“ 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 .”
PADDLER 99
“ 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 .”
There are wicker fish traps in the river at regular intervals . We were told these are checked by the children several times a day . The catchment is dominated by subsistence farmers struggling to make ends meet , so fish from the river is a great bonus to supplement local people ’ s diet or sell at local markets . Most people still live in the countryside and not in cities ; 70 % of the population in Rwanda is under 30 years of age , and unemployment rates in rural areas are high . Small-scale fishing is , therefore , essential to rural communities .
HAPPY CHILDREN
Every kilometre or so , as we paddled downstream , young children ran down from their isolated houses to the river to see these strangers paddling on the river . Based on the children ’ s reactions , smiling and waving , they don ’ t get many visitors on the water . The area feels unspoilt ; it was like stepping back in time where things felt unchanged for generations .
There was plenty of birdlife to spot on the canoe route . As we moved slowly along the river , clumps of native bamboo hide colonies of weaver birds buzzing around their nests , which looked like neat balls of woven straw . As we passed , swampy areas and rice paddies , storks , ibis , egrets , herons , and cormorants abound . These birds were unphased by our canoes , allowing for good views and photography . These birds saw no threat in the group of paddlers as we meandered down the river .
RAFTING
After this wonderful sedate canoe trip , our next paddle opportunity was a huge contrast . We were rafting on the lower Mukungwa River .
The launch point is a 40-minute drive south of Musanze town . We travel on some fun , bouncy African roads to get there . I stopped a couple of times to readjust the rafts on the trailer as it was certainly getting bounced around . This section of the river was only first kayaked and then rafted recently – in the summer of 2023 , by the excellent Kenyan raft guide Renson Mburu .
Rafting the lower Mukungwa is a trip which takes a couple of hours and runs as an excellent grade 3
adventure . The route finishes near the town of Vunga , near the confluence with the Nyabarongo River , the longest river entirely within Rwanda . It is an excellent place to stop as just past these rivers ’ confluence , you will find hippos and crocodiles in the river .
For this trip , we were lucky to be joined by Renson Mburu , the first person to paddle this river , and Sadat Kawawa , who has tamed the fearsome waters of the White Nile . Sadat is probably the most famous raft guide in Uganda and was the subject of the Red Bull film ‘ Sadat Kawawa – The way of the wildcard ’. It was great to have them both share their knowledge , skills and good humour on the river run .
While we waited with the rafts for the van shuttle to be completed , we were greeted by happy children who came out to see what we were doing and to look at our strange craft . They were happy to help us carry the rafts , paddles and kit down the few hundred metres from the roadside to the riverside . The children had a good bounce on the rafts to test them out whilst we waited on the riverbank ! Over ten minutes , the number of children and then their parents increased . Everyone was eager to learn more about what we were up to and excited to see us launch into the river .
ADRENALINE-INDUCING
The L3 rapids on the run are all named , starting with the ‘ Head-scratcher ’, where we started and led straight into a series of 2-metre drops called ‘ Baptism by Fire ’. This is followed by a traversing wave called ‘ The Dishwasher ’, ‘ Treacherous Corner ’, ‘ Spearhead ’, ‘ Grim Reaper ’, and ‘ Lost Shoe Swimming ’. There are a good number of rapids with 2-3 metres drops that all live up to their names on this sporty , high-volume river . Towards the end of the run was ‘ AJ Superhole ’, where there was an opportunity to play in a big wave . The river trip ended with a drop down the complex adrenalineinducing Utakufa Rapid on the outskirts of the Vunga .
PADDLER 99