Lake Kivu is an Albertian rift valley lake in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with an elevation of 1463 meters above sea level. It is one of the great lakes, with fresh water covering 2730 square kilometers. The lake contains geological gases, methane, and carbon dioxide, which in the past affected the lives of the community near the shores. Lake Kivu stretches from the north of the Virunga mountains to the Nyungwe forest, making it the largest lake in Rwanda. 

Tectonic forces formed Lake Kivu within the rift valley and the depression within the valley. This depression was later filled with water, leading to the lake’s formation. Beautiful hills and many green, lush islands surround Lake Kivu, creating a serene and tranquil environment. The lake, with its calm waters, is the main fishing point in Rwanda since it hosts multiple aquatic life, such as tilapia fish, catfish, and many others. This lake has the major beaches and resorts of Rwanda, with one of the top facilities in Cyangugu, Kibuye, and Gisenyi. Travelers on their Rwanda safari usually visit the lake for relaxation activities after gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, and many others.

What to do in Lake Kivu?

In Lake Kivu, there are a variety of activities that one can do during one’s Rwanda safari.

Bird watching

Lake Kivu is a destination that travelers who love birds would love to visit since it is home to over 400 bird species, offering a diverse and exciting birding experience. These species can be seen in the green islands of the lake and the surrounding hills. Some bird species that one can visit include the African fishing eagle, shoebill, pied kingfisher, and osprey. The area is home to 10 other endemic species, which makes it a birding paradise for travelers on their Rwanda safari.

Hot springs and Geothermal baths

Lake Kivu has many geothermal activities taking place around it. This geothermal energy leads to the formation of hot springs. Travelers to Rwanda will visit these hot springs to take a bath and have a local massage from natives of the area. These hot springs are also considered to be natural saunas in Rwanda. The natives consider these hot springs to cure many diseases since they contain some minerals in the hot water.

Hiking tours

The lake has many surrounding hills, and these features offer travelers on their Rwanda safari a unique opportunity to go hiking, adding an adventurous element to their trip. While hiking, you will have the chance to have aerial views of this fantastic lake. During the hike, travelers will be able to see some small primates in the forests on the hill, like vervet monkeys, white colobus monkeys, and many others. The other view during the hike is the community on the other side of the lake.

Aquatic adventures

While on the Rwanda safari, this lake offers several aquatic adventures since the water in the lake is so calm for these activities. The primary activities on this lake include jet skiing, kayaking, speed boat rides, boat cruises, and many others. While enjoying the aquatic adventures on Lake Kivu, you can see some bird species around the green islands. It’s important to note that safety precautions should be observed, such as wearing life jackets and following the instructions of the guides. This activity offers an adrenaline rush and a memorable experience on their Rwanda safari.

Where to Stay on a Safari to Lake Kivu?

The accommodation facilities in Lake Kivu are positioned to offer incredible scenic views of the lake. The facilities on the lake offer one of the best comforts for travelers in Rwanda. These facilities range from luxury to midrange, standard, and budget accommodations. Most of the lodges overlook the lake.

Luxury accommodation facilities offer desirable high-end services for travelers on their Rwanda safari. These facilities include: the Lake Kivu Serena Hotel, Gorillas Lake Kivu Hotel, and many more.

Midrange accommodation facilities offer budget and not-too-expensive services to travelers on their safaris. Usually, these facilities create value for money for the services offered. They include Paradise Malahide, Palm Beach Resort, and many others.

Budget accommodation facilities are sometimes considered low-end facilities that offer services to travelers on a tight budget during their Rwanda safari. These facilities include Planet Hotel, Beach Gardens, Macheco Resort, and many others.

What is the best time to visit Lake Kivu?

The lake is open for travelers on their Rwanda safari throughout the year. The best time to visit Lake Kivu is in the dry months of the year. That is to say, June to September and December to February. During this period, the area has the best scenic views, with dry vegetation and clear skies.  Additionally, in the wet season, there are usually high water levels and thick vegetation, which affect the exploration.  On the other hand, the wet season is also available for a visit to Lake Kivu. During this period, there is less traffic; travelers get a more personalized experience since it is usually a low season.  Accommodation facilities offer lower prices in low seasons, making it the best time for budget travelers to visit Lake Kivu.

How to get there?

Lake Kivu can be accessed by either air or road transport in Rwanda from Kigali city. Using the road, you drive through the tarmacked roads of Rwanda, where you will spend 3 hours traveling to Lake Kivu. The lake can be accessed in Gisenyi, Kibuye, and Cyangugu. On the other hand, the lake can be accessed by air transport, where travelers on their Rwanda safari must book a chartered domestic flight from Kigali airport to the Gisenyi airstrip. On arrival at the Gisenyi airstrip, you will be transferred to Lake Kivu for exploration by road.

