Lake Kivu Rwanda is as silver as diamond flames and the atmosphere offer a beautifully mouth watering zone to sight at the clear depths soothing still, with a welcoming ‘plopping’ sound syndicating fish breaking the surface and ripples widening out. Lake Kivu forms a huge fresh calm water basin with an occasional ripple Surrouned by a beautiful variety of diverse trees engrossing along the Africa’s Great Rift Valley to form the largest fresh Rift Valley Lake which ranked to be the nineth mean depth and eighteenth deepest lake by maximum depth in the whole world.
It’s approximately 90km with the total cover surface area of 2,700km2 , the surface sits high above the sea level height of about 1,460meters. The Sea breezes formulate fresh air and overwhelming cool gushes of wind blowing past the bending kivu vegetation provoking the trees to yawn and some times sleep offering a perfect destination wilderness zone for a picnic at Lake Kivu.
The lake protects Idjwi Island the world’s tenth largest island on the lake with in the bordering of Virunga national park with the others that including Napoleon, Amahora among others. Lake kivu’s bed can be explained geologically to be a creek bed sitting in the riftvalley that is continuously being pulled apart by the earths disintergration caused by the volcanic activity in the region.
The lake came to attention when it became a dumping ground for the dead bodies during the genocide and also because of its 65km2 methane gas which can be burnt over a year and give 100gigwatts that can be used to generate power in the country and also Rwanda to sell power to the neighboring countries.
It’s a beautiful lake where the sky reflects on the water bodies with a nearby route between Nyungwe forest national park and Volcano national Park with the road gently curved, hills, mountains and cultivated lands. There are different activities carried at the lake Kivu.
What to do and see at Lake Kivu Rwanda
The serenity of lake Kivu is a must visit to those who want to feel and discover the unexploited virgin lands in the Pearl of Africa, the nearby swampy regions are with fine short green grass reserved for those who want to relax and feel the wrath of kivu lake. A sweet aroma awaits for you to unleash and adventure on your Rwanda Safari. We have been to Rwanda, we travel more often to Kivu to keep update and track of the best touristic zones and activities in the region.
Sea Kayaking/ Wind surfing Lake Kivu,
Birding/ Bird watching on Lake Kivu, Boat Cruise Lake Kivu, Swimming on Lake Kivu, Nyungwe Forest – Montane rain Forest, Nyamirundi Island on Lake Kivu, Cycling, Culture Encounters
Is it safe to swim in Lake Kivu? Yes, it is safe. The gases are trapped deep and far away from the shores and there are no crocodiles and no hippopotamus. Enjoy a swimming Safari on this lake with average temperatures that range from 23°C to 27°C.
Sea Kayaking/ Wind surfing Lake Kivu
Our experiencd Lake Kivu sea Kayakers take you along to one of the safest lakes in Africa recommended for sea kayaking with completely crystal clear, fresh deep blue waters, no threatening wildspecies like Hippos or crocodiles. With your kayak, explore the distant places with even modern sea kayaks along lake Kivu verdant shores as it gives open clouds to have a complete view of kivu.
The bouncing water waves support this sea kayaking on lake kivu, this is the best view to sight at the heart of Lake Kivu with fluttering butterflies, water birds lazily drifting accross the soothing merry way down the ponding channels of kivu. We arrange items for the experienced kayakers from the nearby society by hiring some from Gisenyi town.
Birding/ Bird watching on Lake Kivu.
Lake Kivu offers the most adventorous zones that give our clients the a rewarding Rwanda birding destination to the hundreds of bird species in their african styles, this is a finest birding Safari Rwanda destination, as you sail and float around in the morning mist with freezing drizzles in the adjacent Nyamunini and Idjwi islands.
Set out to witness the bird culture on the Rwanda side engrossing the sense of sweet smell in the area, encounter with a flotillas of pelicans, crowned crested crane, hornbills, malachite kingfishers, African fish eagles, Herons and other water loving birds. Analyse their movemments as they tend to follow and compete with the fishermen dugging out canoes to collect a living for their homesteadsds.
Boat Cruise Lake Kivu.
Feel and sail over lake Kivu Voyage for a compelling distance crossing the prevailing gangway moderate winds into some sort of open atrium, Lake Kivu boat ride Safari serves a magnificent central gathering hot spot points to the local fishing families, the transitional Albertine forests.
Enjoy a guided Lake Kivu boat Cruise parading towards the world’s tenth largest island on a lake, Idjwi, come close to this spanning area for a magnificent picturesque. The island hugs borders with the Virunga National Park famously visited to for Mountain Gorilla Tracking Safaris. Lake Kivu boat cruise Safari can be customised to vist the locals living on the lake shores like Kabare, Sake, Bukavu and then Goma in congo, Kibuye, Gisenyi and Cyangungu in Rwanda.
Swimming on Lake Kivu.
Prepare to have a drift down the inviting lake wide free without a ripple or threatenng wildlife in the silver-blue fresh waters. The calmness of Lake kivu renders a pool table of water sailing flat like time itself had been frozen. This makes it easy for you let the ancestral rift valley basin be your fine luxury addition.
The fresh waters of lake kivu has no crocodiles and its waters originate from the Bilharzia free mantle with in the drifted valley of East Africa, Sentence your body to absorb the soothing light rays penetrating down the clouds to warm on the side lake. Well if you arrrive on a hot day, then, reverse it and enjoy the piercing cold waters, enjoy free jumping at the beautiful beaches along the shores of the lake.
Nyungwe Forest – Montane rain Forest
Montane rain forest Nature[around lake kivu]: Enjoy a hike in Nyungwe forest where you will experience a canopy walk on top of the most voluminous jungle in Africa, have an encounter with chimpanzees, spot out different birds and tree species, wildanimals, bird species over 400.
Nyamirundi Island on Lake Kivu
Visit Nyamirundi Island where you will experience coffee process from the crop to the cup and how it’s dried before processing an experience you cannot miss before you live Rwanda.
Cycling, Culture Encounters
Peddle your bike around the riftvalley to meet and have fun with the onshore fishing grounds, see how they display their canoes, flie fish among others, visit their local ways of traditonal living and many more, just around the lake, interacting with the locals justifies the pearl of Africa and the traditional way of living of a true African down in the Eastern African Valley.
To summarise it, For an authetic Safari Rwanda, Consider customising your Safari budget to include lake Kivu on your finnest top listings to adventure in and turn your holiday into a life storry on the country side as you come to sight at the Rwanda Gorilla Safaris, Mountain Hiking Rwanda Safaris, Forest Canopy walks, Golden Monkey tracking, Rwanda Cultural Tour Safaris, City excursions, Rwanda wildlife Safaris and many more. For those who might wish to stay for an overnight, accommodation is available; Lake Kivu Serena hotel, Gisenyi Public beach, Corcoran lodge.