Rwanda Lakes, Lakes of Rwanda

Rwanda is situated in the region of Great Lakes and has many beautiful and serene lakes bordering it. Tourists from all over the world come to have a view of these serene Rwanda lakes. There are five volcanic lakes which lie on the border of Congo and Rwanda and have their own attractions. The major Rwandan lakes include Lake Kivu, Lake Ruhondo, Lake Mugesera, Lake Burera, Lake Muhazi and Lake Ihema.

Lake Kivu is the biggest of the numerous freshwater bodies that are there in Rwanda. It is an outstanding beautiful in land body of water which is enclosed by vertical, green terraced hills along the border of Congo. There are three resort towns namely, Gisenyi, Cyangugu and Kibuye which are located close to Lake Kivu.

Lake Burera and Lake Ruhondo are the two most neglected lakes of Rwanda. These lakes are surrounded by steep hills and large waterfalls with a backdrop of the Virunga volcanic mountains. These twin lakes are great spots to be visited after watching the gorillas in the Rwandan mountains.

The lakes in Rwanda offer ample scope for water gliding, swimming, canoeing and water-skiing.

Lake Kivu

Rwanda is a place which boasts of a varied natural beauty and wildlife. Rwanda is located in the region of the Great Lakes and has five lakes surrounding the entire region. Lake Kivu is the largest freshwater lake of the Rwandan region. Lake Kivu is also one of the Great Lakes in the entire African continent.

Lake Kivu is an extremely beautiful lake which is enclosed on all sides by huge vertically steep, green terraced hills and the lake lies along the Congolese border. Lake Kivu flows into the Ruzizi River, which further flows southwards into the Lake Tanganyika. The lake covers a total area of 2700 square kilometers and falls from a height of 1460 meters above sea level.

Idjwi, the world’s eight-largest inland island is located on Lake Kivu. Bukavu, Kalehe, Sake, Goma and Kabare in Congo and Kibuye, Cyangugu and Gisenyi cities of Rwanda are established on the shores of Lake Kivu.

Lake Kivu is one of those exploding lakes which are affected by fierce lake overturns. Periodic volcanic activity is quite common in the Lake Kivu. As a result, harmful chemicals from these volcanoes constantly get mixed with the lake water and there is a constant threat to aquatic life. Lake Kivu has been reported to contain a huge amount of methane gas which is being extracted gradually.

The three resort towns, Gisenyi, Cyangugu and Kibuye are located close to Lake Kivu. These resorts are connected to the lake with the help of a roller-coaster road which runs through luxuriant plantain field and small patches of the rainforest. The journey from Lake Kivu to any of the three resorts is one of the most astonishing journeys in the entire African continent.