Destination · Burundi
Burundi, Off the Beaten Track in East Africa
Burundi is one of the least-visited countries in East Africa, and for the small number of clients who ask Kelly about it, that is the appeal. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibira National Park, slow afternoons on Lake Tanganyika, and Bujumbura as a quiet cultural base. Easily added to a Rwanda trip.
Kibira National Park, Chimpanzee Trekking
Kibira National Park sits in northwestern Burundi, directly south of Rwanda's Nyungwe Forest. It is in fact the same forest ecosystem, divided by the border. Kibira holds chimpanzee communities along with several other primate species and a strong bird population. The trekking infrastructure is far less developed than Rwanda or Uganda, but for the right client that is exactly what makes it interesting. No permit queue, no other vehicles at the trailhead, and a much smaller chance of running into other trekking groups in the forest.
Kelly works with the Burundian park rangers directly to arrange chimpanzee trekking and forest walks. Expect a more rugged experience, longer treks, and a deeper sense of being somewhere genuinely few foreign visitors go.
Lake Tanganyika, the World's Longest Freshwater Lake
Lake Tanganyika runs 673 kilometres north to south along the borders of Burundi, Tanzania, DRC, and Zambia. It is the second deepest lake in the world after Baikal, and the second oldest. The Burundian shore in the north is where most travellers spend time. Clean swimming, low malaria risk on the open lake, and a string of small lakefront properties south of Bujumbura. Kelly books two to four nights here as the slow-down portion of any Burundi itinerary.
Bujumbura and the Rusizi Delta
Bujumbura sits at the northern end of Lake Tanganyika and is the cultural anchor of Burundi. The Rusizi Delta, where the Rusizi River enters the lake, is one of the easier places in East Africa to see hippo at close range and is a strong birding spot for waterbirds and African fish eagle. Kelly arranges private boat trips on the delta, visits to the Belgian-era buildings in the old town, and dinner at the lakefront restaurants south of the city.
Combining Burundi with Rwanda
Most Burundi trips Kelly plans are extensions to a Rwanda itinerary. Kigali to Bujumbura is four to six hours by road through some of the most underrated landscape in East Africa: terraced hillsides, tea plantations, and the descent from the Rwandan plateau into the Burundian lake basin. The Akanyaru border crossing is straightforward for tourists. A typical add-on runs four to five nights: one in Bujumbura, two on Lake Tanganyika, two in Kibira for chimpanzee trekking. For the right client, it is one of the most distinctive trips in the region.