A few years ago, while hiking Mount Mwiko, I pointed my binoculars across Lake Burera and zoomed in. My lens eventually settled on an inhabited island. Later, I learned that the island in question is called Batutsi.
From the Mwiko vantage point, I could see houses, farms, a school and a church. I also spotted a boat ferrying passengers from the island to the mainland. Here and there, wooden canoes moved across the water, propelled by people paddling their way between the island and the shore.
I started wondering what life was like on that little island. And just like that, I had a new place to explore.
The curiosity lingered. Last weekend, I finally got the chance, courtesy of FRAMA Nature Adventure.
We boarded a boat at Lake Burera Boat Point, where Twin Lakes Tours Rwanda operates, and sailed to FRAMA Eco-Lodge, the island's only accommodation and recreational facility.
After settling in, we headed out to explore.
On foot, of course.
Batutsi Island has no cars and no roads. Just trails cutting through farms and settlements. It was a refreshing change of pace. The air was wonderfully clean, although my lungs, accustomed to Kigali's lower altitude, occasionally reminded me that we were up in the mountains.
Batutsi is the third inhabited island I have visited in Rwanda, after Nkombo and Bugarura in Lake Kivu. It feels very different from the busy world I am accustomed to. There is no rush here. Life seems to move at its own pace, with people going about their routines without the constant hurry that defines bustling cities.
Perhaps the best part is simply stopping and taking it all in. From the island, the lake offers a 360° panorama, with water, hills, and distant landscapes stretching in every direction.
Eventually, I found myself back at FRAMA Eco-Lodge, my base on the island.
The beauty of Batutsi is that you don't have to rush back to the mainland. FRAMA Nature Adventure has made longer stays possible while adding exhilarating activities on and around the island.
After all, this is the kind of place that makes you want to slow down, stay a little longer and let the lake set the pace.