Top 7 Activities Lake Kivu

Top 7 Activities Lake Kivu: Lake Kivu is situated between the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. This lake is among the great lakes of Africa, and it is found in the western part of Rwanda. Lake Kivu is one of the best tourism destinations in Rwanda because it offers several wonderful experiences to visitors. This lake has several attractions like the bird life, fish species, landscapes and many more. This lake has several activities that it offers to visitors, and some of these activities include sport fishing, boat cruises, visiting islands, water sports and many more. This lake is the third deepest lake and the sixth largest in Africa, and unique in a way that it contains carbon dioxide gases and dissolved methane.

• Boat Cruise

At Lake Kivu, a boat cruise is one of the top activities that are carried out at this lake, and this activity takes about 2 to 3 hours while on a boat ride. It is advisable to visit Lake Kivu for a boat cruise from June to September and December to February in the dry season because it is considered the best time. There are various attractions Rwanda safari enthusiasts will see on this lake as you ride around. There will be sights of various wildlife species, and you will also get to explore some islands while on this lake. At Lake Kivu, boat cruises are conducted in the morning and the evening and while at the lake, you will spot a variety of bird species them including the osprey, pied kingfisher, African fish eagle, white breasted cormorants and many more. You will also come across some animal species that you will spot along the shores of the lake.

• Sport Fishing

Visitors who visit Lake Kivu are free to carry out sport fishing since it is one of the activities that are offered to the visitors on this lake. This activity is usually done with the help of hooks and gill nets to capture the fish. There are a variety of fish species at this lake, and some of these fish species include the tilapia, sardines, Nile tilapia and many more.

• Visiting Islands

Visiting islands on Lake Kivu is also one of the top 7 activities conducted at Lake Kivu. Lake Kivu has several islands that visitors can visit, for example, Nyamirundi Island, Idjwi Island, Amizero Island, Iwawa Island, Napoleon Island, Amahoro Island, and Monkey Island, among others. Visitors visit Nyamirundi island, where they get an opportunity to see the coffee plantation on this island, and here they meet and greet with the locals, who teach them about the coffee-making process. On the ride to Nyamirundi island, which is done by boat, visitors get the chance to see various wildlife on the lake and the various vegetation types. While at Nyamirundi island, visitors are taught how to harvest coffee, roast it, grind it, and they go through this process till they get to the final product. After the visit to this island, a visitor comes out with knowledge of the coffee-making process.

• Water Sports

Lake Kivu has several water sports that it offers to its visitors, and these sports include windsurfing, kayaking, paddling, swimming, fishing and many more. These activities can be done with ease at Lake Kivu because of the lake’s calm waters. While conducting these water sports, you get the opportunity to see the beautiful scenery at this lake and the various wildlife species. Lake Kivu offers several water sports to its visitors because this lake is free from dangerous wildlife and the water is clean, free from bilharzia, making it safe for the visitors to conduct their activities.

• Swimming

While it is dangerous to swim in other lakes, it is safe to swim at Lake Kivu because this lake does not harbour any dangerous wildlife that can cause harm to the people, for instance, the hippos and crocodiles. This lake has fresh and clean water that enables visitors to swim and also participate in other water activities. The best season to enjoy Rwanda tour of the year to carry out swimming and other water activities is during the dry season and which is from June to October and December to February. The visitors who wish to engage in swimming on this lake are given protective gear to protect themselves and are also given guidelines to follow while conducting this activity. Depending on preference, some visitors prefer swimming along the shores of the lake, on the islands in this lake and many more swimming areas that can be explored by the visitors with the aid of a boat.

• Visiting The Imbabazi Orphanage

Visiting Imbabazi orphanage is among the top 7 activities at Lake Kivu, and this orphanage was officially opened after the 1994 Rwanda genocide that left several children orphaned and lost. This place sheltered several children of whom are Hutu and others are Tutsi, which brings about unity among them. This orphanage also went ahead to educate these children and teach them life skills like photography. This place also carries the memories of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Visitors always visit the Imbabazi orphanage to get historical facts about the genocide, and this place has also contributed to Rwanda’s wildlife and conservation efforts.

• Bird Watching

Various bird species are found at Lake Kivu, and therefore, visitors who are interested in bird watching can visit Lake Kivu. The birds can be spotted while on a boat cruise, and the best time to enjoy Rwanda tour of the year to visit Lake Kivu for bird watching is during the dry season. There are over 400 bird species at Lake Kivu, and some of these birds are the African fish eagle, white breasted cormorant, white faced whistling duck, osprey, chin-spot batis, hadada ibis, African woodpecker, speckled pigeon, yellow-billed stork, sacred ibis, common waxbill and many more.