Lake Rwihinda is found in the northern part of Burundi and is one of the most prominent holiday destinations in the country. The Lake and the surrounds are a protected area that boasts some of the unique attractions when it comes to flora and fauna.

The area is dramatically located on the border with Rwanda in a town called Kirundi. Previously known as the Lac aux Oiseaux which means Bird Lake- Lake Rwihinda Nature reserve covers and 8000ha while the lake alone is half of the entire reserve area (425ha). Although the area is known for the fishing villages and agriculture, the natural reserve is nearly 30% under forests and the rest of it under thick shrubs and wetland. Part of the reserve is under nature conservation and research into medicinal plants and herbs among other uses.

Wildlife; Some of the birds in this Burundi nature reserve include Northern Brown-throated Weaver Sharpe’s Pied-babbler, Papyrus Gonolek, White-winged Scrub-warbler, White-collared Oliveback, , Red-chested Sunbird, Papyrus Yellow Warbler, Carruthers’s Cisticola, Red-faced Barbet and Ring-necked Francolin among many others

Mwishanga Natural Reserve

The nature reserve of Mwishanga is a protected area that shelters the beautiful Karera falls in Rutana Province in southern Burundi. These falls meander off the Karera River to make a spectacular falls at 50m high rock then flowing into the forest reserve below

The natural reserve covers nearly 150ha dominated by the falls, the forest gallery, savannah and swamps to the banks of the Karera river. There are some caves near the falls that are deemed sacred and many people in Burundi come here for blessing and prayer

Nyakazu Natural reserve

This Burundi Natural reserve is located in a located near a former German military post. There is also a fault constructed in 1914 by the Germans during the World War I. The forested plateau of Nkoma on which it was built to have been, as it is said, cut by the boots of the runaway soldiers in front of the Belgian strengths thus the naming of “Fault of German”

Other reserves in Burundi include Vyanda Natural Reserve located in Rumonge known for its wild chimpanzees, Bururi Nature reserve which is a few kilometers from Rumonge town and is an important birding area in Burundi. More than 117 species of birds and 25 different mammals are found in Bururi Natural reserve. Mugara Burundi forest Reserve and Kigwena  and Rumonge forest reserve are some of the natural forest reserves that are still under development plans to protect the primates such as chimpanzees that habit the forest.

18% of the forest is dense green undergrowth and thick forest woodlands especially the section of the west. Some of the species in this montane forest include Symphonia globulifera, Newtonia buchananii, Albizia gummifera and Entandrophragma excelsum. The entire park area is 400 square kilometers. Not far from the park are tea plantations of Teza and Rwegura

Wildlife

The Kibira is home to a number of primate species, including chimpanzees and black and white colobus monkeys, and boasts over 250 species of birds such as, Francolin, hawk eagle, flufftail, Ruwenzori Turaco, Grey parrot, turtle dove, flycatcher, starling, babbler and Kivu Ground thrush among many others.

The park is managed by the Institut National pour l’Environnement et la Conservation de la Nature (INECN). This park has been a protected area for several years since 1933 for the royal family

Accommodation

Accommodation and camping is not allowed in the park but there is accommodation in the town of Muramvya and also in the capital Bujumbura

Since the park is largely in the river valley, the habitat is made of swamp vegetation, riparian forest and savannah woodlands. The flood plain mainly comprises of papyrus swamps.

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.

Location

Ruvubu National Park is located in the north eastern part of Burundi on the banks of river Ruvubu.  The park also extends south towards the border to Tanzania. It is easily accessed from Bujumbura city which is only 26km away in the town of Gitega. Gitega is the second largest city in Burundi

Wildlife

Some of the animals in Ruvubu Burundi National park include species like hippopotamus, buffalo, crocodiles, leopard, monkeys, antelope and lion.

There are more than 425 species of birds in the park making bird watching a major safari adventure in Burundi especially during the rainy season of October to May.  Some of the birds in the park include papyrus gonolek. Flufftail, barbet, cisticola, tit, bee eater, francolin, warbler, babbler, sun birds, weaver, seed eater and the papyrus canary among others

The Ruvubu National Park aims to preserve the endangered species of animals and birds. Human habitation had been evacuated from the park so that the different wildlife species could thrive well.

