Travel Guide Gisenyi / Rubavu

Although today a certain calm has taken hold of the city, Gisenyi has not always lived in peace. In 1994, a crowd of Rwandan refugees crossed the city, pushed by a government in disarray. The town suffered few massacres, thanks in part to the presence of a Muslim community that played a pacifying role. Shortly afterwards, a terrible cholera epidemic broke out. In 1996, it was the forced return to the country. When the volcano erupted, there was another crowd movement... All that is in the past, but as a neighbor of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), it remains a sensitive crossing point, given the sulphurous relations between the two countries and the violence that troubles the neighboring region. Nevertheless, Gisenyi remains a pleasant and lively city. The avenue lined with coconut palms and running along the coast from the Kivu Serena hotel has been completely redone. It ends at the "big barrier", as the border post is called here (trucks pass through the "small barrier", located higher up). In the streets, a simple string indicates the demarcation between the two states, but it is not recommended to cross it! Nationals of both countries can enter and leave at will. Beautiful villas line the lake. There are hotels, restaurants and discotheques that provide entertainment on weekends. On Sundays, people from Goma (DRC) cross the border to spend the afternoon in Gisenyi on Lake Kivu. They swim, picnic, laugh, frolic in the water, drink and dance... A great atmosphere!