Rwanda camping safaris might not be close to that of a typical camping destination but the country has a few awesome camps that can take that feeling away. Some of the best camps in Rwanda are found in Akagera national park. There are hardly any good camps in volcanoes national park and Nyungwe forest national park So if you are planning on camping in Rwanda, consider Akagera national park as your ideal location.

Enjoy Rwanda camping safaris as you head for gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park in the northwestern park of Rwanda, home to the world’s endangered mountain gorillas and the late Dian Fossey grave as well as Karisoke research center. Gorillas are the closest human being relatives with 98% DNA as well as human behavior. Only 8 people are allowed to track these gorillas and they must be ages 15 and above.

Camping holidays in Rwanda

This is the best safari for couples, who are in search of a noiseless place to have their vacation or honeymoon; it is the best way of heading to the wilderness with your loved one, take part in different activities such as gorilla and chimpanzee trekking, nature and canopy walk among others, and return evening to a well-positioned tented shelter, very comfortable with a favorable ambiance sharing endless memories. Research students can’t miss this out, since it is cheap, and exposes them to the wilderness, experiencing what happens in the park at night when all the lights are off but only the moon, stars, and animals freely roaming in their territories looking for what to eat.

You can carry your tent and erect it or sleep in those at different designated camping sites, as long as you own your personal belongings such as forks, bathing soaps, spoons, source pans and plates for cooking, torches, and other necessities. Bed linen can be hired on-site or one can carry theirs. We encourage adventure tourists, families taking on vacation, youths to take on a camping safari as they have so many flexible options to adjust to apart from enjoying a calm and private environment. You can choose to stay in a luxurious, mid-range, or budget camp depending on your choice, all these come with services you can find in a safari lodge such as water, beddings, bars, and delicious meals among others.

Camping in Rwanda is done in two national parks that is Akagera national park located in the eastern part of the country as well as Nyungwe forest national park which is famous for chimpanzee trekking. The best camping place we would recommend is Akagera national park with several camping sites such as Shakani Akagera campsite, Muyumba campsites, Mutamba Akagera campsite among others. You can hire these campsites at the reception and firewood is always provided on-site but visitors are always asked to bring their own camping supplies. Camping in Rwanda offers toilets and washrooms but what we can say is that the water is not safe for drinking, therefore, you need to bring yourself water to drink.

With camping, the travelers always enjoy endless fun and entertainment under the sky with songs and stories shared during the campfire and increased chances of seeing nocturnal animals moving around the territories.

Camping Safaris in Akagera national park Rwanda

Akagera national park is one of the perfect destinations in Rwanda for a camping safari. Visitors will be able to sleep under the blue stead skies. The camping safari is amazing as visitors will hear or encounter sounds of nocturnal animals such as while staying in their wonderful camps. Visitors will always leave their camps as stated in the itinerary to go and do activities then come back to their camps. Some of the activities done in Akagera national park are as below

Game drives

Game drives are the main reasons thousands of people visit Akagera national park. The Park is blessed with abundant wildlife and game viewing in this park gives you an opportunity to spot different animals such as hippos, crocodiles, olive baboons, blue monkeys, lions, elephants, bush babies, leopards, zebras, duikers, topis, elands, and so many others.

Birding

Akagera national park is home to more than 525 bird species which makes it one of the best biding spots in the country. The best birding areas in Akagera national park are places near lake Ihema, wetlands, and the islands.  When you do birding in Akagera national park you should expect to see birds such as Strange Weaver, white-winged swamp warbler, white collared olive back, white-tailed blue flycatcher, papyrus gonoleck, grey crowned crane, shoebill stork, northern brown-throated weaver, Rwenzori batis, regal sunbird, and Caruthers’s cisticola among others.

Boat safari

A boat cruise in Akagera national park is a relaxing and rewarding way to view different wildlife species. the boat cruise in Akagera national park is done on Lake Ihema which is the second biggest lake in Rwanda and it’s famous for harboring the largest population of hippos and crocodiles. The boat cruise in Akagera national park gives you an opportunity to take up-close photos of animals in and around water shores. Different animals such as hippos, impalas, elephants, common duiker, lions, buffaloes, waterbuck among others are seen drinking water on the shores of the lake. The boat cruise also exposes you to different bird species such as shoebill, plovers, ibis, hawk, herons, and papyrus gonolek among others.

