Lake Kivu

Discover the prominent Lake Kivu in Rwanda, located along the Rift Valley and one of the Great Lakes in Africa. Lake Kivu is the largest water body in Rwanda, situated in the West close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Many travelers are interested in adventuring around the 2,700 sq km waters of Lake Kivu, one of the prime attractions during the Rwanda wildlife safari. The feature hosts a number of activities like boat cruise, Kayaking, hiking, and birding, among others. While exploring the city of Gisenyi, travelers can witness the limnic eruptions around Lake Kivu being one of the 3 lakes in the world that undergoes that process.

Lake Kivu is the center of relaxation for trekkers after indulging in the hectic gorilla trekking adventures, chimpanzee tracking and the Big Five viewing tour. Moreover, there is a large urban world around the Lake Kivu offering accommodation facilities to those visiting Volcanoes National Park in the northwest. This area hosts numerous photogenic features like rolling hills, rainforests, urban centers, the Rift Valley, the high standing Virunga Ranges.

Lake Kivu is the ultimate and dream destination of birders with many species of birds about 300 that are available during the boat cruise experience. During the Rwanda Sport Fishing tour, this waterbody is highly admired as it has many freshwater fish species and the famous ones being the Nile Tilapia, Catfish to mention.        It is a common event in the dry months from June to December, a huge number of sport fishers from around the world visit Kivu and Lake Ihema in Akagera National park. The time around the lake is rewarding to people who relax in the tranquil environment and enjoy an epic Africa wildlife safari tour in Rwanda.

Activities & Attractions- What to do in Lake Kivu

  • Sport fishing

Sport fishing is a recreational activity invoving catching fish and releasing it back to the water. Despite being smaller other Great Lakes of Africa, Lake Kivu possesses a wide range fish species that many sport fishers are eager to catch in East Africa. While sport fishing in the Lake Kivu of Rwanda, species such Blue-spotted tilapia, Nile Tilapia, Lake Tanganyika Sardine and Redbreast tilapia are usual.

 

  • The Boat Cruise

One of the most epic adventures around Lake Kivu is the boat cruise in one of the most safe waterbodies. Engaging in the boat cruise is a relaxing experience to make you reenergize after doing the exhausting Rwanda Wildlife Safari. Usually, after experiencing the once-in-a lifetime moment around mountain gorillas, travelers indulge in the recreational activities around Gisenyi City. There are many boat available at the lake shores that one can hire and cruise on the biggest lake in the Republic of Rwanda.

  • Birding in Lake Kivu

Lake Kivu is a venerated bird sanctuary that should not be overlooked while traveling to one of best travel countries in Africa. The birding trip in the pristine waters is rewarding and unveils about 350 species of birds both migratory and endemics. The sightings made in this area resemble those in other key bird watching destinations like Volcanoes National Park, Akagera National Park and Nyungwe.

  • Wildlife watching

For the lucky travelers in East Africa, there is a lot to experience around the Rift Valley lake. The region around Lake Kivu is a rich wildlife paradise with a lot of once in a lifetime adventures like gorilla trekking and Big Fives ( lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffalos). Depending on the preference of the visitors, there are numerous safari activities like nature walks, community visits, gorilla trekking, golden monkey tracking and bird watching.

  • The photogenic experience

Nothing compares to the photogenic places around the countryside near Lake Kivu. The area shimmers with iconic features like the Rift Valley escarpments, rolling hills, Virunga Mountains, lush green nature, deep valleys. The lava flows from the eruption of the nearby volcanoes in the Democratic Republic of Congo are evident. The experience is satisfying allowing people to capture iconic moments and features that will last forever.

The Best Time To Visit

When choosing any place in East Africa ( Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania), it is important to know that the best time to visit Lake Kivu and other places in the region is during the dry season in the months of June to September and December to Februar,y when there are low rains. This makes it easy to move through the tracks in the national parks, traverse the bushes and spot wildlife in the jungles.

How To get to Lake Kivu

Lake Kivu is situated in the region close to Volcanoes National Park and the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. The place is about 2-3 hours drive the city center of Kigali heading in the northwest towards Gisenyi City. On reaching Gisenyi City, the lake can be seen from most the points and one could choose to walk or drive to the area.