Accommodation

There are camping facilities for the visitors and tourist in the park giving chance to experience this unique habitat by the wild night.

The park is sectioned into two significant areas which are separated by the Bujumbura-Uvira road. The larger part of the park is lies on the eastern bank of Rusizi River. This flood plain is 2km wide and 45km long with acacia trees, shrubs and grasslands dominating the wild vegetation.

South of the highway (another section of the park) is the delta of Rusizi river which drains into the Lake Tanganyika. The river delta is dotted with small islands, water streams, channels and papyrus beds.

Location

This Burundi National park is located 15km the north-west of Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi and a few kilometers to the border with DR Congo. The Bujumbura- Uvira highway crosses the park, dividing the park into two sections.

Wildlife

Rusizi National Park was formerly gazetted to protect the Hippos that live on the river delta and other wild animals such as include hippopotamus, antelopes and monkeys among others.

There an estimated 200 birds that are residents in Rusizi Park and these include cisticola, sharpe’s pied babbler, red-chested sunbird, Angola weaver, Baglafecht weaver and the yellow browed cistril to mention a few. Some of the migrant birds to the wetland include the white winged tern and the African skimmer among others

Activities

The park is great for bird watching and game walks. Local groups and people use the park for Honey bee harvesting while fishing is a major activity on Rusizi River and on lake Tanganyika. Conservation groups are encouraged in the local communities to preserve this natural habitat.

The dry season is June to September and is practically the best time to have safari walks although wild fires are common. The rainy season takes on for the rest of the year since the country lies in the equatorial belt of Africa.

The problem may be because the country has only one international airport and this is called Bujumbura International Airport (BJM) that is located nearly outside the capital and carries an average of 85,400 passengers yearly. Travel and flights to Burundi are good within the dry season of June, August and December to January, warm temperatures (17-23º C) and fairly passable roads with 4WD.

Cheap Flights to Burundi, Bujumbura Airport (BJM)

There are about six Burundi air carriers that fly in and out of Bujumbura including Air Burundi, Rwandair, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenyan Airways, Brussels Airlines, and TMK Airlines from DR Congo. National Carrier is Air Burundi offers designed flights to Kigali in Rwanda as well as  to Entebbe airport in Uganda.

Besides this, there is a trans-continental link via Brussels on Brussels Airlines. Unfortunately, they tend to limit the national flights that are usually offered by Air Tanzania to Dar es Salaam  in addition to Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Ababa and Kigali, Kenya Airways via Nairobi and Kigali, Interlink from Johannesburg as well as Rwanda air Express from Johannesburg.

Ethiopian Airlines has flights from Washington DC, Boston and New York to Bujumbura airport (code BJM). Direct flights to Burundi are through Nairobi, Kigali and Entebbe. From Johannesburg, South Africa, there are one or two stops with South African airways, Air Mauritius or Emirates.

Booking your cheap flights to Burundi Bujumbura is very important and can be done online through different travel agents and tour companies. There are however no domestic Flights in Burundi.

Besides these expensive hotels, there are cheaper places to go to such as inns, lodges and guest houses depending on what you want. In these places, the standards are really inconsistent and the security is not a guarantee.

The commonly visited hotels include the source du Nil, the clos de Limbas, the Novotel along with the sun safari. To all tourists who visit Burundi ought to know that accommodation outside the capital may not be simple to find and if got, it doesn’t have reliable services.

Keep in mind that hotels with beautiful compounds give the best accommodation furthermore the national parks provide elementary camping facilities.

Bujumbura Burundi Hotels

Hotel Source Du Ni is an exclusive luxury Burundi hotel wit the heart of Bujumbura with unparalled staff service, hotel vans and shuttles, swimming pool, more than 100 self contained rooms, restaurants, well stocked bar, conference facilities and other first class hotel facilities

Hotel Club Du Lac Tanganyika found in Chaussie D’uvira, Bujumbura is a popular beach resort on the shores of Lake Tanganyika making it famous with tourist and holiday makers in Burundi. All rooms have iconic views of the lake by the balcony and room windows, boutique shops, thatched rooms that give a cool ambiance, conference hall, green golf course, terrace bar, night club, 2 restaurants, swimming pools and a health club

Club Des Vacances Hotel is a few kilometers from the airport and is a popular hotel with travellers and tourists. The luxurious hotel ambiance is accompanied by well designed rooms wit en-suite bathrooms, restaurants, bars, swimming pool, laundry services, gift shops, forex bureau and ready hotel vans and 24/7 taxi cabs

Hotel Chez Vaya has comfort and style in its hotel suits, lush backyards, spacious lounge, restaurant, internet and telephone services and so much more.

