Rwanda’s Congo Nile Trail

Rwanda’s Congo Nile trail hiking, walking and cycling

This fascinating path and uncommon adventure travel corner stone is only found in the sub –Saharan Africa. This unique distant feeling area, it is so accessible for independent travelers. The excellent network of local roads and trails goes along the shore of Lake Kivu in Rwanda one of the East African country. It is developing popularly year by year, but of now it offers just the right blend of accessible infrastructure.

On the Congo Nile trail, you will find your adventure. If you like exploring captivating country side and small villages, waking up on the shore of an island studded lake, falling asleep to the effect of a thunderstorm, and exchanging comedy with excited locals.

The Congo Nile trail still stands out as a unique and a hard to forget experience among the many beautiful parts of Rwanda. If you are in view of the Congo Nile Trail as your next  dose of adventure travel feel free to contact safari vacations and travel services for all the details about how to prepare and what to expect.

Rwanda’s Congo Nile Trail at a Look

Mode of transportation : mountain biking or hiking

• Time 2-10 days
• Guide – optional

Accommodation : guests houses or camping

Food: buy meals and snacks along the way

Features : Helpful  locals, interesting villages and gorgeous scenery etc.

Challenge: Heat, hills, acute attention from the locals

Rwanda Travel Summary

Rwanda is one of the simplest African countries to travel in. there is so much of information that can help you in preparing for Rwanda in general but here we give you a quick summary before going into details of the Congo Nile Trail.

Visas and getting in

Of recent, Rwanda made it simpler to visit than ever, anyone from nay country can be with a 30 days visa on arrival without advance application.

Getting there

You will favorably arrive by plane at Kigali international airport smart and comfortable buses also run from neighboring countries. But with safari vacations and travel services. We provide to clients with transfers from and to the airport without profession driver guides for the best experience.

When to go;

Well Rwanda is not so hot in terms of weather as many of its neighbors, and it does receive a lot of rain, therefore avoiding the wet season is your major concern unless you love being always soggy prioritize June to September  for dry weather (not totally dry) or December to February as your next choice. During day it can be so humid and nights can be chilly depending on where you are.

Religion and culture

A large number of Rwanda for dry weather (not totally dry) or December to February as your next choice. During day it can be so humid and nights can be chilly depending on where you are.

Religion and culture

A large number of Rwandans are Christians and are even split between protestants and Catholics. The culture is not all the way conservative as far as African countries go, but certainly more conservative than most western countries and makes it pay less conservative especially outside the capital city of Kigali. As for the female tourists can definitely wear pants even though most of the local women wear skirts. Tight fitting pants or skirts above the knees might be seen as strange or disrespectful more especially in rural areas.

While the impact may not be too obvious to most visitors. It is ideal to understand that every Rwandan you came across above the 24 years of age has gone through the genocide. During three monthly in 1994, an estimated one million Rwandese perished in a brutal deaths at the hands of their neighbors in an ethnically motivated genocide spear head by the then government. That’s 14% of Rwanda’s population at the time. These people don’t usually talk about it, so our advice would be you not to ask unless you know someone so well or they show willingness to discuss about it and for that matter, the genocide memorial museum in Kigali is definitely worth a visit if you want  to understand more about the contrast between Rwanda’s dark history and clan, organized orderly and community focused country today.

Health

Research this totally, beginning with the  CDC website and a travel doctor. You will need some vaccinations and malaria protective pills. While you are there, either drink bottled water or purify all drinking water with chlorine dioxide or nay other method that is effective against bacteria, viruses and viruses. (most major backpacking filters sold in north America do not meet this last criteria.

Safety

Rwanda currently has a better record as a safety country with less crime rates. This is matching my experience even thought I was only there for only two weeks. No wonder, it is always key to think about the guidelines for staying safe when roaming around in an unfamiliar place.

Transportation can be the highest risk most tourists engage in many African countries be vigilant while selecting a motorbike and driver and stay off the roads after dark.

In the west, where the Congo Nile trail is, there is a standing travel warning from some of the western governments and authorities due to the place’s close proximity to on-going conflict in the democratic republic of Congo examine this before you go in order to make sure that things have not gone out of hands, but in recent years this has not been an issue on the Rwandan side.

Money

The Rwandan Franc is used as currency for most things besides that, some tour operators make payments in USD commonly for larger amounts. At the time when this article was written, the conversion rate was around 880 RF to USD. Credit cards and ATMs are not widely used especially in smaller towns (and definitely not on the Congo Nile Trail). So this means you will want to have plenty of cash carried safely in a money belt or on internal pocket). Euros and US dollars are easily changed to Rwanda Francs at banks and forex bureaus.

Female travelers

Unaccompanied travelers through different African countries Rwanda has stood as one of the countries you will experience typically your safaris adventure safely as a woman travelling alone. Rwandans are respectful and private which will make you comfortable as a single female tourist. In sub-Saharan African countries its useful to know that women’s upper legs are often looked to be more sexual than breasts, which elaborates why shorts will get you odd looks yet the local women bath topless in the rivers.

Rwanda’s Congo Nile trail overview

The full Congo Nile trail is a 227km (141 mile) route stretching along the shores of lake Kivu in western Rwanda, from Gisenyi/Rubavu in the north to Cyangugu in the south. Originally, it was made to be travelled as a roughly 10 day hike or a 5 day bike ride, even though a few of the travelers complete the full paths these days because the southern half has been tarmacked.

Since 2014 when the southern half from Kibuye to Cyangugu, was paved, its more common to only travel the northern half. This can be done in 4-5 days of hiking or 2-3 day of hiking and for those still interested in travelling the whole route. It can certainly be done but hiking the tarmacked road would be considerably less interesting and pleasant than the dirt paths and roads in the northern half on a bicycle I advise the tarmacked portion might be more convenient.

The majority of the route is single lane dirt road that winds along the shore of Lake Kivu, sometimes close enough to touch the water, most of the time high enough to enjoy a lovely view of it. You will be walking through villages, alongside farmland and down roads used by the locals e.g. they go about their daily business.

The route signage seems to still be a work in progress with shiny new signs in the beginning that prefer out to sometimes contradictory directions from locals by the end. Perfect for easing into that sense of adventure most people travel the trail from north to south, which currently makes the most sense since the northern section is more developed and an easier start.