Island-Hopping on Beautiful Lake Kivu!

We enjoyed a fun boat ride exploring several small islands near Kibuye, Rwanda.

Our first stop was Napoleon Island, named because its shape resembles Napoleon Bonaparte’s famous black bicorne hat. It is also known as Bat Island and is home to Rwanda’s largest colony of straw-colored fruit bats (Eidolon helvum)—tens of thousands of them! Many decided to put on an incredible show and fly around us while we were there.

I even tried a guava, one of the fruits the bats enjoy. We also saw isogi, or African spider plant (Cleome gynandra), a traditional leafy green vegetable in Rwanda—and some cattle peacefully grazing among the island’s vegetation.

Next, we greeted the vervet monkeys on Monkey Island. We also hiked around Amahoro Island—“Peace Island”—where we spotted African fish eagles and an enormous fish-eagle nest.

Lake Kivu island-hopping is just one of the many memorable activities we can include in a personalized tour with East Africa Safaris.

Come explore Rwanda with us!