. One of the main hazards in Lake Ihema is the abundance of water hyacinth. Many birds and aquatic animals are in danger of dying because of the water hyacinth in the lake. Both the water’s quality and the ease with which boats may navigate the lake are impacted by water hyacinth.
Take a boat cruise on Lake Ihema to explore the diverse fauna that resides there. In Akagera National Park, tourists can see crocodiles and hippos while on a boat excursion on Lake Ihema. It is often known that there are more hippos in the lake than anywhere else in East Africa. A wide range of bird species, including the rare shoebill stork, jacanas, herons, sandpipers, malachite kingfisher, and hawk, are also visible to visitors.
The goal of your meandering around the shoreline surrounded by forests is to spot various animal and bird species. Hippos, crocodiles, herds of buffalo along the coastlines, the African fish eagle, crowned cranes, Carruthers Cisticola, and shoebill stork are a few of the animal and bird species that can be seen. You can learn more about the water and birds in the wetland marshes by taking a boat ride.
You’ll have an amazing experience and be able to count more animals than you saw on the safari game drives. During your boat launch, look for colourful Kingfishers, beautiful Fish Eagles, Egrets, Hammerkops with their massive nests, and even the prehistoric-looking Shoebill. You may also spot crocodiles, buffaloes, and hippos.
Akagera National Park is home to the highly sought-after African Big Five: buffalo, rhinos, elephants, lions, and leopards. For tourists travelling East Africa, Akagera is a significantly better alternative because of its close proximity to Kigali International Airport, Rwanda’s primary airport. It just takes about three hours to get from the airport to the park. Contact us to take part in a boat cruise on Lake Ihema in Akagera National Park.
