Best Tourist Places to Visit in Cyangugu, Ruzizi, Kigali, Africa

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Cyangugu, Ruzizi, Kigali, Africa

Cyangugu is a city belonging to the Western Province of Rwanda, located between 2°29′0″ S latitude and 28°53′48″ E longitude. It is the administrative centre of the Ruzizi District, situated around 230 km southwest of the national capital, Kigali. Cyangugu is situated on the southern shore of the Lake Kivu, on the Rwanda/ Democratic Republic of the Congo border, distinguished from DRC by the Ruzizi River. Due to its position on the lake shore and near the Nyungwe Forest, Cyangugu is a popular destination among both national and international tourists. Cyangugu also holds an airport with scheduled flights to Kigali.

How to get Cyangugu?

Cyangugu is served by Kamembe Airport, located around 6 km away from the heart of Cyangugu. RwandAir is the airline serving Kigali, offering 11 flights to Kigali per week. For airport travel, motorbike taxi is a special option.

Buses are not frequent between Cyangugu and Kigali, but it is possible to get Cyangugu from Kigali by getting down in Butare first and then taking bus or minibus to Cyangugu. Butare is situated around 120 km away from Cyangugu.

Taxi-moto or motorbike taxi is a primary option to get around Cyangugu.

Food and Shopping in Cyangugu:

There are several nice food corners and shops in Cyangugu, of which most are traditional options. Most shops don’t accept credit or debit cards, so it is advised to visitors to bring some local currency prior to reaching the city. For better options, visitors can head towards Butare (around 120 km).

What to do in Cyangugu?

Forest tour
Boating
Traditional shopping

What to see in Cyangugu?

Lake Kivu:

The Lake Kivu sprawls over an area of 2,700 sq. km, with a maximum length of 89 km and width of 48 km. This fresh water lake is home to around 28 fish species, including Haplochromis, Nile Tilapia, Barbus and Clarias. Cyangugu is located on the south bank of Lake Kivu.

Nyungwe Forest:

The Nyungwe Forest is around 970 km² rainforest in southwestern Rwanda, extending to Burundi. Founded in 2004, the forest features the diverse ecological characteristics like grassland, swamps, bogs and bamboo. The park is rich in vegetation and wildlife species, home to 1068 plant species, 275 bird species and 32 amphibian species. The forest is situated around 55 km east of Cyangugu.

Butare:

Butare is a colonial city, located around 120 km east of Cyangugu. Butare holds many prominent tourist attractions of the country such as the National Museum of Rwanda, the Gikongoro Genocide Memorial and the National University of Rwanda. Buses regularly ply between these two cities and Cyangugu can also be reached by rental cars.

List of other places of interest in Cyangugu, Butare (around 120 km) and Kigali (around 230 km) includes:

Cathedral in Butare
Huye Market
Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre in Kigali
Presidential Palace Museum
Parc National des Volcans
Akagera National Park
Inema Art Center
Nyamata Church
Ivuka Arts Centre
Librarie Ikirezi
Mambas Club

When to travel Cyangugu?

Cyangugu can be visited throughout the year, though, to enjoy outdoor activities, from June to September is best.

Accommodation options in Cyangugu:

There are no star rated hotels in Cyangugu but visitors can find many nice guest houses and vacation rentals in Cyangugu that provide healthy and memorable hospitality services with a blend of traditional and modern facilities and services. It is also suggested to reach the Butare city to find star rated hotels. The prominent hotels in Cyangugu, Butare (120 km) and Kigali (around 230 km) are as follows: