Experience
Boat Safari
Hippo, crocodile and fish eagles at water level
01What it is
A guided boat trip on Lake Ihema in Akagera National Park, among hippo, crocodile and shoreline birdlife.
The lakes are the other half of Akagera, and you cannot see them properly from a vehicle. A boat puts you at water level, which is where hippos look considerably larger.
Pods surface and blow a few metres away. Crocodiles lie along the banks. The shoreline is thick with herons, storks, cormorants and fish eagles, and the guides know where the shoebill has been seen.
It is the most relaxed thing you can do in the park, and often the thing people remember.
- Where
- Lake Ihema, Akagera
- Duration
- 1 to 2 hours
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Look for
- Hippo, crocodile, fish eagle, shoebill
02What to expect
- 01
Very close hippo
Pods surface around the boat. The guides keep a proper distance; it still feels close.
- 02
Crocodiles on the banks
Often large, usually motionless, easy to miss until pointed out.
- 03
Exceptional birding
Fish eagles, herons, storks, cormorants and, with luck, shoebill in the papyrus.
- 04
Scheduled departures
Boats run at set times, so it is worth fixing your slot when you book.
03Best time
Year-round. Mornings and late afternoons are the best light and the most activity.
- JanJan: best
- FebFeb: best
- MarMar: shoulder season
- AprApr: shoulder season
- MayMay: shoulder season
- JunJun: best
- JulJul: best
- AugAug: best
- SepSep: best
- OctOct: shoulder season
- NovNov: shoulder season
- DecDec: best
- Afternoon storms in the wet season can move or cancel departures.
04What to bring
- Sun hat and sun cream
- Binoculars
- A camera, kept in a dry bag
- A light layer for the wind on the water
05Requirements
- Departures are scheduled and should be booked ahead.
- Life jackets are provided and are to be worn.
- Current boat safari fees are confirmed at the time of booking.
Permit costs, age limits and park regulations are set by the Rwanda Development Board and its partners and change from time to time. We confirm the current position with you in writing before anything is booked.
07Journeys that include it
Tours
5 days · 4 nights
5-Day Rwanda Wildlife Adventure
Big Five savannah and mountain gorillas in one week
Akagera's plains and lakes for the Big Five, then north to the Virungas for a gorilla trek — the two headline experiences, without rushing either.
ClassicModeratePrice on request
7 days · 6 nights
7-Day Rwanda Discovery
Gorillas, rainforest and the lake in between
Kigali, the Virungas for gorillas, down the shore of Lake Kivu, and into Nyungwe for chimpanzees and the canopy walk.
ClassicModeratePrice on request
10 days · 9 nights
10-Day Rwanda Complete Experience
The whole country, at a pace that lets you enjoy it
Kigali, Akagera's savannah, the Virunga gorillas, Lake Kivu and Nyungwe's rainforest — every landscape Rwanda has, without a forced march.
ClassicModeratePrice on request
Yes. Hippos are dangerous animals and the boats keep a proper distance under experienced skippers. Life jackets are worn throughout.
Add it to your trip
Plan boat safari
Tell us roughly when you want to travel and what you want to see. We will come back with an itinerary built around it, not a package pulled off a shelf.