Burundi

The country is divided into 17 provinces (Cibitoke, Kayanza, Ngozi, Kirundo, Muyinga, Bubanza, Muramvya, Gitega, Karuzi, Cankuzo, Bujumbura Rural, Bujumbura Mairie, Mwaro, Ruyigi, Bururi, Rutana, Makamba). Below the province level, there are "communes" in rural areas and "quartiers" in the capital, with a total of 117 of such groupings. Beneath this, there are several lower levels of administration, including the sector, the 2 639 "collines", or hillside, and the smallest grouping, the "Nyumba Kumi" or "group of 10 houses."

• 🌍 Gitega — the capital and second largest city, in the middle of the country
• 🌍 Bujumbura — the largest city, situated on the north-eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika
• 🌍 Bururi — southern city
• 🌍 Cibitoke — north-western city
• 🌍 Kabezi
• 🌍 Muyinga — north-eastern city
• 🌍 Ngozi — northern city

• 🌍 Bururi Forest Natural Reserve — The Natural reserve of Bururi is a 3300 ha expanse of altitude damp forest. The town of Bururi offers visitors this wonderful panorama, to visit the park first go to the INECN office in Bururi, it's not common knowledge among Bururians that you have to do this first. If you are told that there is no entry fee and no guides are available, this is not true. At the office you can pay the entry fee (FBu5,000) and arrange a guide FBu5,000. In this place there are about 117 species of birds and 25 species of mammals have been identified in a forestland surrounding of multifarious vegetation. On a walking circuit along the botanical lanes and trails of this forest the visitor will fully enjoy the wild coolness of our mountains densely covered with trees of many different species. This region is 33 km from Roumonge. The road through it will drive you from the lakes along miles of hallucinating and breathtaking panoramas.
• 🌍 Kibira National Park. At the apex of the Zaire-Nile, with its 40,000 ha of preserved forests, this the largest completely untouched natural area in Burundi. Its wild life constitutes a shelter for chimpanzees, baboons, cercophitecus (a monkey) and black colobes scattering away to the approach of human beings. The park is criss-crossed by a network of 180 km of tracks and paths mainly used by guard car patrols and motorized tourists. The guards of the park will scout you in the wood undercover where you will be able to discover the fascinating attraction of the primeval forest and the charming songs of birds. Mountain chains hide thermal springs, and the access to the park is made through the tea plantations of Teza and Rwegura which count among the best natural sceneries.
• 🌍 Nyakazu Break and the Karera Falls — The natural Forest Reserves of Roumonge, Kigwena and Mugara are in course of development to enable chimpanzees and cercopithecuses to find enough food to stay there and procreate. The thermal waterfalls situated in the Mugara reserve will enable you to lend yourselves to natural massage simply by taking showers under these waters raised from the earth’s bosom. The very near beaches of Tanganyika provide an opportunity for a swim and rest.
• 🌍 Rusizi National Park — Home to Gustave, the infamous man-eating crocodile, Rusizi National Park will be your first visit in Burundi for the simple reason that it is very near the capital city of Bujumbura. The River Delta extends over 500 ha of vegetation made of Phragmites mauritianus. It is a natural shelter for few families of antelopes and hippopotamuses that come here in quest of grazing land. At the end of the track if you are lucky enough you may meet with a few crocodiles fast asleep on the golden sand of the river banks. The Rusizi palm groves (situated on the Cibitoke road 10 km away from Bujumbura) is also an exceptional landscape that will no doubt make your mind drift away from your day to day preoccupations. It offers to the visitor a rich vegetation completely adapted environment gratified by only a few sparse rains, made of euphorbia, thorny bushes and tall palm trees of the Hyphaena bengalensis var ventricosa species. Right in the deepest part of the reserve you will be able to admire the natural ponds left by the Rusizi meanders. This place is a paradise for birds which come by the hundred and feed themselves by dive-fishing. If you are patient enough you will be able to see some hippopotamuses paddling in the shallow waters.
• 🌍 Ruvubu National Park — The National Park of Ruvubu lies on the banks of the Ruvubu River and is limited by high rise mountains. It was freed from human inhabitants and returned to complete wild life. The track and length of the path network is approximately 100 km and includes many observation lookouts. You will be accommodated in a newly erected camp and you will be able to tell your friends when you are back home about tracking buffaloes along their trails where the joyful glee of the songs from all the African birds you may think of are heard at every turn.
• 🌍 Rwihinda Lake Natural Reserve — The Rwihinda Lake Natural Reserve is a real sanctuary for migratory aquatic birds which come to the site by the thousands to reproduce. All these now protected birds can nest more and more on these green swamps and islets of the lake. Crested cranes and herons live there a peaceful live. The visitor can drift along on barges to approach many species of birds without risk of frightening them.
• 🌍 Vyanda Forest Natural Reserve — This is a forest reserve that can be accessed from the town of Rumonge. The main attraction is the chimpanzees. The facilities for visitors for visitors are almost non-existent but if you go to the INECN office (remember to pronounce it the French way when asking for directions, roughly "ENCN" pronounced the English way) in Rumonge you should be able to organise a visit. It's generally set up for people with their own transport but a visit by local transport can be arranged. Expect to pay FBu10,000 for entry and guide if you see chimps, FBu5,000 if you don't. You should be able to arrange transport from Rumonge for around FBu15,000 for a return trip. The chimps here are not habituated to humans so don't expect the close encounters that are possible in some places.

