Twin Lakes.

The Twin lakes of Rwanda are an amazing unique scenery found along the foothills of the volcanic national park, Rwanda is one of the best dream places of the world one can be, the many hills and mountains are phenomenal to experience perfectly fitting its description “land of a thousand hills”, the angelic lakes are located at the foothills of volcanoes national park a known home to mountain gorillas and golden monkeys, the Lakes were formed as a result of volcanicity and are strategically placed at the base of mountain Muhabura located in the Musanze town one of the busy tourism places of Rwanda hosting many visitors.

The twin Lakes are named Lake Ruhondo and Lake Burera, both combined occupy an area space of approximately 2800ha,naming them twin lakes because, at a certain point, one lake pours its waters into the other, they are also fed by rivers flowing from the neighbouring state of Uganda. The lakes stand out and are extremely beautiful with a backdrop of the Virunga mountains and the forest of the Volcanoes national park.

The Lakes were formed as a result of a volcanic eruption which led to lava flow blocking up one particular river locally known as river Nyabarongo which resulted in back flow and hence water concentrating in one area, the lakes go 180 meters deep, the lakes are placed at different elevations,  Lake Burera is 150 meters above Lake Ruhondo, the waters are free from hippos and crocodiles hence safe to consume according to research, the water is mostly used by the surrounding local communities and the region is bilharzia free although swimming in the lake remains at your own risk.

The lake area has a wonderful view of the backdrop of the rolling mountains, and steep farmlands with the sight of deep blue waters, a visit to the region is relaxing and mind-blowing as you experience cool breezes and phenomenal views, on the clear good day you can be able to see the views of the tops of the mountains in the Virunga and both lakes at a glance. Top things to do in the region include birding common birds seen include the cormorant, Kingfisher, and Hammerkop, to mention a few.  Canoe and boat cruises boat rides are done using motorized Canoe boats. Community tours to the nearby villages will allow interaction with the locals and the fishermen, fishing at the twin lakes, and swimming.

The best time to visit the Twin Lakes is during the dry season between December- January and June-September, during this time the trails are drier and hence easy to hike to the lake, although they can be seen all year round. Tours to the Twin Lakes are combined with those of the Volcanoes National Park ona Rwanda safari, expect to see mountain gorillas, Golden monkeys, and other present animals within the Park.

The Twin Lakes can be accessed from Kigali International Airport by car, which takes approximately + hours flight to arrive at the destination or one can choose to take a flight to the Ruhengeri International Airport.