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The terms that apply when you request a booking or join a tour with us.
Last updated: 13 August 2026
These terms apply to this website and to the tours, transport and other services offered through it by Visit Kivu, the trading name of the Bwishyura Kivu Boat Cooperative, based in Karongi District, Rwanda. By requesting a booking you accept these terms.
Submitting the form on this site sends us a request. It is not a confirmed reservation and it does not create a contract on its own. We reply to confirm whether the date, the boat and the guide are actually available. Your booking exists once we have confirmed it to you, not before. We may decline a request — most often because a boat is already committed, the party size does not fit the vessel, or the weather makes a route unsafe.
Prices shown on this site are in US dollars and are indicative. The price that applies is the one we quote you in writing when we confirm your booking. No payment is taken on this website. We will never ask for card details through this site, and you should treat any message that appears to do so as fraudulent. Some routes and group sizes are priced on request because the cost genuinely depends on the distance, the duration and the number of people.
Tell us as early as you can if your plans change. Where nothing has been committed on our side, moving or cancelling a confirmed booking normally costs you nothing. We may cancel or reschedule a trip ourselves when the weather, the water conditions or a mechanical fault make it unsafe to sail. Safety is not negotiable and this decision rests with the boat captain. Where we cancel, we offer you an alternative date or return anything you have paid. We are not able to compensate for travel, accommodation or other costs you arranged separately.
You must follow the instructions of the captain and the guide at all times. Life jackets are provided and must be worn on the water. Tell us in advance about any medical condition, mobility need or non-swimmer in your party. This is not bureaucracy — it changes which boat we use and which route we take. We may refuse to carry anyone who is intoxicated, or whose behaviour puts the crew, other passengers or themselves at risk. No refund is due in that case.
We operate our boats and run our tours with reasonable care and skill, using crew trained for these waters. Outdoor activity on a lake carries inherent risk that cannot be removed entirely. You take part on that basis, and you are responsible for your own belongings. We strongly recommend travel insurance covering medical treatment, cancellation and personal effects. Nothing in these terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for anything else that cannot lawfully be limited.
The photographs, text and design on this site belong to Visit Kivu or are used with permission. Please do not reproduce them commercially without asking us first. If you post about your trip and credit us, that is welcome — this section is about commercial reuse, not about your holiday photographs.
These terms are governed by the laws of Rwanda, and the courts of Rwanda have jurisdiction over any dispute arising from them. Any question about these terms should go through the contact form on this site. If we change them, the date at the top of this page changes with it.