Akagera National park

Akagera National Park is the only savannah and largest national park situated in the eastern parts of Rwanda sharing an international border with Tanzania. Akagera National Park covers an area size of 1,122 square Kilometres characterised by woodland, swamps, low mountains and savannah mainly to shelter wildlife such as the big Five animals like Lions, Leopards, Buffaloes, Elephants, Rhinos as well as other wildlife animals include Giraffe, Zebras, and a variety of bird species like the rare shoebill stork among more. Akagera National Park is one of the oldest national parks in Africa which was a battle field between the Army of Rwanda and the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) a rebel group typically composed of the Tutsi exiles then later established in 1934 by the Belgian Colonial Government mainly to protect the region’s wildlife amid increasing threats. The Park is named after the Kagera River which flows down in the southern part of the park and feeds into several small lakes and Lake Ihema a home to the hippos and crocodiles. The Kagera River also known as Akagera River or Alexandra Nile is an East African River forming part of the upper headwaters of the Nile and it carries water from its most distant source located in Lake Rweru in Rwanda of about 597 km total length. The Park is mainly famous for the presence of the Big Five wild animals which are the main attractions namely Lions, Leopards, Buffaloes, Elephants, Rhinos and other wildlife and various bird species.

ACTIVITIES IN AKAGERA NATIONAL PARK:

Akagera National Park supports participation in different activities such as boat cruise on Lake Ihema, Game drives in search for the Big Five animals and other wildlife and sport fishing on Lake Shakani among more;

• Wildlife viewing

Akagera National Park has a diverse landscape and it’s the only savannah park that supports the presence the Big Five animals like Lions, Leopards, Buffaloes, Elephants, and the reintroduced Rhinos as well as other wildlife animals include Giraffe, Zebras, elands, warthogs, hyenas among more hence encouraging wildlife viewing through game drives both day game drive and night game drive to spot nocturnal animals as well.

• Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema

Akagera National Park has a famous largest Lake Ihema a home to the hippos and crocodiles thereby it supports taking a boat cruise on it for an up-close view of the hippos and crocodiles and water birds.

• Sport Fishing

Akagera National Park has Lake Shakani which supports the presence of various fish species such as Tilapia, Catfish that is best practiced with a Park’s fishing policy which is Catch-and-Release Policy.

• Bird Watching

Akagera National Park boasts of over 500 bird species such as the rare shoebill stork, papyrus gonolek, African fish Eagle, red-faced barbet and numerous water birds hence a fantastic birding destination.

• Guided Nature Walks

Akagera National Park encourages taking a guided nature walk with an experienced guide in exploring the Park’s unique Flora and Fauna.

• Cultural Experiences

The Park supports visiting the nearby local communities to learn about their traditional cattle herding, milking, local foods and beer preparations.

The post Akagera National park appeared first on Sante tours.

Volcanoes National park

Volcanoes National Park is African’s oldest national Park situated in the north-western parts of Rwanda protecting the mountain ranges steep slopes which harbours the endangered mountain gorillas hence a prime destination for gorilla trekking and it’s part of Virunga mountains, which are shared by Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. Volcanoes National Park sits on 160 square Kilometres of area size characterised by lush rainforests and bamboo forests which encompasses five volcanoes of the Eight volcanoes in the Virunga mountains namely Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga, and Sabyinyo offering a home to a variety of wildlife together with the mountain gorillas, Golden Monkeys and over 200 bird species. The Park was established in 1925 by the Belgian colonial government mainly to protect the endangered mountain gorillas and other wildlife from poacher. The Park is about 94Km away from Kigali town which is approximately 2 hours road drive depending on the traffic conditions.

ACTIVITIES IN VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK:

Volcanoes National Park is characterised with various activities offered from it’s attractions in the park as detailed below;

• Gorilla Trekking

Volcanoes National Park is home to the famous endangered mountain gorillas hence a prime destination for gorilla trekking in Rwanda.

• Golden Monkey Tracking

Volcanoes National Park is also harbouring golden monkeys that can be tracked within the park’s bamboo forests in Rwanda.

• Bird watching

Volcanoes National Park boasts of over 200 bird species residing in the park including the Albertine rift endemics making it a perfect birder’s paradise hence bird watching.

