Burundi Holidays – Tours & Adventure Travel Guide
PureTravel Says
“Burundi is a small country that is full of little surprises. The biggest is Lake Tanganyika, giving life to everything around it. The country offers abundant flora and fauna plus a people who are as delightful as they are welcoming.”
Burundi Holiday Highlights
Walking and Trekking - Though Burundi is quite small, about 600 square kilometres, and many areas are suffering from deforestation due to population pressure, there are still some really great places to visit, many now protected as National Parks and reserves The Rurubu National Park in the north east of the country centers around the Rurubu River. This park is Burundi’s largest rainforest and offers some of the best hiking in the country. It is right next to Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda, making a larger trans-frontier park. Another park worth its status is Kibira National Park in the north west. This place is heavily forested and day hikes are popular excursions. This forested park is one of the more diverse given its evergreen, gum, montane bog and bamboo trees.
Mountain Biking - Mountain biking in Burundi is getting increasingly popular, offering some great rolling countryside and a large network of unmetalled roads. Its possible to ride down parts of Mount Heha, just south of the capital at almost 2700 meters. Additionally, there is a nice route parallel heading south Lake Tanganyika, though a support vehicle is needed, as towns are few and farther between. This route heads south of the capital Bujumbura.
Fishing - If you want to fish the “traditional” way, with a dhow type boat, then that is very much possible on the huge Lake Tanganyika. Its waters are so deep that new varieties of fish are still being discovered every year. You can also fish with a rod and the more active can don snorkel gear and a spear gun, and dive down into the shallower parts to choose your next meal.
Birdwatching - In the north of Burundi is Kirundo and here you can visit the three lakes of Rwihinda, Rweru and Cohoha. The former lake is known the world over as a bird watching paradise, nicknamed “Birds Lake.” The Kibira National Park is also famous for its excellent bird-life.
When To Go
Burundi has two distinct, though very different, rainy seasons. The harshest last from February to May and the shorter ones last from September to part of November. Equally, Burundi has a dry and drier season. The June to August dry season is the driest with a period between December and January as the second driest. Around the lake, it is often windy any time of the year.
Top Tips
- Burundi is a safe country. However, there are ever so often periods of interior conflict. Be sure to read up on the country’s status before you go.
- Book anything and everything through a tour operator. The country has some of the best things to do in eastern Africa, and you wouldn’t want to miss one beat of it.
Classic Itineraries
- Lake Tanganyika (anything & everything)
- Rurubu National Park
- Mount Heha (trekking, biking)
- Rwihinda Lake (birdwatching)
