A small town on the border with the DRC, with views across to the Congolese city of Bukavu.

Rusizi is the closest town to Nyungwe National Park, which is about an hour’s drive away. Budget accommodation here will appeal to self-drive visitors to the National Park.

Cyangugu. It’s a name that refers to the two southwestern districts in Rwanda, Nyamasheke and Rusizi. Some call it the most beautiful place in Rwanda, but few brave the five to six hour ride from Kigali to witness its grandeur. Read on, as this little guide to the sites of Cyangugu might just convince you to make the trip off the tourist map.

On a geographical note, you might hear Kamembe confusingly called by either Cyangugu or Rusizi. Cyangugu was the former name of Rusizi and Nyamasheke districts, and many Rwandans still refer to the area that way. Generally the city on the hill, where the bus park is located, is called Kamembe, and the area down by Lake Kivu and the border (umupaca) with the DRC is called Rusizi or Cyangugu; it’s about a 10 minute, Rwf 400 to 500 franc moto ride from the official Kamembe town.

As far as food goes, there are enough options to satisfy every palate. Take in the amazing views of Lake Kivu and DR Congo mansions while enjoying some brochettes, fried bananas, and cold beverages at Ku Bagore, located right on the lake near the border, next to the post office (take a moto from town), or head to Kwasa’s/La Seule Addresse near the Obama Shop on the main road in Kamembe for a great omelette especiale and some soccer matches on the TVs. Motel Rubavu near the market also offers a good Rwandan buffet and a diverse selection; their fish brochettes are highly recommended.

The Hotel des Chutes also offers a large variety of food at reasonable prices – the veggie burger and fries for just Rwf 2,000 is delicious, and their pea curry is great for when you’ve tired of potatoes and brochettes. Just be prepared for a bit of wait, as their service cane be fairly slow and they never seem to have more than three menu items available at any one time.

Fishermen on Lake Kivu in Rusizi ,they explain how fishes get caught in their fishing nets

Kamembe International Airport is an airport for Cyangugu and Kamembe in Rwanda (IATA: KME, ICAO: HRZA). RwandAir operates a Dash 8-Q400 with seven flights per week to and from Kigali. The airport receives charter flights from Tanzania, Uganda and Democratic Republic of the Congo, though not on a regular schedule.

When you reach to Rusizi you will be told the story of crocodile called Gustave in Rusizi river which separate Rwanda to DRC Congo.

The notorious crocodile is accused of eating over 300 human beings during the past few decades. The horror stories that Gustave inspired leave behind tales of him being up to 40 feet long and eating over a dozen people in a single attack. While those stories are clearly exaggerated, his existence is not. Even national geographic had once done a documentary on Gustave. His attacks on humans were such a problem that the Burundi government worked with a French man who had hoped to capture the beast alive. Despite various attempts including using goats as bait, Gustave was always able to escape and was never captured.