• Volcano Hiking

Volcanoes National Park encompasses five volcanoes of the Eight volcanoes in the Virunga mountains namely Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga, and Sabyinyo offering a home to a variety of wildlife together with the mountain gorillas, Golden Monkeys and over 200 bird species. Mount Bisoke being the most popular one for its crater lake hence encouraging volcano hiking with different challenging trails.

• Twin Lake (Ruhondo and Burera) visit

The Park contains these scenic lakes that can be visited and they offer experiences of boat cruise, and beautiful views of the surrounding landscapes.

• Iby’Iwacu Cultural Encounter

The Park encourages visitors to visit the Iby’Iwacu Cultural village where they showcase Rwandan Culture through traditional dances, crafts, and way of life.

The post Volcanoes National park Rwanda appeared first on Sante tours.

Kazinga Channel is a 32KM long nature waterway about about 6 to 8 meters depth approximately 20 to 26 feet deep supporting a diverse aquatic life such as wildlife like the high density of hippo population, baby crocodiles, hundreds of bird species as well as terrestrial life thereby a balance in the eco-system. The Channel is about 32KM long connecting between Lake Edward and Lake George within the northern parts of Queen Elizabeth National Park, located in Kasese District, Uganda.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is a second largest savannah national park in Uganda which was gazetted in 1952 as Kazinga National Park when it was a game reserve and later it was renamed to Queen Elizabeth National Park after the royal visit of Queen Elizabeth, the second of England.

Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise;

Welcome to the Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park, which offers two-hours experience on the water to see closely the channel’s inhabitants and sceneries.

This channel is located in the northern parts of Queen Elizabeth national park and allows you take a boat cruise starting typically from the Mweya Peninsula towards Lake Edward side. The Boat Cruise is one of the park’s top tourist attractions at the channel exposing travelers to an opportunity of viewing a variety of wildlife, making it a prime destination for safaris and bird watching.

The channel is famous for being one of the largest hippo concentrations in the world, numerous baby crocodiles on the banks or lurk in water, elephant herds usually at the banks drinking and bathing at the channel, African cape buffalo at the banks, variety of antelopes usually on the shoreline and other mammals.

The Channel is a significant bird watching haven, with over 600 bird species recorded such as African Fish Eagle, Pelicans, Marabou storks, Kingfishers and herons amongst.

A boat cruise on Kazinga Channel costs 30USD for Foreign Non-residents per person, 25USD for Foreign Residents per person and 30,000UGX for East African Citizens per person then 450,000UGX per school group or 15,000UGX per student.

Kindly note that all these activities on Kazinga Channel can be done in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and missing out on there activities would be so unfortune thereby I recommend a full safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

A 3 Day Trip to Queen Elizabeth National Park goes for 900 US Dollars.

The post Kazinga Channel Boat Trip appeared first on Sante tours.

Things to know about Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi : Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda refers to hiking through the dense impenetrable rainforest of Bwindi that’s usually walking through steep slopes and highlands, dense forests, swamps and water streams in search for the mountain gorillas in their natural habitats.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a forest national park situated in the southwestern parts of Uganda spanning across three districts namely Kanungu, Rubanda and Kisoro harboring half of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas and other forest mammals with bird species in its different sectors.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is about 512KM approximately 9 to 10 hours road drive from Kampala Capital City of Uganda then you can head to the destined sector of Bwindi according to the issued permit sector. If Buhoma sector you should head to Kanungu district, if Ruhija you should head to Rubanda sector and finally if Nkuringo and Rushaga, you should head to Kisoro district.

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi takes place in four sectors namely Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo. Each Sector has a different terrain hiking challenge with different mountain gorilla families.

Gorilla Trekking Age Limit

This activity supports 15-year age limit to book for a permit to ensure safety of both the trekkers and the endangered mountain gorillas. This is because younger children may lack the maturity to understand and follow the guidelines for gorilla trekking and also the terrains may be challenging hence require good hiking skills to navigate difficult trails easily.

Gorilla Trekking Permit

This is a document from Uganda wildlife Authority that allows you to trek the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. This permit should be booked in advance by Sante Tour Operator especially in peak seasons and low seasons and note that in case missed the activity, the fees are non-refundable by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The Permit costs USD 800 for non-foreign residents per person in Uganda and USD 1500 for non-foreign residents per person in Rwanda.

Kindly note you may be denied entry if you are sick with contagious diseases.

