Mention lakes and boating activities in Rwanda, and many people naturally think of no other place but Gisenyi. Lake Kivu, to be precise. From Kigali, they just by pass Musanze en route to Gisenyi. 

Actually not many people even know of any lakes or boating activities in Musanze. Even those that stop in Musanze to take in the amazing view of the Volcano Mountains will always point to Kinigi – a place that resonates more with the annual gorilla naming ceremony – Kwita Izina.

It’s for such reasons that the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo in Musanze district have often been labeled the "neglected gems” of the local tourism industry.

The combination of beautiful lake-side sceneries, boating activities (both fishing and canoeing), and the sheer proximity to the gorillas in the nearby Volcanoes National Park is more reason to visit the two lakes.

Even with several visits and tour excursions around Musanze district to my name, I had never been to them.

I travelled with a group of tourists from Kigali, one of who wanted to scout for some beautiful lake side properties for possible future development, and who wanted to hit the search by boat.

The rest were people who, like me, wanted to see the lakes for the first time, while a few others had already been there and simply wanted to rekindle old memories.

In Musanze town, we stopped by La Paillotte restaurant for refreshments, from where we were joined by a handful of other tourists keen on making the boating trip.

It was soon evident that the jeep safari car arranged for our travel would not accommodate the group, so a second car was summoned.

We set off from La Paillotte shortly after 1:00 pm, and in another 30 minutes or so, were enjoying sneak peeks of the stunning views and mountains that ring the lakes.

The beauty about getting to these lakes is that there is no designated set-off point. One can approach the expedition from any point of the shoreline that a boat can dock.

Our group comprised ten people, and together with the crew and a few local leaders and "extras” the number rose to about 15. This nec essitated taking out the biggest engine-powered dugout canoe among the three options presented before us.

"Are we using life jackets?” "Are there crocodiles in the lake?” "How deep is the water?” These were some of the questions on every one’s lips, fired in rapid succession as we took our seats.

The thing about this trip is that it is highly flexible and can be custom-made to individual taste.

For our case, the main interest was to step onto at least one of the many famed islands the lakes host. We were told the biggest of these were Bushongo, Munanira, Cuza, and Bishosho.

A trip to an island would not only introduce us to the local cultures of the traditional fishing villages, but also offer the opportunity for a spot of mountain hiking.

Harriet Ingabire, the manager of Red Rocks campsite and who arranged the excursion soon revealed the other options available to us: Once on the islands, one could choose to immerse their self in the local culture, and the best way to do this would be through a home stay with a local family. 

We made it known to her that spending the night was not an option, so she came up with more suggestions:

We could either go on a farm trip and do some digging or harvesting, arrange a locally made meal with a host family, or partake of swimming and canoeing classes offered by the islands’ experienced boatmen.

But nobody was in a hurry. What with so much abundance of the breathtaking mountainous views that engulf the lakes. The most epic views were those of the Muhabura peak of the Volcanoes mountain ranges that loomed majestically over the scenery. 

The local boats criss-crossing the waters were another spectacle to behold. Bands of fishermen crammed into local fishing boats frequently rowed past, chanting militant-sounding slogans that are part of the fishing culture at the tops of their voices. 

Perhaps the most enchanting boating scenes were those of young boys and women, some with children strapped on their boats rowing spiritedly and quietly away. 

Japheth, the local leader who travelled with us revealed that the waters were 180m deep, a revelation that only seemed to provoke further our imaginations. 

Harriet further revealed to us that this lake expedition attracts predominantly international tourists, usually as a bonus to their gorilla tour. The other category you are likely to find are wealthy Rwandans and expats from Kigali, and a few regional tourists, mainly from Uganda and the DRC. 

For Jens, a tourist from Denmark visiting Rwanda for the first time, it was all about the feeling of authenticity he encountered on the trip: 

"Before Rwanda, the only other country I had visited in Africa was Tanzania. 

What I particularly liked about this trip was that I didn’t feel like a tourist in the strict sense of the word, but rather like I was going with friends to see something which is authentically Rwandan. The nature was beautiful, particularly the mountains and landscapes.”

Jens had been staying at the Red Rocks campsite in Nyakinama a few days before the trip: "The first time I arrived, I didn’t know what I’d do. I arrived at night. In the morning we walked around the area and visited a banana beer factory. The next day was the same. 

On the third day Harriet recommended this place and arranged a boat.

It’s a tourist site, yes, but if feels a bit different when you have some locals on the trip as opposed to just foreign tourists,” he concluded. 

For Bright Rwagatare, a Rwandan student on holiday from the US, the main draw was actually the adrenaline rush that came with sitting on a local canoe: "The thing I enjoyed most about the trip is that I had never been on such a local boat. It was exciting, but before we got there I was a little bit nervous, wondering what it would be like. But then we got in and everything seemed fine.”

Like many of us, he had never been to this place, "so I decided to just go and see for myself what Rwanda is made of.”

Clare, a British tourist who lives in Mwanza where she works as a teacher was also here for her first time: "My impression was that they (twin lakes) are very beautiful. I really liked the majestic sight of the Volcanoes Mountains in the background, and it was a really nice stay with friendly people. We were out for a few hours on the boat, and we saw the sun setting and we stepped onto an island, which was really pretty, so I really enjoyed that trip, and would like to get back one day.”

The island she talks about is one of the four major ones that sit on the lakes, and upon landing on it, Harriet introduced the island as Mama La Paillotte’s. It’s owned by the couple who run the popular La Paillotte restaurant outlets in Musanze district. 

Like all the others, the island is rather sparsely populated, with a few residents who cultivate its fertile soils intensively. 

Harriet further informed us that this is the best island to visit if you want to take out a daylong picnic, or overnight home stay. 

Everyone seemed to be blown away by the sheer size, seclusion and tranquility of the island. 

Someone casually asked what it would take for Madame La Paillotte to give up the island to a willing taker, and the prompt answer from Harriet soon settled the issue:

She would only give up the island if the government needed it from her for some reason. In all, this is a tour expedition that should be palatable to nearly everybody.