Hot Air Balloon Tours in Akagera National Park
Hot Air Balloon Tours in Akagera National Park: On 17th January, 2022, Royal Balloons launched its first hot air balloon tours in Akagera National Park in Rwanda. Royal Balloon Rwanda, in collaboration with the Rwanda Development Board and Akagera Management Company, is thrilled to announce the launch of its operations in Rwanda by providing the country’s first hot air balloon experience in Akagera National Park.
Royal Balloon Rwanda has two hot air balloons that can seat 4 to 6 passengers each. The Hot Air Balloon soars to heights of up to 1000 meters over the park’s stunning savanna-covered landscapes, which are home to the big five – elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards, and buffaloes – and other diverse kinds of animals.
The addition of hot air balloon trips to Akagera National Park is yet another exciting addition to Rwanda’s adventure tourism offerings. It also provides Rwanda with a chance to continue building new alliances and ensuring greater investments in the tourism sector in order to satisfy travellers’ expectations while also contributing to conservation in a sustainable manner.
Atilla Turkmen, Managing Director of Royal Balloon Rwanda, was overjoyed to join forces with Akagera Management Company and launch hot air balloon excursions in Akagera National Park. The action is an excellent illustration of how conservation may improve the natural habitat and the lives of the people who live nearby.
Hot air balloon flights at Akagera National Park will provide tourists with a thrilling new view of the park’s stunning and distinctive landscapes while also helping financially to the park’s conservation. The activity has also created new employment and sources of revenue in the neighboring communities.
Royal Balloon Rwanda is part of a tourist organization that has been in business for almost 30 years. It runs hotels in Turkey and hot air balloon rides in numerous natural sites in Eastern and Southern Africa. Countries have adopted this practice in order to broaden tourist itineraries and lengthen their stay.
Where do hot air balloon tours in Akagera National Park Start?
Your adventure begins when you arrive at the take-off spot in Kayitaba, which is just 5 minutes’ drive from the Akagera National Park’s South Entrance gate.
Visitors doing the hot air balloon tour in Akagera national park are expected to be at the take-off place at 5:15 a.m. (this time will be altered depending on dawn time). Royal Balloon Rwanda staff will meet you and provide information as you watch the hot air balloon being prepared.
While you are enjoying your early morning coffee and snack, our skilled pilots begin to fill the balloon, providing you with the opportunity to capture beautiful photographs.
What to expect at the end of your hot air balloon tour in Akagera National Park?
The experience concludes with a champagne celebration after landing, as is customary for hot air balloons, and the receipt of a flight certificate signed by our pilots as a memento of this amazing day.
Guests are urged to wear covered shoes and, owing to the cold temperature, to bring a coat.
About Akagera National Park.
Akagera National Park, located in eastern Rwanda, has 2500 square kilometers of mostly Savannah terrain. The park takes its name from the Kagera River, which flows along Rwanda’s eastern border with Tanzania. Lake Ihema and several smaller lakes in and around the park are fed by the river.
The park preserves an acacia and shrub environment with sections of open grassland and a dozen marshy lakes typical of the African Savannah. It has a high degree of biodiversity and is part of a huge protected wetland. Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s only Savannah national park and the only area to see the majority of the large species when on safari. There are forest elephants in the other parks, but they are difficult to see. On a game drive, you may explore the park from the luxury of your safari vehicle.
Activities Offered in Akagera National Park, Rwanda.
Game Drives
Most visitors look forward to game drives in Akagera National Park because they get to view all of the species that lives there as well as the wide environment that surrounds it. Game drives are available throughout the park, and with the assistance of a tour guide, you will have the finest experience while in the nation. Night drives are also available for tourists, and nocturnal species to watch out for include bush babies, hyenas, owls, leopards, nightjars, and genets, among others. Other wildlife animals spotted in Akagera national park includes; Rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, antelopes, baboons, zebras, giraffes, and elephants to mention but a few.
Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema.
Aside from the fauna that inhabits the National Park, Akagera National Park is properly drained with several lakes that serve as bird nesting grounds and, more importantly, help with boat journeys in the Park. Boat tours are often conducted at Ihema Lake, which also has a variety of aquatic wildlife such as hippos, crocodiles, and several fish types. The boat journeys are conducted in the mornings and evenings, and only 11 persons are permitted on board. The boat trips cost around 180 US dollars per trip; however the price may vary somewhat depending on the season.
Bird Watching.
In Rwanda, Akagera National Park is a renowned and important birding destination. Bird watchers will like visiting Akagera National Park since it allows them to see endangered bird species such as the papyrus Gonolek and the shoebill as well as more common species such as weavers, egrets, and various Kingfishers. Birding may be done on a wildlife drive, a nature walk with a ranger escort, or a boat safari on Lake Ihema. Birding on Lake Ihema allows you to witness aquatic species that you would not see on a game drive on the Savannah grassland. Overall, we encourage birding at Akagera National Park because of the variety and accessibility with which you may view the species.
Fishing
On Lake Shakani, the park provides sport fishing opportunities. For sport fishing on this lake, you must obtain a reservation with the park. Even though the objective is to catch and release, you are offered the option to keep one catch for a dinner if you so want.
Other activities offered by the park include Behind the Scenes tour, Walk the Line, guided nature walks and not forgetting the newly introduced hot air balloon tours.
Contact us directly on info@akageranationalparkrwanda.org if you would like to book a wildlife safari in Akagera national park with an addition of a hot air balloon tour.