Significant Guideline and requirements:

• Booked valid Gorilla Trekking permit in advance
• A trekker should be 15-years of age and above
• A trekker should be free from communicable diseases
• Wear comfortable hiking boots with good tractions, long pants, rain jacket, gloves and a face mask
• Good hiking skills or we may suggest for you an African aero-copter to assist you on difficulty trails

Things to observe while carrying out Gorilla Trekking;

1. Face Mask

You are required to keep your face mask on once you have reached the mountain gorillas, this is to protect them from human diseases since they share 98% of our DNA!

2. Gorilla Family

All trekkers are divided into different groups of 6, 8 or 10 people and led to the different gorilla families. Each group is assigned to one gorilla family, these gorillas have names and unique personalities. The rangers and trackers know them like buddies hence you shall feel like you’re visiting someone’s home and you need to known as if it’s not in the wild

3. Gorilla Movement

These gorilla families keep moving from one place to another while feeding, and in their movements, they usually lean towards the direction of there movements. Every morning once they wake up, these gorillas make a peep on there nest before moving as a sign it’s their territory, this act helps trackers to know the whereabouts of gorillas.

4. Hiking Challenge

Gorilla Trekking has both high and short hiking challenges, so you may ask your ranger to choose an easy hike to difficult one depending on the group desire. The hike may take between one hour to 8 hours after briefing depending on the terrain you have chosen. For the weak, or disabled, i would kindly recommend the service of an African aero copter in park.

5. Staring at the Silverback is rude

Looking directly into the silverback’s eyes is seen as a challenge to them, hence stay calm, communicate in gorilla language where necessary if you can, and if they kick you, please do not kick back because they love playing.

6. One magical Hour with Gorillas

After trekking through steep slopes and highlands, dense forests, swamps and water streams in search for the mountain gorillas in their natural habitats, you shall be granted one magical hour with the gorilla family to closely interface and interact with them, watching and observing about their way of life for example playing, feeding among more.

Note that you can book with sante tours and travel a 3-day Gorilla Trekking trip to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park at only USD 2400.

The post Things to know about Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi appeared first on Sante tours.

Birding in Mabamba Swamps Uganda : Discover Uganda’s Most Popular Exotic and Rare Bird named Uganda’s Rare Shoebill Stork. Everything you know and have heard about Uganda is True and Not….Uganda The Pearl of Africa! Let’s start by travelling to Mabamba Swamp for birding in Uganda.

Mabamba Swamp is a well-protected international wetland situated west side of Entebbe on the northern shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda harboring over 300 bird species with a high concentration of the exclusive iconic Shoebill Stork which is the most sought for bird in Uganda hence a prime destination for birding.

It is a natural wetland consisting of thick marshes, papyrus trails, grasses, water lily pads and lagoons on the northern shores of Lake Victoria covering 2424 ha.

The name Mabamba originates from the local Luganda word for Lungfish called Emamba which fish is found in this swamp.

Travel to Mabamba Wetland by water From Entebbe Nakiwogo/ Port Alice station on a speed engine Water Boat taking about 45 minutes to reach the wetland entrance then jump onto a traditional motorized wooden Canoe to search for the exclusive Shoebill Stork or alternatively travel by road for about 2 hours using Kampala-Masaka Highway to Mpigi then branch off to the left drive to Mabamba Wetlands or another way is by road using Nakawuka- Kasanje road from Kampala then a boat.

Birding in Mabamba Wetlands is best done on a traditional Motorized wooden Canoe thrilling and navigating through the lily pads and papyrus trails of the swamp as well as cutting the thick marshes to search for a rare Shoebill Stork.

The traditional Motorized wooden Canoe is normally operated by the local guides who have grown up in the area and are familiar with the wetland ecosystem.

Mabamba swamp can be visited all year round in the different seasons in Uganda but the most ideal times is during the dry season in the months of August to September, December, January and February in order to watch the Shoebill very well since in the months of June, July are the nesting season and here the Shoebill Stork tend to stay deep in the swamp hence are harder to spot.

Consider doing with us a one-day tour Shoebill Stork birding Experience in Mabamba Wetlands with other bird views such as Kingfishers, swallows, migratory birds and other papyrus bird species

Pricing Range between $70 to $150.

The post Birding in Mabamba Swamps Uganda appeared first on Sante tours.