Things to do in Lake Kivu
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Lake Kivu
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Long dry season, best for swimming, boats, kayaking and trail stages, with peak season pressure on small hotels.
Short dry season, mostly dry and good for the lake, with festive pressure and a need to check the current border situation in the exact weeks.
Long rains peaking in April, weakest beach months, muddy trails and the national commemoration week from 7 April.
Short rains, greener and quieter, with vivid tea hills and prices dipping outside the main season.
What's on
- Kwita Izina September
Gorilla naming ceremony near Volcanoes National Park, fills northern itineraries and Rubavu hotels around it.
- Genocide Memorial Day 7 April
Start of the national commemoration week, subdued services in every lakeside town.
Best things to do in Lake Kivu
Rubavu Public Beach
The town beach in Gisenyi where families, traders and hotel guests share one sandy bay on the lake.
Nyamyumba Hot Springs
Natural hot springs on the shore south of Rubavu, a social local soak with an optional massage.
Museum of Environment
Two floors on Rwanda ecosystems and energy, plus a rooftop medicinal plant garden above the lake.
Kibuye Genocide Memorial
Lakeside memorial at Kibuye to victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Visit quietly and slowly.
Napoleon Island
Boat from Kibuye to hike the island summit, see its fruit bat colony and take in the bay of islands.
Night Fishing Experience
Go out at dusk alongside the singing sambaza fishing fleet, the lake's most distinctive evening.
Idjwi Island
Future window only. Large Congolese island of coffee and lakeside villages, closed to visitors today.
Where to stay in Lake Kivu
Karongi (Kibuye)
calmest base for travel today, couples and families
Central shore bay of islands, the lake's top splurge hotel and its best budget guesthouse, away from the land border.
Rubavu (Gisenyi)
widest choice, trailhead and lake services
Northern town on the DRC border itself, with the Serena, lodges, restaurants and the Congo Nile Trail start.
Rusizi (Kamembe, Cyangugu)
Nyungwe pairing, south end base
Lakeside town on the Bukavu border with a modern marina hotel, in the high risk border strip.
Think twice about
- Goma, Bukavu and the whole Congolese shore, including Idjwi Island
Do not travel today. Goma and Bukavu are under M23 control.
- Rwanda border strip within 10 km of DR Congo, including the Grande Barriere and Cyangugu crossings
The high risk strip along the border, including the Lake Kivu islands near Rusizi. Do not linger at, photograph or depend on a crossing, and crossings may close at short notice.
Best restaurants in Lake Kivu
The Bistro Wine Garage
Wine led bistro in Gisenyi, the closest thing Rubavu has to a splurge table, relative to local prices.
Saga Bay Restaurant
Long running lakeside restaurant in Gisenyi for grilled lake fish and a long dinner over the water.
Migano Cafe
The Gisenyi cafe people linger in, Rwandan coffee, fuller meals, a small library and working WiFi.
Cormoran Lodge
Dinner on a wooden lodge terrace over the Kibuye shore, the mid range special evening in Karongi.
Emeraude Kivu Resort
Lakeside resort dining room at Kamembe, the south end's most complete visitor table for lake fish.
New Tam-Tam Bikini Bar & Restaurant
Cheap, local and social beach bar in Gisenyi for grilled fish, sambaza and the classic sundowner.
Outdoor things to do in Lake Kivu
Congo Nile Trail
Walk or cycle the Rwandan shore on a 227 km trail through coffee farms, villages and lake views.
Kingfisher Journeys
Guided sea kayaking from Kibuye and Gisenyi, including sunset paddles beside the fishing fleet.
Pfunda Tea Company
Tea fields, picking and processing in the hills behind Rubavu, ending with a tasting where it grows.
Les Chutes de Ndaba
Ndaba Falls and Rock on the road into Karongi, a short stop wrapped in local story and guiding.
Gishwati-Mukura National Park
Guided primate and bird walks in restored montane forest, a full splurge day inland from the lake.
Nyungwe National Park
Ancient montane rainforest east of Rusizi for chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, birding and the canopy walk.
Best hotels in Lake Kivu
Lake Kivu Serena Hotel
Full service luxury hotel on its own sandy beach in Gisenyi, the north shore's most complete base.
Paradise Malahide
Small stone and lava lakeside hotel on the quiet Rubona shore, the mid range Rubavu base regulars name.
INZU Lodge
Small eco lodge above the lake at Rubona, tents and rooms in a garden at a budget price for this shore.
Cleo Lake Kivu Hotel
Small modern luxury hotel at Kibuye with spa and pool, the lake's clearest splurge stay today.
Moriah Hill Resort
Lakefront resort on a Kibuye peninsula with panoramic views, the established mid range Karongi base.
Home Saint Jean
Church run guesthouse on a green peninsula above Kibuye, simple rooms and the best cheap view in Karongi.
Mantis Kivu Marina Bay Hotel
Large modern marina hotel at Kamembe, the south end's most complete base for pairing lake and Nyungwe.
Is Lake Kivu expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | RWF 50,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | RWF 130,000 a person |
| Splurge | RWF 400,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Napoleon Island: a few days ahead
- Night Fishing Experience: a few days ahead
- Congo Nile Trail: weeks ahead
- Kingfisher Journeys: a few days ahead
- Pfunda Tea Company: a few days ahead
- Gishwati-Mukura National Park: weeks ahead
- Nyungwe National Park: weeks ahead
- Lake Kivu Serena Hotel: weeks ahead
- Book the hotel first and confirm it is operating and your insurance covers the district, then arrange boats, trail guides, kayak trips and park permits.
Is Lake Kivu safe?
- Rubavu and Kamembe sit on the DRC border and crossings may close at short notice. Karongi, on the central shore, is away from the land border.
- Swim at established sandy or hotel beaches, avoid reedy shallow margins, supervise children, and take morning boats before afternoon wind.
- Never photograph military sites, government buildings, airports or border crossings, and carry a passport copy.
Lake Kivu travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Building any plan that depends on a Rwanda and DR Congo crossing, Goma airport or a scheduled lake ferry.
- Repeating that the lake is bilharzia free or about to erupt. The evidence supports low bilharzia risk and monitored, not imminent, gas risk.
Getting around Lake Kivu: public transport and more
- Buses and private cars link Kigali with Rubavu, Karongi and Rusizi in about 3 to 4 hours each. Walk shores in town, use moto taxis with agreed fares for beaches and springs.
Who Lake Kivu suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | OK |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Lake Kivu your trip
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