Burundi is about 27,834 km² (10,747 sq mi) large and has a population of almost 12 million people, making it one of the smallest countries in the world. Although the country is landlocked, much of the south-western border is adjacent to Lake Tanganyika, one of the deepest lakes in the world.

The region was colonised in the 19th century as part of German East Africa, then taken by Belgium after the First World War. It became independent in 1962.

Burundi is one of the poorest and least developed nations in the world. The vast majority of Burundians live in poverty and work as subsistence farmers. There are many reasons behind Burundi's lack of development and poverty: civil wars, political instability, corruption, a lack of access to education, and the effects of HIV/AIDS.

Cobalt and copper are among the nation's natural resources. Other resources include coffee, sugar and tea.

Burundi's population today is mostly comprised of the Hutu ethnic group (85%) followed by the Tutsi (14%) and Twa (1%).

Road and water transport are the main ways for getting around. There are no railways in the country, and the airport in Bujumbura is the only one with scheduled flights (all international).

Although most travellers will find that they can get around passingly well with a working knowledge of French and increasingly English, some familiarity with Swahili or the related local language, Kirundi, is helpful, particularly in rural areas. The problem may be that Kirundi is extremely difficult to learn. Kirundi and Kinyarwanda (the official language in Rwanda) are quite similar.

Bujumbura is in the western part of the country. Moving towards the east, is Gitega; it’s a large market held in the middle of the town, and its Museum of Traditions (ancient utensils, pictures, commented visit). Travellers will have to make advance bookings to be able to watch an extraordinary and fascinating show unique in the world: “The Drummers of Giheta” playing in their traditional environment. Then you will be making head away towards Rutana to see the admirable panorama of the Karea Falls and the Nykazu Break, called the “Break of the Germans”, which is an exceptional lookout that oversees the Kumoso plain. You will be ending your tour by the visit of Gihofi, a booming town with its new sugar refinery in the heart of the sugar cane plantations country.

Towards the South-eastern part of the country, don’t miss by any means the visit of the Nile Sources near Rutovu. Don’t forget to take your swimming gear with you; otherwise, you may miss the benefit of the hot springs in charming and subtle surroundings. You will also be able to see on your way the last traditional enclosed villas (round habitations surrounded by wooden fences strip in turn surrounded by grazing meadows and ploughed fields).

Further south, you will be able to cross a line of villages succeeding one after the other and wedged between the lake and abrupt mountains. Fortunately, you will be able to stop and have a rest, or go for nautical sports and have a meal in restaurants or simply stop for a drink, on nicely arranged fine sand beaches. Still further south lays the Nyanza Lake. Why not to take a boat and go to Tanzania on the other side of the lake and visit Gombe Natural Park?

