Activities on Lake Kivu

Activities on Lake Kivu: Lake Kivu is one of the fresh water lakes in Rwanda that is used by the locals and shared with its neighbour the democratic republic of Congo and it also plays a big role in tourism with a number of tourists that are on their Rwanda safari take part in the different activities for an amazing time. There is a lot on the lake that you’ll get to see as you take part in the different activities on Lake Kivu this is because it is a home to 28 different fish species including the blue spotted tilapia, the red tilapia, and Nile tilapia among other species. Water birds like the Common Waxbill spotted Yellow-throated Greenbul, Speckled Pigeons, Chin-spot Batis, Ashy Flycatcher, Cardinal Woodpecker, Bronzed Sunbirds and other attractions you’ll get to see while you take part in the activities.

BOAT CRUISE

Have an amazing experience taking part in the boat cruise on Lake Victoria which will give you an amazing time watching a number of attractions like the water birds like the African king fisher, African Darter, African Wattled Lapwing, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Common Squacco Heron, Crowned Lap wing, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, Great Egret and many others trying so hard to catch their prey from the water which is quite fascinating. Another interesting feature about the boat cruise is the opportunity of watching the sun set and if you’re interested you can carry a bottle of wine that you will get to sip on some wine while you have an amazing and relaxing time and if you opt for the longer boat cruises, you will also have the chance to visit the different islands where you will see a number of attractions like the coffee plantations and the a fishing village for an amazing experience.

SPORT FISHING

Sport fishing is also among the activities on Lake Kivu that will ensure that you have an amazing experience during your safari. It should be noted that the lake is the largest fresh water lake in Rwanda which is a habitat to a number of fish types the red breast tilapia, blue-spotted tilapia, Nile tilapia, long fin tilapia, lake Tanganyika sardine among other fish species that you will have a chance to fish for fun as you engage with the locals. You will have the chance mingling with other tourists and locals understanding their different fishing techniques, as you enjoy the cool breeze and watching a number of attractions like the bird species, the different islands among other rewarding attractions. Interesting about the activity in the country, is the fact that it allows you to keep one fish to take home as a reward for your participation in the activity which is quite motivating for one to participate in it hence making your lake kivu trip interesting.

BIRDING

Birding is also among the most rewarding activities on lake kivu because the lake attracts over 100 bird species that can be seen by tourists when they take part in the different activities on the lake. Among the different bird species that can be seen include; African king fishers, the African wood pecker, knobs billed duck, white faced whistling duck, yellow billed stork, sacred ibis, and the hadada ibis Common Waxbill spotted Yellow-throated Greenbul, Speckled Pigeons, Chin-spot Batis, Ashy Flycatcher. Other bird species can be seen while you participate in other activities like the boat cruise or walks along the shores of Lake Kivu.

SWIMMING

Lake Kivu is a fresh water free from bilharzias making it the perfect destinations for swimming with clean bilharzias free waters which makes it conducive for swimming therefore after you long walks and the scotching sun fill free to take a dip in the waters to have a relaxing, calm adventure in the water and if you’re a not a good swimmer and you’re interested in the activity, worry not there are friendly people that are willing to teach you or help you out while you go swimming. There are different beaches along the lake with life guards to make your activity safe.

Visiting islands

You can visit the different islands on the lake as part of the different activities on lake kivu for an amazing time during your Rwanda safari. Among the different islands that can be visited, Nyamirundi and napoleon are the most notable ones. When you visit Nyamirundi Island you will get to visit the coffee plantation and if you’re interested you can take part in the coffee making journey from selecting the best seed up to the time of consumption. A guide will take you through the process where you will be shown the kind of coffee that is planted, how it is harvested, selected for use, roasted and then ground for packaging purposes and at the end of the safari, you will get to will have a chance to taste the organic coffee

You can also visit Napoleon Island that played a very big role in the Rwanda genocide. during the 1994 Rwanda genocide, the Tutsis and Batwa fled to the island running away from the Hutus who were mercilessly killing them and settled on the island that has many which helped them to hide from the Hutus but when the Hutus got to know about their secret they came to the island and burnt it all with all the people that were seeking refuge there for tourists interested in the Rwanda genocide tour, they can also visit the island which is also significant in the history.

You can also participate around the lake shores you can go biking, beach volley ball, beach soccer, kayaking, wind surfing and so much more to make the trip to lake kivu quite rewarding and in a way

VISITING THE IMBABAZI ORPHANAGE

While on Lake Kivu, don’t forget to visit the Imbabazi orphanage that was established by Rasmond Carr an American humanitarian friend to the late Dian Fossey who made gorilla trekking in Rwanda possible with her conservations techniques. Due to the Rwanda genocide, a number of Rwandans became orphans because of the gruesome attacks that led to the displacement and deaths of people and children were among the main victims but with the help of Rasmond Carr, she established the orphanage too give the orphans a second chance to life without their parents and at the orphanage you’ll get to see how the orphange has funded their education, given them a place to stay and if youre interested in the works of the orphange, you can also participate in skill sharing, volunteering for a day, donating whatever you can to make your experience while on your safari quite rewarding.