Five hiking days on the Congo Nile Trail? With a bus ride to Kigali at the end? We had an intriguing alternative for Rachel, a British teacher from Tanzania …
A strong hiker, would she be able to do the nearly 30 kilometres between Kinunu (the middle of the northern section of the Trail) and Bumba (in the mountains overlooking the bay of Kibuye) in one day? Even if the last part is steeply uphill? Rachel was game!
She actually really liked our proposal of a two-day trekking extension outside of the Congo Nile Trail: instead of bussing to the shores of Lake Kivu, she would walk there. Our estimate was 45 kilometres from Byangabo (close to the town of Musanze) to Gisenyi/Rubavu, with a totally special camping sleepover at the majestic colonial home of Roz Carr. Guide Jackson would lead her through these first two days, while her excess luggage travelled by moto from one overnight stop to the next.
And she did it! She started the journey on Monday and reached Bumba two days ago. Over 100 kilometres walked.
How did the last day go, you wonder? To do the hardest part at the very end wasn’t ideal … “My legs were ready, but my mind wasn’t,” admits Rachel. Thankfully she had an amazing guide in Cesar who managed to boost her self-belief as they pushed on up the climb. An early departure from Kinunu and an extended lunch break at Musasa helped, as did taking the more gradual cycling route.
“The different natural setting, the local cooking experience and the story of Roz Carr made the first two days completely worth it. Better than doing all five days on the Congo Nile Trail,” concludes Rachel, now relaxing at a Kigali swimming pool. Her one regret: she only downloaded Carr’s “Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda” to her Kindle after falling asleep in front of the very fireplace that had once kept Dian Fossey and similar celebrities warm in the cold nights under the volcanoes …
📸 photography by:
César Niyonkuru is one of the most experienced hiking guides on the Congo Nile Trail and the Gorilla Highlands Experts go-to guy for many years. A dynamic father of two, César resides in Gisenyi, Rwanda. Click for his background story. [bio updated: 2026-05]
Rachel Mahon hiked the Congo Nile Trail between two of her stints as a teacher at United World Colleges — Moshi, Tanzania, and Karuizawa, Japan. Of Irish ancestry, she finds it hilarious to hear of the “Irish potatoes” or “Irishes” in our region. Rachel sometimes thinks of returning to Manchester, England. [bio updated: 2026-07]
🖋️ text and 📸 photography by:
ML Rwebandira — formerly known as Miha Logar — is an adventure and cultural tourism expert, writer and multimedia producer who co-founded Gorilla Highlands Experts. His most recent publication is the Pocket Treasure. A national of both Uganda and Slovenia, ML resides with his son Lan in Musanze, Rwanda. Click for his personality-infused quarterly newsletters. [bio updated: 2026-05]
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