Novotel Bujumbura Hotel is also a few kilometers from the main Burindi Bujumbura airport and has air conditioned rooms, restaurants, business centre, gift shops, swimming pool, internet access and a well stocked bar

Other hotels in Burundi include Motel Saint Michel in Bujumbura, Metropole hotel in Bujumbura, Rem Hotel, Karibu hotel, Safari Gate Hotel and many others in form of guest houses and self catering apartments

The rift valley tends to beautify the destination although the weather conditions often change all year around. The wet season is usually in the months of October and may and the dry season in the months of June and September. It’s acknowledged that the dry season is the best time for tourists and travelers to visit Burundi

Why Travel To Burundi

When we look at preservation and eco/nature sightseeing Burundi lays a peak and position of intense bio diversity that straddles the Great Lakes region from western Uganda to the northern tip of Lake Malawi. The same area, however, has the most concentrated zones of population in Africa as well as the constituency of greatest insecurity, human upheaval and political volatility. All of this presents a unique series of challenges and places this region among a handful of vital but precarious frontlines in the global conservation struggle.

Bujumbura city tours

Bujumbura is Burundi’s capital city and with Burundi city tours, find some time to visit the Snake and Culture museum, the Islam culture centre, the city hall and Lake Tanganyika. The explorer’s memorial is a huge rocky monument in the city suburb commemorating the arrival of John Speke and Hannington on their River Nile expeditions. There is a host of vibrant city markets, craft centre and beautiful tree lined streets in down town Bujumbura.

Visit the historical Gishora Drums sanctuary, with Drummers & Dancers, in action, and thereafter, transfer to Bujumbura city. There is so much to see in Bujumbura Burundi Holidays that  a one day trip may not be enough!

Lake Tanganyika borders Burundi and Tanzania and makes one of the most beautiful Burundi tour destinations with vibrant fishing villages, beautiful sandy beaches and excellent birding destination for birding fanatics. Some of the sighted birds include herons, kingfisher, malachite eagles, bee eaters, fish eagles, cormorants and many others.

Rutovu is Burundi’s argued source of the Nile River that follows into Lake Victoria. The small forest meandering water stream has been documented to be the river Nile’s base by many researchers. Ruvubu forest in which the river is found boasts of unique plant species, rarely sighted animals and some endemic bird species

Burundi National Parks

One of last unbroken strands of indigenous, montane forest that at one time cloaked the entire region runs through both Rwanda and Burundi, and is known respectively as the Nyungwe National Park and the Kibira National Park. While most of the larger animal species have been wiped out by a combination of war and poaching, the region is still home to a rare diversity of indigenous primates, a vast catalogue of plant species and one of the most energetic concentrations of bird life in Africa. Some of the remaining species include antelopes, hares, buffaloes, wild crocodiles and chimpanzees

Additional parks involve the wetland Risizi National Park and the Rurubu National Park.
Don’t look too hard for urban glamour and excitement for it does not really exist here. Chimpanzee trekking in Kigwena Nature reserve is a must while the hot springs of Mugara are fascinating.

In Burundi the complex is part of a community management program that in the by now established tradition of eco-tourism seeks to preserve the region as well as use it as a means to generate income for local communities.

Burundi hotels and accommodation

On arrival in Burundi for Burundi holidays, there are a number of good Burundi hotels, guesthouses, resorts and safari lodges with overnight and dinner.

Resha resort on Lake Tanganyika near Mukamba fishing village is a standard Burundi hotel with excellent facilities. Some of other options in Bujumbura include Club du Lac Tanganyika Hotel for Bed & Breakfast basis.