Towards the north just before reaching Bugarama, there is an important market for high quality fresh foodstuffs. You can walk across the primeval forest of Kibira the access of which is still very difficult but which is in a process of beaconing. Carry on towards Kayanza and Ngozi, two big agricultural production and trade villages. At Kirundo, near the border with Rwanda, you will discover the small lakes of the North, the peacefulness and serenity of their jagged borders. Take a boat and drift on the Rwihinda Lake to admire numerous birds’ species entirely free on the lake (crested cranes, wild ducks, fishing eagles, etc.).

On the road from Muyinga to Cankuzo, the visit of the Natural park of the Ruvuvu Rivers is a must now that is endowed with accommodation infrastructure; there you’ll be able to admire Burundi protected remnant buffaloes and dorcas (gazelles). The surrounding primeval forest will no doubt leave you with an unforgettable souvenir.

For the international visitor, Burundi offers some culinary surprises: fresh fish from Lake Tanganyika and produce from the nation's rich volcanic soil are particularly notable. There is a sizeable South Asian community, offering curried dishes alongside the more traditional rice and beans, and French-inspired European offerings. For lighter meals, samosas and skewered meats are common, and bananas and fresh fruit are often served as a sweet snack.

The national dish is beef brochettes (kebabs) and grilled plantains (cooking bananas) available almost everywhere.

Other signature dishes are:

• Mealie-Meal Porridge
• Sangala fish garnished with onions and stewed beef

Soft drinks and beer are readily available. As in Rwanda and DRC, big 72 cl Primus bottles are available for between USD1-2 as well as Amstel, which is about USD2. Both are locally produced and of good quality.

Although accommodation in rural areas can be basic, Bujumbura hosts a number of international-grade hotels, catering to a mainly UN and international clientèle. Notable hotels include the Source du Nil (USD120/night), the Hotel Botanika (USD85/night), the Clos de Limbas (USD70/night) and the new, anglophone Sun Safari.

A cheaper option is the Camel Africa Hotel in Bujumbura at USD9 a night.

There is a dearth of educational opportunities in Burundi, even for Burundian citizens. Years of warfare and instability have badly damaged the country's education system and school enrollment rates are quite low.

The educational scene of the country is unlikely to be attractive to most people reading Wikivoyage.

Burundi is not usually considered a top destination for career advancement. Weak infrastructure, political instability, an inefficient bureaucratic system, a lack of transparency, and low salaries do not make the country a highly popular place to work in.

Due to a lack of opportunities in Burundi, many Burundians often migrate to other countries.

Many NGOs are situated in Burundi. If you have a background in politics or international relations, working in the country won't be such a bad idea. In addition, the country is a great place to further develop your French language skills and deepen your understanding of politics and government.

Although some semblance of normality has returned to much of the country with the conclusion of the nation's democratic transition and a democratically chosen head of state in Aug 2005, travellers should be warned that there is still significant insecurity throughout the country and exercise extreme caution. Besides the still-active rebel group, the Forces Nationales de la Libération (FNL) that continues to attack government forces and civilians, threats posed by banditry and armed robbery, as well as petty crimes, remain. Visitors should exercise caution, avoid travelling after dark, and be aware of curfew laws. Many roads close at night, and most embassies put out curfews on their staff. As in any other conflict or post-conflict situation, visitors should consult their embassy to be apprised of the latest local developments, and be sensitive to the changing security environment.

Be careful of kiosk foods and avoid unboiled water. Also ensure you have been vaccinated.

As in many other African countries, HIV infection is widespread. In 2012, UNICEF estimated that 1.3% of the adult population is living with HIV.

As is the case in all African countries, Burundi is a hierarchial society, which means that respect for elders is important. Always treat an older person/authority figure with a great degree of respect, and do not do anything that would make an older person/authority figure feel challenged.

Burundians are family-oriented. It's common for Burundian parents to be intimiately involved in the lives of their children, and they aim to school their children in proper behavior, communal values, and family values. Passing unwarranted comments and/or criticisms about someone's family members is considered rude.

If you've been invited to a Burundian home, you may be showered with snacks and drinks. Do not reject any of these; it's considered rude manners to do so and it could get your host(s) to think that you do not appreciate their hospitality.