PADDLER 98
“ Once on the water , we enjoyed a very relaxing , gentle , sinuous canoe trip down the river , which lasted a few hours .”
PADDLER 98
“ Once on the water , we enjoyed a very relaxing , gentle , sinuous canoe trip down the river , which lasted a few hours .”
MUKUNGWA RIVER
There are opportunities on the Mukungwa River for both canoeing and white water rafting . The waters of the Mukungwa River are calm and tranquil . There are a series of small hydro projects on the river , and the flow in this meandering valley is gentle . This makes it ideal for canoeing and wildlife spotting .
Our launch spot was alongside a rural dirt road , and as we were getting our canoe ready for launch , I asked about the dangers of hippos and crocodiles . “ You don ’ t have to worry about hippos and crocodiles ,” said one of our local guides , “ they don ’ t live in this part of the river .”
The series of small hydroelectric dams across the river mean these animals no longer make it this far up the river . There have not been any records of crocodiles or hippos in the river for many years , or so they say !
Once on the water , we enjoyed a very relaxing , gentle , sinuous canoe trip down the river , which lasted a few hours . There was no adrenaline rush on this trip , but paddling through a reasonably untouched part of the country was fascinating . Much of Rwanda ’ s indigenous tree cover has been lost , and the land has been used for agriculture and growing non-indigenous Eucalyptus . This has made the river waters a murky brown , indicating high sediment levels in the water as the high rainfall in this area leads to soil erosion .
On either side of the river are fields reaching right up to the banks of the river with lush vegetation consisting of banana and passion trees , maize , rice , cassava plants and arrowroot . The high rainfall means the river regularly burst its banks , inundating the flood plain and making the area very fertile , with sediment being laid down over the fields after every flooding event .