Best holidays in Rwanda at lake Kivu vacation safari

Holidays on Lake Kivu vacation safari

The Lake Kivu vacation safari holidays in Rwanda will get you to this fresh water lake for relaxation on its shores and also engage on numerous activities on its waters. Lake Kivu’s uniqueness is in being a fresh water lake yet richly dissolved with methane and carbon dioxide gases in its deep waters with hot springs showing up on the surface in some points of the lake.

As a result of a volcanic barrier in the Albertine rift region, lake Kivu is situated in between volcanic mountains with many volcanic features like overflowed larva viewed to have formed part of the lake flow all forming attractive geographical features. Furthermore, lake Kivu is a meromictic lake whose water never mixes due to difference in density of different layers and thus preventing outbursts of deep dissolved gases keeping the lake waters calm.

Location of lake Kivu

Geographically, Lake Kivu is located in western Rwanda and also forming a border with Democratic Republic of Congo between -1.59084° & -2.46086° S, 28.88212° & 29.35454 0176° E and is one of the Africa’s great lakes situated in the great rift valley corridor. Lake Kivu has a mean depth of 22om (722ft) and a maximum depth of 475m (1,558ft) and a total surface area of 2,730 square kilometers.

Iconic Lake Kivu Resort Towns for vacation safaris

Rusizi; Is the closest town to Nyungwe National Park which is about an hour’s drive away from lake Kivu favoring a combined chimpanzee tracking and lake Kivu vacation safari.
Karongi; half way along the lake, is a popular beach resort with hillsides covered in pines and eucalyptus serving as a backdrop to the sparkling lake. At dawn and dusk, the sound off local fishermen singing carries across the water as they paddle in unison.
Rubavu; is a large town on the northern edge of lake Kivu, located an hour’s drive from Volcanoes National Park. Rubavu’s waterfront is lined with hotels and trendy bars on the lakeshore, ideal for sundowner cocktails and combined gorilla trekking and lake Kivu vacation safari.

Packages with Lake Kivu vacation safari holiday

10 days Kivu Rwanda safari

On this 10 days Rwanda primate tracking and wildlife safari, you'll encounter and have a rest at lake Kivu. Lake Kivu in this itinerary offers a resting as a resting parlor after chimpanzee tracking and canopy walks in Nyungwe forest national park. Thereafter, you'll continue to the Volcanoes for mountain gorilla trekking and golden monkey tracking experiences. The 10 days lake Kivu and wildlife Rwanda safari also includes a visit to Akagera national park which is home to Africa's big 5 game, birds and other numerous wildlife.

Lake Kivu | Visit Rwanda| Vacation safaris

3 DAYS LAKE KIVU EXPERIENCE

Considering a focused short getaway beach holiday in Rwanda, the 3 days lake Kivu experience is a perfect itinerary to cover your adventure. On day 1, you'll transfer from Kigali to one of the beach hotels on the shores of lake Kivu. The 2nd day engages in any of the activities on the lake that you may choose for example boat cruises, canoeing/ kayaking, swimming, skiing, nature walks, cycling, agro tours, sport fishing etc. Departure is on day 3 when you transfer back to Kigali to catch up with your flight.

4 days KIVU- KIGALI CITY tour

Combining Kigali city tours with lake Kivu visit on the 4 days Rwanda holiday is another getaway adventure for business & honeymoon travelers. The first day is a transfer day to lake Kivu at one of the beach hotels like Serena hotel to continue with a 2 days hide out from the urban business. Get ready for engagements with swimming, boat cruises, canoeing/ kayaking, agro tours in tea and coffee plantations, sunset boat cruises etc. Towards the end of the 3rd day, you'll head back to Kigali city. The last day sees you take a city tour to encounter local markets, eco parks, craft shops, coffee shops and the genocide memorial site before departure.

23 DAYS kivu rwanda- uganda safari

3 weeks/ 23 days East Africa slow travel gives you a day at lake Kivu as it combines the visit with other experiences. Besides Lake Kivu, another beach destination on this safari is Diani white sand beach in Mombasa Kenya that offer special tropical holiday experience. Other activities making up this itinerary are mountain gorilla trekking, boat cruises, golden monkey tracking, chimpanzee tracking, source of the Nile, Africa's big 5 sightings, cultural tours, wildebeest migration, boat cruises and much more.

