In 1999, I found myself standing on the shores of Lake Muhazi for the very first time. I was playing for APR Basketball Club, and we were right in the middle of a 3-peat—three back-to-back national championships, part of the club’s legendary 16-title historic feat. It was a rare weekend without a game, and we decided to spend it well: not in the gym, not on the court—but out there, away from it all, by the water.
The getaway was meant to be a simple team-bonding trip, a chance to relax and recharge. We made our way to the Rwesero side of the lake, to a small lakeside facility not far from where Muhazi Marina Beach Resort now stands. I don’t recall its name—many of the resorts that dot the lake today didn’t exist back then. But what we found was more than enough: still water, fresh fish, good company, and a peace we rarely experienced in our competitive routines.
It had only been five years since the Genocide against the Tutsi, and Rwanda was still in the early stages of rebuilding. Our tourism industry was little more than a dream, its potential just beginning to take root. There were no sleek lakeside lodges, no curated experiences, no weekend travel buzz. And yet, somehow, we stumbled onto a hidden gem—a quiet space that offered us rest, laughter, and connection.
We swam, we boated, we ate fish straight from the lake. I remember the simplicity of the moment: the laughter of teammates, the slow ripple of the water, the sense that—if only for a day—we had stepped outside of time. That trip marked the beginning of a personal tradition. Since then, Lake Muhazi has become one of my favorite weekend getaway spots, a place I return to again and again.
It was moments like these that planted the seed for another passion. When my competitive basketball playing days came to an end, it was clear that adventure would be the way to go. The court had given me discipline and drive—but the road, the water, the unknown—they would give me stories.
It all started with that one afternoon in 1999—a time when the lake was just a quiet backdrop to a team’s day off, and Rwanda’s travel story was still being written.