Volcanoes Canoeing Trips
Our Volcanoes canoeing trips are led by expert English or French-speaking local guides who are conversant with the local area hence providing detailed information and humor to make your experience worthwhile and unforgettable.
Get the once-in-a-lifetime experience of soaking up breathtaking views, watching a plethora of bird species, and meeting the friendly local community members during our Volcanoes canoeing trips. Thanks to the Lakes and Rivers surrounding Rwanda’s mountain gorilla haven, visitors have an opportunity to enjoy canoeing as a way of relaxing and spicing up their gorilla trekking experiences. With options of morning or afternoon canoeing trips, you have a great chance to discover the heart of the Rwandan countryside, and this can be a day before or after your gorilla trekking adventure. Book Now
There are three main places where Volcanoes Canoeing trips are conducted and they include;
Mukungwa River
You can enjoy a canoeing trip on Mukungwa River, a tributary of the Nyabarongo River set on the foothills of the Virunga Volcanoes near Musanze to soak up the jaw-dropping views, enjoy the sights and sounds of different bird species, and spot wildlife especially otters, in addition to meeting and interacting with the locals as they go about their day-to-day routines. Done with modern canoes, these trips can be done in the morning (starting from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm) or afternoon (2:00 pm to 6:00 pm), and last up to four hours, with over two and a half to three hours on the water.
Lake Bulera
Lake Bulera, one of the twin Lakes in Musanze can also be explored by a canoe trip and this can be after your adventure in Volcanoes National Park (be it gorilla trekking, golden monkey tracking, visit to the Dian Fossey Gravesite or volcano climbing) for an unforgettable experience. Canoeing trips on this Lake are done by experienced local guides who take visitors through its amazing history and provide information on the different bird species. It will excite you to know that Lake Bulera together with Lake Ruhondo are twin Lakes formed out of volcanic activity from Sabyinyo Volcanic Mountain and are separated by a 1-kilometer land mass.
With your packed lunch or breakfast, set out on a canoeing trip to relish the beautiful scenery, sight different birds, and climax it with a picnic at the Island. While discovering Mother Nature in a traditional canoe, get to take in views of the jaw-dropping landscape, and wetland environment and identify several species of birds that include aquatic species. Of the 40 species in the area, you are likely to see at least 20 species on a single canoeing trip.
Lake Ruhondo
Another possible volcano canoeing trip is on Lake Ruhondo, at the base of the highest Virunga Volcano- Karisimbi. Just like Lake Bulera, Ruhondo was also formed out of volcanic activity from Mount Sabyinyo. Lava was poured across the River Valley that solidified and cooled off thus forming the twin Lakes of Bulera and Ruhondo that are separated by a 1-kilometer land mass. This Lake, with a length of 9.17 kilometers and a width of 4.55 kilometers receives its waters from Lake Bulera at its southwestern end.
Canoeing trips on Lake Ruhondo make it possible to sight extraordinary bird species like Hamerkop, cormorants, Herons, and Kingfishers among others. With experienced guides, visitors not only enjoy the beauty of the surrounding landscape and spot various bird species but also get a deeper insight into the places visited and wildlife spotted.
Interestingly, canoeing trips don’t require any experience, although a reasonable level of physical fitness is recommended. You can combine your post-Rwanda gorilla trekking safari with a session to do canoeing.
What to carry/pack for the Volcanoes Canoeing Trips
For your Volcanoes Canoeing Trips, visitors are advised to bring sunscreen, some snacks, drinking water, a wide-brimmed hat, a backpack, a camera with protective gear, a pair of binoculars, a rain jacket (because you can never know when the rain will surprise you), and wear light clothes (T-shirt, breathtaking trousers or pair of shorts), and sandals/flip flops.
Best time to go for the Volcanoes Canoeing Trips
Volcanoes Canoeing Trips are popular during the dry season (June to September and December to February) when the chances of receiving rain are lower. For the wet season (March to May and October to November), while mornings are normally dry, rains are common in the afternoons.
