Bukavu travel guide

Bukavu is a city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), lying at the extreme south-western edge of Lake Kivu, west of Cyangugu in Rwanda, and separated from it by the outlet of the Ruzizi River. It is the capital of the South Kivu Province and as of 2012 it had an estimated population of 806,940.

Getting in

You can reach Bukavu from Rwanda via the borders of Cangungu, from Burundi via the border of Uvira, and from Goma via Lake Kivu or by Road. Due to continuing wars and go the massive crossing of goods over the Rwanda/DRC border, the border crossings can take a great deal of time, and bribes. Do not approach expecting to be able to buy a visa at the border. Have it beforehand and be prepared to wait and possibly pay a bribe. The border control is just one person writing everything down in a big ledger. The road to Goma is not considered safe but there are boats every day.

Getting around

Getting around can be tricky to some especially those from developed countries due to the condition of the roads. The roads are in poor condition except for some parts of the city center such as the line from Labotte (head quarter of governments and other companies in the province of South Kivu) to the Ruzizi 1 border crossing in Nguba which is also the main artery of the city called boulevard Lumumba (named after the late Patrice E. Lumumba).

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.