Lake Kivu — Rwanda’s Equatorial Lake and the Perfect Post-Gorilla Destination
Lake Kivu sits on the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the western part of the country, at an altitude of 1,460 metres above sea level. It is one of Africa’s Great Lakes — a rift valley lake that formed through the same tectonic processes that created the chain of volcanoes whose slopes the gorillas inhabit further north. The lake is 90km long and 50km wide, with a deeply indented shoreline of peninsulas, bays, and the 150 or so islands that break the lake’s surface across its length. The combination of equatorial light, the island-dotted water, and the distant silhouette of the DRC mountains on the western shore produces a landscape of quiet, unexpected beauty that most visitors to Rwanda’s northern parks never see.
Lake Kivu belongs in a Rwanda gorilla trekking itinerary for a reason that goes beyond its inherent appeal as a destination. After two or three days in the volcanic forest environment of Volcanoes National Park — the high altitude, the morning pre-dawn departures, the physical demands of the trek — the pace and character of the lake is a natural counterbalance. The transition from forest to water, from volcanic terrain to a lake shore, from the intense focus of a gorilla encounter to the open horizon of a large lake, is the kind of itinerary contrast that makes a journey feel composed rather than merely accumulated.
The Two Main Lake Kivu Towns
Rwanda’s Lake Kivu shoreline is served by two main towns, positioned at the northern and southern ends of the lake respectively. Rubavu (formerly Gisenyi) is in Rwanda’s Western Province at the northern end of the lake, approximately three hours’ drive from Kigali and two hours from Musanze — making it easily accessible as the final destination after Volcanoes National Park. The town sits directly on the lake shore with a promenade, several good hotels and guesthouses, and the distinctive character of a frontier town — the DRC border crossing and the city of Goma are immediately adjacent to Rubavu’s northern edge, and the informal cross-border movement that characterises twin border towns in East Africa is part of the town’s atmosphere.
Rusizi (formerly Cyangugu) is at the southern end of the lake, close to Nyungwe Forest National Park — making it the natural second stop for an itinerary that includes Nyungwe chimpanzees and continues north to gorillas, or the departure point for the scenic boat journey between the southern and northern ends of the lake. The southern shore has a more local character than Rubavu and a more limited selection of visitor accommodation, though the setting at the point where the lake meets the River Rusizi — the waterway that drains Lake Kivu south into Lake Tanganyika — is geographically dramatic.
Boat Trips on the Lake
The most rewarding way to experience Lake Kivu is by boat. The islands accessible from Rubavu’s northern shore include Napoleon Island — home to a significant fruit bat colony that emerges at sunset in numbers large enough to darken the sky above the island for several minutes — and several other small islands with swimming stops, picnic sites, and the distinctive perspective on the mainland mountains and the DRC shoreline that only the water provides. Private boat hire for a half-day island excursion is the standard arrangement and is coordinated through most of the better lake-shore hotels.
The full-lake boat journey between Rusizi in the south and Rubavu in the north, if the itinerary allows time for it, covers the lake’s full length across a day of travel with stops at the larger lakeside settlements and views of the full island chain. This journey is less commonly done by independent visitors than by travellers with flexible itineraries and a genuine interest in the lake’s geography, but for those who make it, the day-long traverse produces a relationship with the lake that the shorter island excursions cannot replicate.
Swimming in Lake Kivu
Lake Kivu is one of the few African Great Lakes safe for swimming — the high altitude and cold bottom layers prevent the bilharzia that makes swimming problematic in lower-altitude rift lakes like Lake Victoria. The water is cool rather than warm — the altitude and the depth of the lake mean temperatures that are refreshing rather than tropical — and the lake’s methane content (it is one of the few limnic lakes in the world that holds large quantities of dissolved gas at depth) gives the water an unusual, very slightly carbonated quality that visitors frequently notice on first swimming.
The swimming beaches at Rubavu — particularly the private stretches associated with the better hotels — are clean and safe. The combination of swimming in a large equatorial lake in the afternoon, after three days in the high-altitude forest of Volcanoes National Park, is an experience that works very well as the physical conclusion of a Rwanda gorilla trip.
Where to Stay on Lake Kivu
Serena Hotel Rubavu on the northern shore is the most established international-standard property on Lake Kivu, with direct lake frontage and boat access. The lake-facing rooms and terrace produce the most direct relationship with the lake’s scale — particularly at dusk, when the light on the water and the DRC mountains on the western horizon is at its most dramatic. For a mid-range option with a strong position on the water, Inzu Lodge to the north of Rubavu town has a good reputation for service and setting relative to its price level.
