DRC and Rwanda share a long border of which 89 km is Lake Kivu, the actual border being an imaginary line up the middle of the lake. The original trip had us hugging the shores of Lake Kivu but on the Congo side between Bukavu and Goma. The amazingly successful predatory advance of the Rwandan Backed M23 rebels have put paid to that. Nonetheless the lake is no less beautiful on this side and I gaze wistfully westwards and dream of DRC.
Our night here is spent in Kigora a lakeside resort and our hotel room affords panoramic views of Lake Kivu. We are treated to a sunset cruise on the lake firstly landing on Napoleon Island named for its shape resembling Napoleon’s tricord hat. We have a short walk through a fascinating bat infested forest.
The cruise concludes with a close pass around monkey island where a vervet monkey very obligingly sits on a rock and seemingly poses for photos before bounding off into the bush.
