Despite its name, the Congo Nile Trail is shared by Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The trail doesn’t pass through the Congo or anywhere near the River Nile per se but it is named after a landmark/watershed that separates the Congo and Nile Rivers.
Biking on the Congo Nile Trail is the best way to experience Rwanda’s natural beauty and the clean air, the trail passes through stunning beautiful scenery including Nyungwe Forest National Park, rolling hills, clear waters/beaches of Lake Kivu and you can catch a glimpse of the distant DR Congo. Besides the scenery, you get to see the locals going on about their daily business in their coffee, banana and tea plantations.
Also, the trail passes through small towns, shops, waterfalls, small local markets and fishing villages with warm greeting from smiling children and curious elders. As you bike, you might even stop by the Mugonera Orphanage and be entertained by local Rwandan dances. The Kiziba refugee settlement holding about 17,000 Congolese refugees is also located near the trail, the climax of it all is going up to the very top of the Congo Nile.
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On this trail, travelers have four options to complete it that is by car, motorcycle, bike and walking. Each method has its own advantages.
Walking and biking may be tiring but are the best ways to completing the trail, these two methods allow travelers appreciate the beautiful scenery along the trail and connect more with the locals. They are also good forms of exercise and can allow one easily be joined by other travelers unlike driving or motorcycling.
Walking through the Congo Nile Trail can be completed in 10 days, while biking takes 5 days. If time doesn’t allow, travelers could complete the trail in sections at a time.
Note: during the rainy seasons (March – May and October – November). Heavy rains make some sections of the trail muddy and difficult to navigate.
Regardless of the way you choose to explore and complete The Congo Nile Trail, there are free maps to guide you that are available to visitors at the Rwanda Development
Board Offices in Kigali, Musaze and Gisenyi. These maps help point out directions, correct distances, interesting places, landmarks, route changes and time taken passing through specific sections of the trail.
A lone traveler living in Rwanda only needs a map, self-assurance and personal supplies. More high-end visitors living in Rwanda can hire their own guides, porters and cooks to accompany them throughout the journey. If you are visiting Rwanda on a safari, then it is best to use the services of a tour operator to organize everything on the ground before you arrive.
A tour company or a tour operator can help arrange for porters, guides and other necessities while taking your interests, time and budget into considerations. Also help you acquire the right maps, hire or buy suitable Mountain bikes and related spare parts.
The Congo Nile Trail passes through sections with different characteristics, there are rocky areas, dusty roads and hilly areas. Most sections of the trails are not flat for ling. There is nothing like a single biking or walking track. You will often be climbing and slopping while sharing the road with others before reentering narrow trails, travelers need to be careful while on the road and should watch out for cars, motorcycles and local pedestrians.
How to get to the starting point
The journey to the starting point of The Congo Nile Trail in Rwanda starts from Kigali to the starting point in Gisenyi taking about 3 hours by bus. If you are traveling with your own bike, they you will need to negotiate with the bus conduct to reserve extra space or sits for you and the bike.
Alternatively, a tour operator can arrange a tour van to take you up to the starting point in Gisenyi and then pick you up later once you have completed the trail. The journey back to Kigali from the finishing point takes much longer, if you stopped in Kamembe, then your journey back to Kigali will take about 5 hours.
Renting and Purchasing a Bike
As an international traveler, it is costly moving with your own bike as an international traveler. You might need to purchase or hire a proper mountain bike from specialized outlets either Kigali or once you reach Gisenyi. Inzu Lodges may help with renting bikes on request.
Ensure that you test the bike yourself to ensure that it is in good mechanical condition and that you are comfortable with it, the bike should also come with important spare parts and a pump.
Level of difficulty of Congo Nile Divide Trail
To complete the trail by walking or biking, you need to be reasonably fit and accustomed to mountain biking. If you doubt your overall fitness, then there is an option of completing the trail in sections as you take breaks to take part in refreshing and fun activities such as relaxing and taking boat rides or canoes along Lake Kivu, swimming or checking out the waterfalls.
Accommodation along the Congo Nile Trail
Accommodation along the The Congo Nile Trail is easy although some adventurous travelers prefer to set their own campsites using tents at any nearby school, village, school, orphanage or plantation as soon as it starts getting dark. For travelers, who don’t travel with the right gears, the Rwanda Development Board or your tour operator can arrange to hire tents or connects you to the right outlets or suppliers.
The Rwanda Development Board has built several campsites along the trails that can easily be traced using signposts along the trail. These campsites already have tents so you only need to move with light bedding and other important gear. Budget travelers can choose from any of the following accommodation options along the trail.
Available accommodations include:
- Home Sait Jean in Kibuye – this is quiet popular with budget travelers and is located behind a roadside church, from here you can walk down a steep slope to the Lake Kivu.
- Inzu Lodge in Gisenyi – strategically located with stunning view of Lake Kivu, they offer good food, free WiFi, gift shops and tents to travelers. Travelers can request the hotel to organize traditional dance performances from local dance troupes.
- Peace Guest House in Kamembe – offers tranquil settings, beautiful gardens and good restaurant along the Lake Kivu.
What to Pack for The Congo Nile Trail in Rwanda
You need to pack appropriately and the following are must haves:
- A sleeping bag/sack
- A bike pump for bikers
- An extra bike tire
- Clothing’s to change
- Warm clothing for the cold night
- A dust Mask
- Gloves
- Toiletries
- Sunglasses for the dust
- A bicycle headlamp
- Snacks and things like boiled eggs, bread, fruits and drinking water
- Biking shoes
- Helmets
- A camera