Camping Safaris in Nyungwe forest national park Rwanda

Nyungwe forest national park is one of the national parks in Rwanda that tourists can go for camping safaris. The Park is located in the southwestern part of Rwanda on the shores of Lake Kivu and on the borders with DR Congo and Burundi. Tourists who do camping in Nyungwe forest national park stay overnight in the wilderness sleeping in tented camps. Campsites in Nyungwe are placed at Uwinka Reception Centre, mount Bigugu, Macheo ecolodge, Kitabi eco-center, and Congo Nile divide trail. During camping, you can come along with your camping gear or hire them from the park. A number of activities can be done in Nyungwe forest national park on a camping safari; these include;

Chimpanzee trekking

Chimpanzee trekking is the most done activity in Nyungwe with more than 400 chimpanzee individuals finding their home in this thick forest. The Park is the only place to see chimpanzees in Rwanda. Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park starts with a briefing at Kitabi, Uwinka, and Gisakura where trekkers meet early in the morning for a briefing about the rules and regulations of chimpanzee trekking. After the briefing, the tourists are grouped into 8 and a ranger guide leads them into the jungle in search of these gentle apes. after locating the chimpanzees, trekkers are given a maximum of one hour to be around these primates as they learn about their behaviors and also take pictures. There is also a chimpanzee habituated in Nyungwe forest national park where you get to meet a group with over 60 members and spend a maximum of 4 hours around them. Trekking is done by children above 15 years and all participants must have a valid chimpanzee trekking permit. Chimpanzee trekking permit costs $90 foreign non-residents, $60 foreign residents, and $10 East African citizens.

Monkey trekking

Nyungwe forest national park is home to 12 species of monkeys making it the best place to trek monkeys. While in Nyungwe forest national park you expect to see different monkey species such as blue monkeys, L’hoests monkeys, golden monkeys, owl-faced monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, crowned monkeys, vervet monkeys, Dent’s Mona monkeys, and olive baboons among others. Monkey trekking in Nyungwe forest national park is done at a fee of $60 foreign non-residents, $40 foreign residents, and $10 citizens of East Africa. the trekking lasts for 1- 4 hours around these monkeys taking photos and learning about their habits.

Canopy walk

The canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park was introduced in 2010 but it’s one of its kind in East Africa as a tourist activity and attraction. The canopy walk in Nyungwe is 90 meters long and 50 meters above the ground. It starts with a briefing at Uwinka after which the tourists move to go for a canopy walk. The canopy walk gives tourists an aerial view of the park, nearby communities, forest animals, and birds as well as Virunga volcanoes. The walk lasts for 2 hours and the participants must be ages 6 years and above with a valid permit which costs $60 foreign non-residents, $50 foreign residents, and $10 east African residents.

Bird watching

Nyungwe forest national park is one of the best birding spots in Rwanda with over 300 bird species that have been so far recorded in the park. 120 of these are forest birds while 27 are endemic to the Albertine rift valley. Some of the bird species in Nyungwe forest national park include red-colored babblers, Red-collared babblers, Eastern Mountain Greenbul, Great Blue Turaco, doherty’s bush-shrike, Grey Cuckoo shrike, Handsome spur fowls, handsome francolin, Thick-billed Seedeater, Neumann’s Warbler, blue-headed sunbird, Albertine owlet, Purple Breasted Sunbirds, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, grauer’s warbler, Regal Sunbird, Rwenzori Batis, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, White-starred Robin, swamp warbler, Rwenzori Nightjar, Rwenzori Turaco, blue-headed sunbird, Albertine owlet, and regal sunbird among others

Best time to visit Rwanda for camping safaris

Rwanda can be visited at any time of the year but the best time that we can recommend is the dry season which happens from June to September and December to February. It’s during the dry months that there is little or no rainfall, the roads are passable, vegetation in the parks is thin making it easy to spot animals and the trekking trails are less muddy and slippery.