8 DAYS KIVU- RWANDA SAFARI

The 8 days Rwanda safari with lake Kivu visits on an all round national tour with amazing wildlife. Approaching lake Kivu from Nyungwe forest national park after chimpanzee tracking and canopy walks takes 2 hours. Volcanoes national park is also 4 hours from lake Kivu making the lake shores a natural intersection between the two primate parks. This makes it fit in more itineraries featuring mountain gorillas and chimpanzee trekking excursions. Boat cruises, beach resorts and hotels, local food cuisines, wildlife, city tours, bird watching, culture and tradition all feature on this 8 days Rwanda itinerary.

EXPLORE LAKE KIVU

The main resort towns on the lake shores are Kibuye, Rusizi and Rubavu. Popular explorations around the lake include; Agro tours in tea and coffee plantations. 227km Congo Nile trail that runs around the lake and is great adventure for hikers and mountain bikers. Nyamyumba hot springs near Gisenyi with mineral-rich waters also offer a great explore experience. The main activities to engage in include boat cruises, kayaking/ canoeing and swimming since the waters have no dangerous predators.

Activities while on lake Kivu vacation safari

Swimming in lake Kivu; Lake Kivu is a fresh water lake and has no predators like crocodiles or hippos which may threaten human life thus making the lake safe for swimming.
Kayaking/ Canoeing on lake Kivu; Paddling across the coastline of lake Kivu by kayak is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the scenic, mountainous backdrop and tranquility of the water. The clear, pristine lake has an irregular shore line , dotted with islands. There are no hippos or crocodiles, making it a safe and seamless experience.
Lake/ boat cruising; You can enjoy cruising on lake Kivu on motor boats crewed by locals and have the best scenic views of volcanic mountains and features and the busy coastal towns of both Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Cycling; Explore Rwanda’s country side on a bike to experience one of the region’s most authentic and rewarding activities. Arguably the greatest route is the Congo Nile Trail, a 227 km itinerary which runs roughly parallel to the eastern shore of lake Kivu. Starting in Rubavu and ending in Rusizi, the journey takes about five days, although it is possible to do single stages.
Agro-tourism experiences; Experience Rwandan coffee from crop to cup and meet coffee farmers behind your favorite cup of coffee on the shores of the lake Kivu. The secret behind the perfect cup of tea starts in Gisakura tea estate and will enable you to experience and learn the art of picking tea leaves and trying it out on your own. Hugging the rippling hills at the western fringes of Nyungwe National Park, this estate is among the famous of Rwanda’s tea plantations and is certainly the most spectacular.

Fish species in lake Kivu

Lake Kivu is Rwanda’s largest local source of fish. While on lake Kivu vacation safari, you will enjoy some dishes with these type of fish for example:

Nile Tilapia
Ripon barbel
Lake Rukwa minnow
East African red-finned barb
Barbus salmo

What to wear

Daytime temperatures are warm, carry light clothing and consider sun protection, including a hat and sunglasses. The evenings tend to be cool, and a light sweater or jacket will suffice.

Where to stay on lake Kivu vacation safari

Serena hotel Gisenyi

Along the lake shores, Serena hotel is located at -1.70420° S, 29.26028° E in western Rwanda and gets you engaged in various activities such as lake cruising, swimming and much more.

Serena hotel provides various accommodation options such as:

Suites starting at $400
Superior rooms starting at $235
Family rooms starting at $235

Paradise Malahide

Paradise Malahide is also located at -1.73393° S, 29.27307° E along the shows of lake Kivu.

At Paradise Malahide, there are offers at various accommodation options of;

Bungalow rooms starting from $80
Single rooms starting at $122
Double rooms starting at $170
Triple rooms starting at $245

Umirobyi

Umirobyi hotel is located on the shores of lake Kivu at -2.04852° S, 29.33957° E with beautiful view over looking the expanse of lake Kivu.

Stay at Umirobyi hotel offering various accommodation options starting from $ 495 of

Standard rooms
Bungalows
Penthouses

Essencia Kivu

Also, Essencia Kivu hotel is located at -2.48102° S 28.89427° E on the shores of lake Kivu with access to the lake to engage in various activities at the lake.

Essencia offers classic accommodation options to its guests with various rooms like;

Single rooms at $170
Double/ Twin rooms at $200
Terrace rooms at $150