This lake is also the largest of all the fresh lakes found in the valleys of Rwanda. The terraced, steep hills also lead down to the beautiful lake shores and the three resort towns. These include; Kibuye, Gisenyi and Cyangugu. These towns also offer a welcoming treat with the active hikes to find the gorillas and the chimps in the volcanoes and Nyungwe Forest National park.
The tourists here relax, swim and also take a boat cruise past the small lake side villages that will reward you a glance of the true rural life. The towns are also connected by a large roller coaster road which flip flops through the lush plain fields and the relic patches of the misty rain forest that offers the far reaching views over the glittering lake.
It’s situated among the histrionic mountains of the Rift valley and the volcanic Virunga mountains to the north, the unfit shores of the Lake Kivu which forms lots of lets and peninsulas and the countless forest fringed waterfalls. This lake also sets in the rift valley that makes it one of the deepest lake in the world. The lake is 2650sqkm and is filled with fresh water that spans and the largest of all the lakes that dot the valleys of Rwanda. This lake also pours into Ruzizi River which flows south wards into Lake Tanganyika. The tourists can also view the local fishermen oaring through the waters in the traditional dugout canoes, and the brightly dressed women that decorate the villages, playing with the guitars and smoking from the wooden pipes. The lake is also a good place in between the gorilla safaris and the chimpanzee tracking in the national park.
There are also the well-organized boat trips that offer the guests a good way of adventuring the area of the lake and its surrounding including the rural life that lives in the villages at the lake edges.
After gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking and the many game driving tours in Akagera National park, the lake also offers the best place for resting and healing. Those that love sun bathing, swimming and water sports, Rwanda Rivera town of Gisenyi is the best place to enjoy this. If you like privacy for both mental and physical relaxation, we recommend Kibuye Guest House that is located in the south of the lake. And in case you look the speed boats, canoe sailing, picnics, mountain walks, Kibuye town will offer you all these facilities to your well gratification. There are also the lovey villas that are found along the tree lined shores, there are also the white beaches and the lake being crystal clear. In Rwanda this is the place that needs the longest stay possible.
This is also the most beautiful inland sea which is restricted by the steep, green terraced hills along the border of Congo to the three towns of Gisenyi, Cyangugu and Kibuye that stand on the coastal and is also connected by the wild coaster road that hand springs through the lush plain field and the patches of the misty rain forest that gives the sweeping views of the blue water. It’s also one of the best road journeys in Africa and you will also have a charter boat service on the lake that connects the 3 towns.
Gisenyi is also the most developed of these resorts and is situated few hour’s drive from Volcanoes National park and is also set on the sandy beach that is also lined with the palms and the colonial era hotels which emits an atmosphere of the tropical idleness. At Kibuye in the southern side, Rwanda safari tourist activities are also positioned on the modern lake shores guest house that overlooks the pine that is covered hills deceptively transplanted from the Alps. Cyangugu is also near Nyungwe forest whose passive tourist development is compensated for by the stirring setting of the curving inlets that wind into the narrow valleys
The lake is also known to be the largest fresh water body that sparkle in the valleys of Rwanda. The lakes of Ruhondo and Burera that are close to gorilla trekking center of Ruhengeri are often neglected and have got deep blue waters and are ringed by the steep hills and tall waterfalls, with the Virunga volcanoes that gives a fantastic back drop.
In the far place from the main resort, Rwanda’s lakes also give guests a rewarding glimpse into the ancient African life style. In this area, the fishermen layer the water with in the dugout canoe unchanged in design for the centuries as the colorful dressed ladies smoke the traditional wooden pipes and the minstrel playing sweetly on the stringed guitars. The bird life here is so fantastic with flotillas of pelicans that sail the heavily across the open water crowned cranes that groom their golden crests in the near surrounding swamps and the Jewel like the malachite kingfisher hawk.
Activities carried out on Lake Kivu
In order to discover the three main vibrant resort towns, and following the many water sports activities they have to give, and boating to the many island that are found on this lake are also many activities that are present in the area. At the far from the main resort, Rwanda’s lakes also give the guests a rewarding glimpse into the ancient African life styles as the men go about their fishing and the women that dot the air with the played sound of the traditional guitar. The bird species found here also include; the crowned cranes, pelicans, the malachite kingfishers and many more. For sun bathing, water sports activities and Rwanda in Rivera town and Gisenyi also gives the speed boats, canoes, picnics and the mountain walks.
When to visit Lake Kivu
Rwanda is also a high elevation level and the lowest lying areas that are estimated at 900m above sea level. The mountainous land scape is in the gorilla trekking areas and it means that the altitude can reach at 3000m. The height which is also mixed with Rwanda’s closeness to the equator allows the country to adventure a tropical climate with the temperature that remains constant throughout the year. The average temperatures are also at mid to low 20s degrees Celsius.
The rainfall also describes the seasons in Rwanda and there is a long rainy season which lasts from March until May and during this time, the rain is too heavy and persistent. June to September also brings the long dry season, which brings some cloud cover and might also come with rare light showers. The shorts rains also follow in October and November before a short dry spell that also returns from December to February.
Rwanda has also got only degrees south of the equator, though its altitude also means that the temperatures are rarely extreme in the 70s F/22 C during day time and over 60s F/16-21 at Night. You can also see the frost in the high mountains. The months of January, July, September are also known to be dry seasons. During the rainy seasons, heavy rain pours and these also occur on a daily basis and after the showers, the rest of the day might be sunny. It’s also known to rain any time with in volcanoes National park and the area also receives 90% of the rainfall that falls on the country.