Time: 3 hours
Cost: Rwf 2,700
Companies: Capital Express, Impala Coach
Kibuye is a very small town to the west of Kigali on Lake Kivu. It’s only 3 hours away and makes a nice stop if you want to check out the lake. Buses leave Kigali from the busy section of town not far from the UTC Centre. Both Capital Express and Impala make the trip but popular bus companies like Belvedere and Virunga don’t.
The buses are one person to a seat with no standing in the aisles. They’re bigger than minibuses but smaller than big intercity buses found in most other countries. They’re usually clean and seem newish. Tickets don’t have a seat number so if you want a good seat, arrive in time for the bus to pull up and then rush the bus with your elbows out. People will often put their bags in the window to claim a seat, so don’t be shy about doing the same. There’s no toilet break.
The road quality is good the whole way, as with most main routes in Rwanda. But it is a very winding road and people have been known to get sick on the journey. If you suffer from motion sickness, fight for a window seat. The trip has some beautiful views of rolling hills and deep, green valleys along the way. If you want the best view, sit on the left side of the bus on the trip from Kigali.
In Kibuye buses will drop you in town which doesn’t really have much to it… it’s a pretty small place. If you’re staying at Home St. Jean you can walk to it in about 10 minutes. There are other options for accommodation including Bethanie Guesthouse Hotel but you’d be better taking a motorcycle taxi as it’d be a pretty far walk, especially with a backpack.
A lot of people like to escape to Kibuye for the weekend so if you’re planning on leaving Kigali on a Friday, make sure to buy your ticket at least an hour in advance, and a few hours if you’re planning on taking on of the last buses of the day. When I was returning from Kibuye, the last bus was at around 6pm and most were full by about noon. It was a Sunday with lots of people returning to the city after a weekend by the lake.
