Burundi- tourism

The "EDEN" in the heart of Africa

The geographical position of Burundi in the heart of Africa and its wonderful landscapes are making the country a real paradise which is sometimes called "The SWITZERLAND IN AFRICA." The soft and temperature climate in Burundi as well as the variety of its geographical structure are making the country the best place for holidays and relaxation. In 1998, 15,404 tourists visited Burundinow the number of visitors reaches 26 000 per year. All visitors require a valid passport and visa. A certificate of vaccination against yellow fever and cholera is also required. Costs of traveling in Burundi vary greatly, depending upon which city is visited. In 2002, the cost of staying in Bujumbura was $147 per day.

The capital Bujumbura

The foundation of Bujumbura is dated back in 1876. Initially, Bujumbura was only a port on the shore of the Lake Tanganika. But, it soon developed into an imporant business city which finally became the Capital of Burundi. All along the year, the lake Tanganika remains attractive for all kinds of fantastic fans: water skiing , sailing, fishing and many other activites. But for the guests who are not fond of water Bujumbura offers : golf, tennis, volleyball, horse riding, bowling. In fact, because of the big number of restaurants("Entente Sportive", "Monastere", Cercle Hellenique", "Cremaillere"...) Bujumbura has rather become a place of competition between the owners of restaurants. They are struggling to improve by all means the quality of their food in order to satisfy their guests. Bujumbura has plenty to offer for entertainment. Tourists can dine beside the lake Tanganyika perhaps savoring a delicious local fish called the “Sangala,” and then spend the evening in a night club, relaxing in a friendly atmosphere.The lake Tanganika, full of fish, is the deepest in the world just after Lake Baikal.

Gitega

Gitega is the second biggest town of Burundi. The city of Gitega is a peaceful place with peculiar beauty and exquisite charm.The route Bujumbura-Gitega goes via Muramvya (50 km from Bujumbura) through wonderful green landscapes. At 12 kilometers from Gitega, the road reaches Giheta, an artistic center for different works in leather, ceramic, ivory, wood-carvings.

Fauna and Flora

The geographical structure of Burundi and the microclimates within the country involve a diversity of vegetation. Thus, from the savanna to the steppers, through mountain forests, Burundi is a delightful blooming country. The fauna is quite rich and comprises different type of animals: antilopes, hares, buffalos. There are crocodiles and hippopotomus in Lake Tanganika where they can sometimes be seen from the shore. 200 kilometers from Bujumbura, in the North-East of Burundi,there is a region of extensive depressions dotted with many lakes and which is abundant in bird life. It is an area of great scenic beauty where visitors may discover, by canoe, such lakes as Cohoha, the bird Lake, renowed for its ornithological reserve; and other lakes.

Tourist Attractions

Saga Beach is a strikingly attractive beach of the country and is one of the popular tourist attractions of Burundi. Saga Beach of Burundi looks spectacular and stretches along the coast of Lake Tanganyika. Initially the beach was known as Plage des Cocotiers (Coconut Beach) but later on it came to be known as Saga Beach .The Saga Beach in Burundi lies 5 kilometers northwest to the capital city of Burundi. Among all the popular tourist attractions of Burundi, the Saga Beach is the most famous one and the adjacent resort makes it all the more attractive. The serene and tranquil atmosphere on the Saga beach is extremely relaxing and refreshing and is ideal after a long, tiresome day.

Karera Falls is a famous waterfall of Burundi and is one of the popular Burundi tourist attractions. An adventurous traveler will fall in love with the uniqueness of the wonderful locales of Burundi. Karera Falls in Burundi is blessed with exotic water having the healing powers. The natural forest reserves of Mugara, Kigwena and Roumonge are rich in such thermal falls. The nearby beach of Tanganyika is an additional pleasure spot for the travelers to relax and swim. Karera Falls is an exotic place to relax. The beauty of this place is just mesmerizing and thus it attracts the travelers and provides them with a wonderful experience of a lifetime.

Ruvubu National Park covers a significant amount of land of about 1.5-10 km on both sides of the Ruvubu River on the east coast of Burundi. The Ruvubu National Park was set up in 1980 and covers about 500 sq.km. The Ruvubu National Park of Burundi is the homeland of some of the most striking wildlife animals and species of flowers. All these natural beauties make Ruvubu National Park standout among all the other Burundi tourist attractions. Wildlife in the Ruvubu National Park consists of animals like hippopotamus, buffalo, crocodiles, leopard, monkeys, antelope and lion. Bird lovers will have a marvelous time in the Ruvubu National Park as more than 425 species of birds thrive in this park making it all the more attractive. The Ruvubu National Park aims to preserve the endangered species of animals and birds. Camping facilities for the visitors is the newest addition to Ruvubu National Park and this makes it more attractive to adventure lovers.

Bururi Natural Reserve - Bururi Forest Natural Reserve is a tiny patch of forest land and lies on the western portion of Bururi town. The reserve stretches to about 3,300 ha of land and the rest of the area is covered by evergreen forests. Bururi Natural Reserve is a place where you can find at least 93 varieties of unique trees such as Myrianthus, Strombosia, Newtonia and many others. Animal species are also numerous in this place. About 87 different species of birds have been discovered at this natural reserve. The Bururi Natural Reserve has dry savanna areas as well as lowland evergreen forests of Congo on the east. Nearly about 1,200 mm to 2,400 mm of annual rainfall occurs here. Thus the Bururi Natural Reserve is one of the finest locales in Burundi and is genuinely meant for the wildlife and nature lovers.

