Lake Kivu

Lying on the border between the DRC and Rwanda is Lake Kivu, one of the great lakes of Africa. The lake stretches along Rwanda's eastern flank, and three main towns are located along its shoreline.

In the north, Gisenyi with its cool climate, beaches, and prolific birdlife is a lovely tourist destination.

Roughly halfway south, along the length of Kivu, is Kibuye. This town stretches over a series of hills, on which pines and eucalyptus trees have been planted. The atmosphere is noticeably different from the other lakeside towns. Where Gisenyi and Cyangugu feel more like run-down tropical beach resorts, Kibuye has a fresh, young air. A newly constructed road from [Kigali] has made this the busiest of the lakeside towns.

In the far south is Cyangugu. This is somewhat of a dead end for travellers, unless you're planning on heading over the border into the DRC, in which case good luck.

Something to ponder while lying lakeside, is that Kivu contains roughly 55 billion cubic metres of dissolved methane gas, hiding at a depth of 300 metres.

This recent discovery has resulted in a multi-million dollar gas extraction deal between the Rwandan government and an international consortium. The project is expected to increase Rwanda's energy generation capabilities 20 times over. If successful, Rwanda will be selling electricity to its neighbours in the foreseeable future, all thanks to the methane lurking deep in Lake Kivu's bowels.

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