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The spectacular Mount Nyiragongo is one of the active volcanoes that make up the 8 Virunga mountains.  Mount Nyiragongo last erupted  in May 2021. The other Virunga mountains are Mount Karisimbi, Sabyinyo, Gahinga, Muhabura, Mikeno and another active mountain Nyamuragira. Mountain Nyiragongo is 3,470 meters above sea level and known for having an intriguing lava lake at its summit which has been recorded as the world’s largest lava lake.

Nyiragongo is a major tourist destination in Democratic Republic of Congo located near Virunga National Park. The hiking doors for this mountain were opened in 2014 and since then the number of visitors has rapidly increased.

Hiking Mount. Nyiragongo takes about 5-6 hours to the summit and back. Hiking the mountain is not easy especially if you are not prepared and physically fit. The mountain has steep slopes that are tiring to climb especially if you are carrying some luggage, you can however hire porters from Kibati Ranger station located at the starting point to help you with carrying the heavy language and also support you during the climbing like pulling you at rough terrain spots.

Hiking Nyiragongo Mountain

The Nyiragongo hiking starts in the morning at 7:00 am with a briefing by the rangers who tell you a little bit about the mountain and what rules to follow during the hike. You will come across five sections while climbing, the first one is the low altitude area which is easy to trek for those who feel that they can’t continue always end here.

The second section is at a more elevated altitude, the trails are filled with small loose lava rocks therefore you should have good hiking boots to help you navigate this section. The difficultness increases as you go higher, this is witnessed in the third section which has slippery rocks, the fourth section gets even steeper and cold, on some occasion it might rain so always carry some warm clothing for such occasions.

The fifth section leads towards the summit, this is the shortest but steepest section. Once you reach the summit, there are cabins in which you can rest and spend the night in and even prepare some tea and food and then descend the following day. There are 12 cabins and each can accommodate two people. While here you can smell the boiling lava.    

Nyiragongo hiking permits cost $300 per person. They can be directly paid at the entrance to the park or through your trusted tour operator. Besides hiking Mount Nyiragongo, there are other activities you can indulge in while there.

Other activities to do alongside visiting Mount. Nyiragongo

Gorilla trekking

Most visitors combine gorilla trekking with hiking mount Nyiragongo. The endangered mountain gorillas are a sight to admire during this hiking adventure. Gorilla permits are purchased at a fee of $400 per person. It is a thrilling experience once you get to meet the calm gorillas which are also man’s closest cousins as they share about 98% of their DNA with that of humans hence the similar characteristics and behaviors such as laughter, sadness as well as family settings.

Chimpanzee trekking

After the hike at Mount. Nyiragongo, one can opt for an easier trek like chimpanzee trekking in Virunga National Park, chimpanzees don’t stay in very high-altitude areas and therefore easy to find. This activity costs $100 per person.

Nature Walks

Hiking Nyiragongo can be tiring and challenging, for those who can take upon that challenge can go for nature walks in Virunga National Park. These are more relaxing and easier to do. Visitors are guided by rangers as they walk through the park, these walks offer opportunities to get closer to the different natural features of this popular park such as the over 2000 plant species, and they can also come across different animals like elephants, buffaloes and a variety of bird species.

Best time to Hike Mount. Nyiragongo

Hiking the Nyiragongo mountain is best done during dry season which occurs between July and September. This is because navigation and climbing is easier during this season. The trails are dry and easy to penetrate through unlike the wet season when they are muddy and slippery. You wouldn’t wish to climb when the trails are slippery and hard to navigate. Book yourself a Safari to Mount Nyiragongo and get an extraordinary hiking experience in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

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Virunga National Park is located in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, within the Albertine Rift Valley. It is a section of the Virunga conservation area which is made up of eight volcanic mountains shared by the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. The park is well-known as a home to the endangered mountain gorillas, a regular sight among the three countries. It is surrounded by Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and Uganda’s Bwindi National Park, both of which are home to the mountain gorillas.

Virunga National Park, established in 1925 and covering over 8,090 km2, is one of Africa’s oldest and largest national parks. The park comprises of two active volcanoes, Mountain Nyiragongo known for holding the world’s largest lava-dammed lake, and Mountain Nyamuragira. Other mountains found here are Mount. Karisimbi and Mikeno are dormant volcanoes.

