A LIFE TIME HIKING CONGO NILE TRAIL EXPERIENCE

A LIFE TIME HIKING CONGO NILE TRAIL EXPERIENCE
When talking about Congo Nile trail, most people cannot even point them out on a map. When deciding for hiking destinations, most people have in mind the Kilimanjaro trail in Tanzania or the eagle creek trial in Oregon, USA. I would advise you the Congo Nile trail, the best hiking destination and you will be overwhelmed by the beauty and unique scenery, you will never forget.
The hiking experience starting point, Gisenyi, rubavo district, the starting point of the congo nile trail, is one of the five districts in the western province linked by the trail. It features a resort on the shores of the lakes Kivu, with several hotels and sandy beaches. The area is best for water sports activities. The incredible congo nile journey will take you to a number of different amazing tourism attractions like the road side coffee and tea plantations with endless views, waterfalls and watershed.
Crossing 5 western provinces districts with more than eight amazing base camps and accommodation facilities, three bonus trails which offers diverse experiences, breath taking scenic views and a thousand of kids smiles up a hiking lifetime experience. The sub trails include:
• Pfunda sub trail with a distance of 30km hiking days 2 and it is easy to moderate.
• Gisovu with a distance of 52km and hiking days 2, rating is difficult.
• Shangi sub trail with a distance of 52km and hiking days 2 and rating is difficult.
Come and discover one of Africa’s most beautiful region while interacting and benefiting the local community. Some people prefer to experience the congo nile trail by a combined hiking, cycling, boat ride or 4×4 drive. The trail offers a thousand of amazing options depending on your time and budget.
From Kigali, drive towards Musanze to Gisenyi for 167km(3hours). After hiking all the way from Rubavu to rusizi back to Kigali one can either drive through Nyungwe national park, the biggest mountainous forest in africa 4 hours or get back to Gisenyi by boat ride through lake kivu and then take the bus to Kigali. The congo nail trail thousands of amazing options, depending on your time and budget. From one day trip to 10days full experience.
10days hiking journey on the Congo Nile trail
The congo nile trail 10days hiking journey is an all-inclusive spectaculars walk from the northern lake kivu shores to the southern park through the famous congo nile divide watershed that is suitable for a wide range of fitness levels. Unlike anyother walk, the scenery is geographically spectacular and ever changing village on top of hills, rivers and lakes, waterfalls, reef and sandy beaches. The experiences are diverse hiking, community interaction, historical tales, and a magnificent scenic walk along lake kivu shores.
The congo nile trail is all about about one main trail bridging the western corridor from volcanoes national park to Nyungwe national park and three sub trails.
Day 1: Gisenyi to Rwinyouni: you will journey overland to the village of Rwinyoni, agriculture community, northwest of the lake from here you will board enjoy the amazing sunset alighting the lake shores the village offers the first campsite.
Day 2: rwinyoni to kinunu next morning you will do another 2 hours to arrive at the Nora fishing village. From that point you can enjoy views of the surrounding, fish men coming back. From the tradition overnight fishing, kids playing in the lake then the lake leads up through coffee washing station. Arriving time to the kinunu coffee washing station base camp 3:00pm.
Day 3: kinunu to musasa: next day you will hike for 6 hours on lake shores interacting with the local community and enjoying the surrounding and scenic views and banana a plantations visiting the well-known kinunu catholic church. Follow the trail to bwimana coffee washing station of musasa, stop for a picnic on the edge of the lake. Overnight camping.
Day 4: musasa to rubengera junction: next day you have to wake up early as you will have to hike following the trail between community fields, crossing the river coko before getting to kibingo health centre. Picnic near by the gatunda village (commercial centre, with market on tuseday) and then climb the trail until the main Rubavu – Karongi road at mushubati and walk again for almost 2 hours along the main road to rubengera. At the rubengera asphalt junction the best option is to take a bus to Kibuye city centre. The high will be spent bin one of the hotels or guest houses of the city, near by the lake.
Day 5: relaxing day, visiting the surroundings of Kibuye(beaches, boat ride, visit of island and swimming)
Day 6: Kibuye to mugonero: after a good relaxing a day you are fit for an effective 8 hours hike starting from the cross road to the university on the methane gaz road, you will take the road along the lake until getting to electro gaz then turn left and climb until you get main Kibuye rusizi road. Turn right to the kamembe direction. Follow the main road stop for a picnic at the mubuga village centre. The next village centre where you can stop for cold refreshment is gishyita sector centre, follow the main road pass the mugonero health centre signpost until you get to the kigarama Esperance orphanage sign post and then turn right and follow the small track to the orphanage base camp. Overnight camping effective walking hours 8.
Day 7: mugonero to karengera: depart from the orphanage early in the morning for a 6 hours hike, take the way back to the main road and slop down to the lake edge to mugonero market centre then follow the road to kibingo, cross the kilimbi river bridge with ascenic view on the community rice field, follow the main road to the second base camp, at the karangera’s secondary school. Effectively, you will make lots of stops all along the road during the afternoon, because the temperature is always high in the area. Overnight camping at the karengera high school play ground. Effective walking 6 hours.
Day 8: today you will get the most beautiful scenic view over the lake which makes this part of the trail the best one. For 7 hours hike along the main road to kibogora hospital village, have a picnic stop at hanika village centre and then continue to birembo, kirambo market place, visit the kumbya peninsula, a Rwandan natural treasure owned by African missionaries. After kirambo market place on lake shores, follow the main road to approximately 30minutes to kibogora hospital and follow the signpost to the kibogora guest house base camp. Overnight camping. Effective hour walking is 7:30
Day 9: departure time 6:40am, arriving to the main road at tyazo market place, follow the road to kagano village at 9:00am and nyamasheke town centre at 10:00am relax at café de l’ovest bar restaurant with awonderful scenic view on lake kivu isiands. Depart at 11:00am and walk down the evcalyptus plantation, turn right at kagano secondary schooland take the track to shangi, arriving at shangi village at 4:00pm, turn left at the shangi sector office and follow the road to kamembe 30minutes later, turn right and follow the track through a small village to the historical peninsula of shangi arriving shangi base camp at 5:00pm. Effective walking hours 8
Day 10: departure time 7:00am, return at the road to kamembe, turn right and follow the road down to community rice field along lake shores, pass the nyagahembe river bridge through the wetlands and then take right at the first cross road across before crossing the cyunyu river bridge which separate the two districts nyamasheke and rusizi at 10:15am continue strait to the wooden village house at 11:00am stop for picnic at gatsibo village cross road and then take a left at the himo sign post to gihundwe hospital and to kucyapa, the main asphalt road 16:00pm arriving at kamembe town centre at 16:30pm effective walking 8hours. End of journey.