Top Things To Do In Kibuye, Rwanda: A Perfect Local’s Travel Guide
Top Things To Do In Kibuye
Kibuye is of the busiest hubs of Rwanda, the city is angelically placed in the western province, it is placed near the Lake Kivu, Gisenyi and Cyangungu and is approximately 135 kilometres from the main city of Kigali, the town is one of the most adventure areas of Rwanda also known as the land of many hills, and its strategic location to Nyungwe Forest National Park has it more popular compared to the other cities, there is a wide list of things to do in Kibuye including visiting the Lake Kivu, Hike the Congo Trail, visit the Ndaba rocks and waterfalls, visit the genocide memorial and the environment museum, visit the local community to mention a few.
Things to do in Kibuye will give you an insight of Rwanda right from the visit of Lake Kivu, the Lake Kivu is a beautiful fresh water lake in the western part of Rwanda along its borders with the democratic republic of Congo, the lake boasts several sandy beaches and is safe to swim as it is bilharzia free, take a kayaking spot, do spot fishing, birding along the showers of Lake Kivu as well as a boat safari experience, the boat is conducted in the morning and afternoon hours for about 2-3 hours while exploring the best of Lake Kivu.
Visit the Ndaba rocks and waterfall, these are one of the most fascinating cultural destinations of Rwanda and are the most famous tourism attractions of Kibuye, they are well-known not only for the beautiful looks but also the cultural story surrounded the region, a knowledgeable guide on site will lead you around through the trails of the water falls while telling the story as you enjoy the natural sceneries, the rocks and waterfalls can be easily accessed by car.
Hike the Congo trail, the trail is a famous routing of western Rwanda, it named the Congo trail has nothing to with borders of the democratic republic of Congo rather named after the watershed that divides Congo rivers and Nile rivers the trail was formed as a way of getting Rwanda to be the best destination of Hiking and cycling experience, the trail stretches about 227 square kilometres from the north to the southern coastline of Lake Kivu, it is recognised as one of the top bikers trails offering beautiful sights, vegetation and the back drop of the volcanic mountains, the trail can be hiked, ride or by car, the best is to hire a bicycle in Kibuye town to have the best of the experience, the trail passes through small towns and villages that you will be able to stop over.
Visit the Kibuye genocide memorial, this site contains information regarding the 1994 Rwanda genocide together with the rich deep history and culture of the people of Rwanda, the Kibuye Slaughter house was built in remembrance of the people that lost their lives in the town during the war, these are mostly Tutsi tribe, along the showers of Lake Kivu is an environmental research center teaching locals and travellers if interested on environmental issue.
Visit the Kibuye local community. The very welcoming people are interesting to interact with. The nearby villages will show you their way of life and how they interacted and lived in the past. While in the communities, you can buy a souvenir, visit a local school, or even volunteer at the village hospitals.
Visit the Muyira hill where so many people lost their lives during the war as they were fighting for their lives against the brutal government; they used spears and stones to date. The hill is an important place of the community and a great historical site.
Besides the things to do in Kibuye, the city is strategically placed within proximity with the Volcanoes National Park for Mountain Gorilla trekking, the primate species live within the forest freely without being captivated, other things to do include visiting the Iby’wachu local community, hike to the Dian Fossey tombs, a guided nature walk through the forest or Hike the volcanic mountains within the National Parks.
Where to stay in Kibuye is abundant, there are several hotel facilities ranging from the best budget to luxury, which offer places to stay for travellers and comfortable meals, for example, the Lake Kivu Serena hotel, Cormoran Lodge, to mention a few.