Travel the World Series: Africa Edition Rwanda - Kibuye
Kibuye is the capital town of Kibuye Province in western Rwanda, located on the eastern shore of Lake Kivu, at an altitude of 1,463 meters.
Lake Kivu is situated in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift Valley, and serves as a border lake between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Formed by a fault depression, Lake Kivu stretches about 96 kilometers north to south and 48 kilometers east to west, covering an area of 2,700 square kilometers, with a maximum depth of nearly 500 meters. The lake’s waters flow into the Ruzizi River, which then flows south into Lake Tanganyika. The shoreline is winding and rugged, with cliffs alternating with sandy beaches, creating magnificent scenery.
Photos 1-10: Taking a boat tour on Lake Kivu, the poetic and picturesque emerald-green lake surface is like a mirror, with fishing boats slowly gliding by, breaking the shimmering waves. The air is filled with the fresh scent of earth and aquatic plants.
Photos 11-20: The Kibuye area is famous for Bat Island on the eastern shore of Lake Kivu, home to millions of fruit bats. When these bats fly in large groups at night, they darken the sky and create a unique spectacle over the lake, known as the magnificent "Thousand Islands Lake" scene. We climbed Bat Island, overlooking the entire lake, beside the clear waves, feeling the gentle breeze, watching water birds, and hearing mountain songs, as if in a fairyland. The boatman clapped his hands vigorously, and bats took flight from nearby and distant trees, quickly forming lines and then surfaces, flying in a vast swarm over the mountaintop. Sister Xi and I quickly joined in the clapping and cheering. The bats flew more and more, darkening the sky as they hovered, circled, and danced—a truly magnificent sight.
Page 15: Fruit bats are the largest bats, with some species having wingspans up to 2 meters. Also known as flying foxes, they survive by feeding on fruit in orchards. Fruit bats have simple, oval-shaped ears without tragus or antitragus; their eyes are well developed with good vision; their tongues are highly developed, especially in species that feed on pollen and nectar, capable of extending far outside the mouth.