Lake Kivu
Swimming, boats out to the islands, and the fishermen rowing home at dusk.
Rainforest, chimpanzees and a canopy walkway sixty metres above the valley.
Nyungwe is one of the oldest rainforests in Africa, and one of the largest tracts of montane forest left anywhere on the continent. It covers the southwest of the country in a thousand square kilometres of dense, wet, steep green.
Thirteen primate species live in it, chimpanzees among them, along with troops of Angola colobus monkeys several hundred strong. Birdwatchers come for the Albertine Rift endemics; botanists come for the orchids. Everyone else comes for the walking.
The canopy walkway is the park's signature: a suspended bridge on the Igishigishigi trail, strung between forest giants sixty metres above the valley floor. The trail itself is 2.1 km and comfortable for a novice.
Nyungwe's steep landscape makes it an ideal destination for hikers of any level — the park has a network of scenic trails. The Imbaraga trail rewards experienced walkers with four waterfalls; the Bigugu trail climbs the highest peak in the park. Tea estates ring the edges of the forest, and the road in from the north runs through them.
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Swimming, boats out to the islands, and the fishermen rowing home at dusk.
Gorilla and golden-monkey trekking in the Virungas. Permits go months ahead.
227 km of lakeshore track. Walk a morning of it or ride the lot in five days.
Savannah, lakes and the Big Five, on Rwanda's eastern border.
Stay on the lake and drive out from here — most of this is a day trip from your room.