Last Friday, we drove to Rubavu in the middle of the night. I don’t like driving at night but one of my travel companions had to work until 10 P.M. Then he took his time packing. The size of his suitcase made me wonder if our planned weekend getaway had turned into a long holiday.

We had booked an Airbnb near the border with DR Congo. Unfortunately, we were unable to enter the apartment because our host lost the key before we made it there. "What do we do?" I asked him. "Let’s break the damn door." He said. We didn’t want any part of breaking doors. Instead of breaking things at 2 in the morning, we headed to Palm Beach Hotel.

It was 3 A.M. when we finally slept. Five hours and several dreams later, we were ready to resume our road trip. Our next destination was Karongi. This time we didn’t do much in Rubavu. I wasn’t even planning to write anything about the morning we spent there, but I can’t stop thinking about the mysterious disappearance of the key in the middle of the night.

We didn’t get the details of how the key was lost because we were too tired to listen to that story. Maybe it was our ancestors’ way of recommending a more peaceful place to stay. Why did we book an apartment in a congested neighborhood in the first place? What was the point of going to Rubavu if we weren’t planning to stay at a lakeside property? Anyway, Palm Beach Hotel didn’t disappoint. Displacing the key was a blessing in disguise.

When I opened the curtains in the morning, I was awestruck by the view of the lake. As usual, I had breakfast in the garden while listening to the sounds of those gentle waves I am obsessed with.

The sight of Akeza Island rekindled memories created there during one of my previous Rubavu escapades. Camping on this stunning island will undoubtedly create memories you will cherish for the rest of your life. Highly recommended.

The author is an adventurer on a tour of all 30 districts and 416 sectors of Rwanda. Follow his awe-inspiring journey on Twitter @GeoExposure.