Virunga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Park has a diverse vegetation cover with over 2000 plant species including ambatch, common reed, thorns, papyrus and kowal fruit, dense forests, montane forest, and bamboo vegetation in high altitude areas. The Park was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 due to its diverse biodiversity, and it is one of the many UNESCO sites in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Virunga boasts hosting over 196 mammals which include primates like mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, blue monkeys, olive baboons, grey-cheeked mangabey, red colobus monkeys, 200 reptiles like chameleons and snakes, 70 amphibians like frogs, and over 800 bird species like the Rwenzori Turaco, Regal sunbird, dusk crimsonwing among many others which also led to the park being declared as an IBA site.

Despite the political insecurities faced by the Democratic Republic of Congo, the park has remained operational and security has been boosted with over 700 armed rangers guarding the park and visitors. It is one of the most visited parks in the country and offers the cheapest mountain gorilla trekking permits in the world at only $400 per person.

Activities in Virunga National Park

Gorilla Trekking

This activity involves visiting fully habituated gorillas in their natural habitat. Fully habituated gorillas are accustomed to human presence; therefore, they are calm when humans are close to them, however, there are some rules to follow when visiting them like not wearing brightly colored clothes. This activity starts very early in the morning with a briefing from the rangers before setting off for a hike toward the designated gorilla family.

The difficulty of a gorilla trek depends on the location of a gorilla family as some live very high in the mountains. Once you find the family, you get to spend about an hour with them before descending.

Gorilla trekking approximately takes 6 hours or more depending on the speed of trekkers, only 8 members are allowed to visit one gorilla group and Virunga currently has only 8 fully habituated gorilla groups. The trekkers are accompanied by more than 2 armed rangers to protect and guide them.

Virunga Gorilla trekking permits cost only $400, but be sure to be well-prepared both physically and mentally before embarking on this great adventure.

Chimpanzee Trekking experience

The dense montane forests favor the stay of chimpanzees within the park, the over 2000 plant species also provide abundant food for these primates. Virunga National Park has habituated chimpanzee groups that are available for visiting, since chimpanzees are more aggressive compared to gorillas, you need to follow the guidelines given while visiting them.

Chimpanzee trekking is not as challenging as gorilla trekking because they stay at low altitude areas, the treks commence in the morning and take about 4 hours.

Bonobos, the pygmy chimpanzees can also be trekked here. Chimpanzee trekking permits cost about $100 per person and can be purchased from the park headquarters.

Bird Watching

There are over 800 different bird species in Virunga National Park, bird lovers have an opportunity to view a variety of different birds and learn more about them. Find them among the trees as you hike the mountains or during nature walks. With such a big bird population, the park was internationally recognized as a top birding spot.

Monkey Trekking

This activity is similar to chimpanzee trekking. There are a variety of monkeys found in Virunga National Park such as the Hamlyn monkeys, blue monkeys, Mona Monkeys, African Red Colobus monkeys, and red-tailed monkeys among many others. The activity is also less challenging compared to gorilla trekking hence amateur hikers can take part in it.

Hiking Mount Nyiragongo

An active volcano located within the park is the second most visited site in D.R. Congo, its last eruption occurred in 2021 leading to the formation of the world’s largest lava lake. The lake still produces smoke to date and the lake glows at night with red hot colors. Hikers can spend a night beside the lake in cabins. The Nyiragongo hike costs $300 per person. During the hike, one gets to see beautiful vegetation and comes across various animal species like monkeys and even elephants once in a while.

Hiking Mount Karisimbi and Mikeno

Mount Karisimbi is the highest mountain among the 8 Virunga mountains, it also has a snowcapped peak, and Mount Mikeno has a rough terrain hence giving a challenge to seasoned hikers who want to test their skill set. Visit any of these mountains and get rewarded by the beautiful views offered by each.

Visiting the Congo bloodhounds

These are dogs that have been highly trained to protect the park from poachers. They were trained by Dr. Marlene Zahner, and they can sniff poachers who are miles away. Since their introduction to the park, poaching has largely reduced. Visit their training site and learn more about their achievements and how they are trained to this good.

How to get to Virunga National Park?

The Park can be easily accessed through Rwanda via Gisenyi town which is a 4-5 hours drive from Kigali. Alternatively, one can choose to land directly at Goma International Airport. You can use a boat ride from Bukavu port to Goma port which is a 7-hour cruise and then drive to Virunga National Park.

What is the best Time to Visit Virunga National Park?

The best visiting time is the dry season, between July and September. During these times, trails for hiking and trekking are easy to use as they are less muddy and slippery. However, since the area is covered by dense vegetation cover. Additionally, it can rain at any time hence you need to be more prepared in case it does rain. Other than that, the park is favorable throughout the year.

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