Karongi
Rwanda · Western Province · 1470 m
Description
Karongi, which most people still call Kibuye, is the prettiest of the three towns on Lake Kivu and the least built up. The shore here breaks into deep bays and wooded peninsulas with islands scattered offshore, and the water is free of crocodiles, hippos and bilharzia, so swimming is simply swimming. Boats run out to Napoleon Island, where a colony of fruit bats leaves the crater at dusk, and kayaks set off along the shore for days at a time. On the hill above the bay the church of Saint John is a genocide memorial, and Bisesero lies half an hour south.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: June – September
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Boat trip to Napoleon Island and its fruit bats
- Swimming in the bays of Lake Kivu
- Kayaking along the bays
- Museum of Environment in Kibuye
- Bisesero genocide memorial(Day trip)
- Saint John church and the Kibuye memorial
- Middle section of the Congo Nile Trail(Multi-day trip)
- Coffee island of Nyamirundi(Day trip)
- Peninsula viewpoint above the bay
- Fishermen singing on the evening boats
- Lakeside beaches and markets at Rubengera
Getting there
- Nearest airports:
- KGL