Bukavu tumbles down a series of steep peninsulas into the southern end of Lake Kivu, one of Africa's Great Lakes. The setting is stunning — green hills plunging into deep blue water, with the volcanoes of the Albertine Rift visible in the distance. The Belgians built the town as Costermansville and gave it a hilly, terraced layout that earns it occasional comparisons to an African lakeside version of a Mediterranean town.
The city has had a brutal recent history — caught between wars in eastern Congo for decades — and travel here requires caution and current security advice. But for those who do come, Bukavu offers access to Kahuzi-Biéga National Park, home to the eastern lowland gorilla (Grauer's gorilla), the largest of all gorilla subspecies and critically endangered. Gorilla trekking here is raw and far less polished than in Rwanda — fewer tourists, thicker jungle, and a more adventurous experience.
Lake Kivu itself is beautiful. Boat trips to the islands, swimming from the rocky shores of the peninsulas, and sunset views from the hilltop hotels make Bukavu feel like an unlikely paradise in a troubled region. The border crossing to Cyangugu in Rwanda is just across the Ruzizi bridge at the southern tip of the lake.