I spent my first day in Nyamasheke gathering information and fine-tuning my itinerary. In the evening, I took a leisurely walk on a beautiful lakeside footpath paved by Ishara Beach Hotel. From the beach, I strolled towards the small forest patch preserved by the same hotel. A few steps ahead, I deviated from the pavement and pursued a wider trail that led me to a creepy tunnel-like opening. Shortly thereafter, I found myself completely swallowed by nature.
When I showed up, the designer of this unique structure was building a wooden family cottage where the dominion of nature rules supreme. The cozy vacation house, nestled in the forest, is already offering the ultimate wilderness experience to nature enthusiasts.
Ishara Beach Hotel is built on a beautiful hill overlooking the lake. From the hotel, one can see several islands. The most imposing island from this viewpoint is Idjwi. Situated on the Congolese side of the lake, Idjwi is the second-biggest lake island in Africa, behind Ukerewe Island. The latter is found on the Tanzanian side of Lake Victoria.
The boundary line separating Rwanda and the DRC slashes through a narrow opening between Idjwi Island and Nyabitekeri Peninsula. Apart from the two geographical features, the area is embellished with green hills and jagged shorelines.
The breathtaking view, the sandy beach and the lush forest made me a regular fixture at Ishara Beach during my stay in Nyamasheke. As mentioned above, my first memorable activity in this beautiful Western Province district was a nature walk in the lakeside forest.
Walking in this sanctuary will reunite you with Mother Nature. In the words of Mary Davis, "waking in nature walks the soul back home." Escaping to Ishara Beach is highly recommended.