Rusizi National Park is the most popular Burundi tourist attraction. Rusizi National Park in Burundi is commonly known as Parc National de la Rusizi and is situated in the northwest of Bujumbura. The park is divided into two parts; the larger part lies on the eastern bank of Rusizi River whereas the smaller part forms the delta of Rusizi at the entrance point of Lake Tanganyika. Tourists will enjoy a lot in this park as they can explore various unique species of flora and fauna and the environment also supports the existence of these unique species. Wildlife species in Rusizi National Park include hippopotamus, antelopes and monkeys along with numerous species of colorful birds. Various species of trees such as the Acacia albida and Euphorbia candelabrum are found in the northern part of the reserve. Ponds of different sizes are present in the northern section of the region. Fifty percent of Rusizi National Park comprises of forest followed by artificial landscapes covering (23%), shrub land (18%) and grassland (7%).

Kibira National Park along with the Kibira forest in Burundi is the best place to see some unique wildlife species of this African nation. Baboons, chimpanzees and the crested Mangabeys are some of the amazing creatures of the Kibira National Park. The park occupies an area of about 40,000 ha of forest land and is still an unexplored paradise of Burundi. The mountain chain surrounding the park hides the awesome view of the thermal springs. The tea plantations of Teza and Rwegura offer some of the best scenic attractions. The Kibira National Park has a rich variety of wildlife flora and fauna. About 98 different species of mammals, 644 species of plants and flowers and more than 200 species of birds have been discovered at the park.

La Pierre de Livingstone et Stanley is one of the popular historical tourists attractions of Burundi. Located at a distance of 12 km to the south of Bujumbura, La Pierre de Livingstone et Stanley is a spectacular sight to visit. It is actually a large rock and the existence of this spot marks the famous verbal encounter, which took place between Livingstone and Stanley on 25 November 1871. Certain misconceptions are regarding the connection of La Pierre de Livingstone et Stanley with the above concept. According to Stanley's book "How I Found Livingstone", the meeting between Livingstone and Stanley occurred at Ujiji in Tanzania. Unlike other attractions La Pierre de Livingstone et Stanley in Burundi is a less crowded one. It is said that the Europeans were the first to visit La Pierre de Livingstone et Stanley and it was probably these Europeans who spread the rumor about this place to be the visiting point of Livingstone and Stanley. Whatever be the reason for naming this location as La Pierre de Livingstone et Stanley, it is one of the unique Burundi tourist attractions.

Lake Tanganyika

Forest of Nyakazu and Mwishanga

Chutes de la Kagera

Kibabi Hot Springs

Makamba Nature Reserve

Burundi offers also safari Tours

Burundi Safari Tour includes some of the following tours: Bujumbura & Lake Tanganyika Tours - it is an ideal tour for nature lovers. The beauty of Lake Tanganyika could make everyone fall in love with it.

Victoria Safaris lead to the places around Lake Victoria. The abundant animal life can be explored in this tour and it also gives the opportunity to learn more about the culture of the country.

Burundi Safari Tour also enables tourists to visit the neighboring country Rwanda. Burundi Safari Tour will gives the opportunity to know the geography, the history and the culture of this country in a more detailed manner.

Burundi Monuments

Burundi Monuments include the following monuments: Monument Burton-Speke- located in the state of Makambe the Monument Burton-Speke is preferred by the tourists. The design of the monument reveal the tradition of this African country.

Monument Rutovu- Monument Rutovu is quite famous among the local people. It was founded in the the state of Burui.

Burundi Museums

The rich culture of Burundi is deeply rooted in its own tradition though the influence of the neighboring countries can not be denied. People mainly live in the rural area. Music, dance, poetry are inseparable part of their life. Burundi Museums have a wide collection of the musical instruments, weapons, statues. Some of the famous Burundi Museums are:

Musee National de Gitega also known as Gitega National Museum was founded in 1955. The museum has a variety of collections. The major collection of Gitega National Museum is composed of the musical instrument of Burundi.

Musee Vivant de Bujumbura is an old museum of Burundi. It is located in the capital city Bujumbura and is quite preferred by local people as well as tourist because of the rich collections.

NOVOTEL -B.P. 1015 Bujumbura, Burundi

LE DOYEN - B.P. 2747 Bujumbura, Burundi

AMITIE - 30-32 Avenue de l’Amitie

BURUNDI PALACE - Boulevard de l’Uprona

HOTEL METROPOLE -8eme Avenue, Bwiza

ALBATROS - Chaussee du peuple Murundi

KARIBU HOTEL - 8eme Avenue, Bwiza

FLATOTEL - Avenue du 18 Septembre

SAFARI GATE - Avenue du large

LE ROSSIGNOL - Avenue du 18 septembre

HOTEL TANGANYIKA - Avenue de la plage

NIKAMOR INTERNATIONAL - Boulevard de l’Independance

PYRAMIDE GUEST HOUSE - 2eme Avenue Mumirwa

MOTEL SAINT MICHEL - Avenue de l’Universite

AGOSARO GUEST HOUSE - 46T Avenue Muyinga