Lake Kivu

Highlights

• Swimming - unusual for a lake this size in this region, and the main reason to come
• Kayaking and boat trips between the islands, with a marked kayak trail along the shore
• The Congo Nile Trail along the shoreline, walkable or cyclable in sections or in full
• Coffee plantations on the hills above the lake, most of which take visitors
• Gisenyi, Kibuye and Cyangugu - three quite different lakeside towns

Getting around

• Roughly three hours by road from Kigali, on good tarmac for most of the way.
• Boats connect the lakeside towns, more slowly but far more pleasantly than the road.
• Often combined with Volcanoes National Park, which is close to Gisenyi in the north.

Good to know

• Two to four nights, most naturally after gorilla trekking.
• Kibuye is the prettiest of the three towns for a short stay; Gisenyi is the liveliest.
• The Congo Nile Trail can be done in short sections - you do not have to commit to the whole thing.
• The lake holds dissolved gases at depth, which is a well-monitored geological curiosity rather than a swimming hazard.

Swimming is safe and normal here. On the water, check boats carry life jackets - the lake is large and weather can change. The deep-water gas layers are monitored and pose no risk to swimmers.