Afrinkong
Nature & LandscapesThe Congo-Nile Divide
A ridge running the length of the country, with the Nile on one side and the Congo on the other.
Photo Gis photography / Pexels
BURUNDI · Tourism
Hills and Lake
A country of hills above Lake Tanganyika, with the drummers of Gishora on the UNESCO list, chimpanzees at Kibira, and a marker at Rutovu on the ridge where the Nile's longest tributary begins.
East AfricaRegion
27Tourism experiences
The southernmost source of the NileKnown for
01
Featured destinations
Where the country actually takes you.
Nature & Landscapes
Mount Heha
2,684 metres, an hour from the capital, with the whole rift visible from the top.
Photo Edouard MIHIGO / Pexels
WaterfallsKarera
Four falls in one forested gorge in the southeast, with a path between them.
Photo Safari Consoler / Pexels
Lakes & RiversLake Tanganyika
The second deepest lake on earth, and Burundi has a hundred and sixty kilometres of it.
Photo Edouard MIHIGO / Pexels
Beaches & CoastSaga and Karera Beaches
White sand on Tanganyika south of Bujumbura, with the Congo visible across the water.
Forests & RainforestKibira
Forty thousand hectares of montane forest on the divide, and the country's water tower.
Photo Edouard MIHIGO / Pexels
02
Wildlife & safari
What lives here, and how you see it without disturbing it.
Wildlife
Chimpanzees at Kibira
Montane forest continuous with Rwanda's Nyungwe, with chimpanzee and colobus in it.
Photo Bhupal Shrestha / Pexels
Rusizi and Ruvubu
Hippo and crocodile in the Rusizi delta, and buffalo and antelope along the Ruvubu.
Photo Edouard MIHIGO / Pexels
Kibira's Water
The forest feeds the hydro that runs most of the country, and protecting it is not sentiment.
Photo Damir K / Pexels
03
Culture & heritage
The part of a country you cannot photograph from a vehicle.
Culture
The Drums
The royal drummers of Gishora are on the UNESCO list, and they are not a performance troupe.
Photo Safari Consoler / Pexels
Hutu, Tutsi and Twa
One language, Kirundi, spoken by everybody, and a history the country is still working through.
Photo Bobby Dimas / Pexels
Beans, Ugali and Mukeke
Beans and plantain, ugali, and mukeke — a Tanganyika fish grilled on the beach.
Festivals & CelebrationsGishora
The drum sanctuary above Gitega, where the drums are kept and danced on their own ground.
Photo Audy of Course / Pexels
Traditional Arts & CraftsBasketry and Drums
Coiled agaseke baskets with pointed lids, and the drums themselves.
Photo alameen .ng / Pexels
Historic SitesRutovu
A stone pyramid on a ridge marking the southernmost source of the Nile.
The Ritual Dance of the Royal Drum
Inscribed in 2014 — the drums, the dance and the making of them, together.
Photo HONG SON / Pexels
04
Cities & everyday life
Where people actually live between the landmarks.
CitiesBujumbura and Gitega
A lakeside city with a long promenade, and the political capital up in the hills.
Photo Edouard MIHIGO / Pexels
Colonial and Hillside
German and Belgian colonial in Bujumbura, and tiled hillside houses everywhere else.
Photo Edouard MIHIGO / Pexels
The Beach on a Sunday
Bujumbura goes to Saga beach, and stays until the light goes.
Photo Edouard MIHIGO / Pexels
Family & CommunityLake and Hills
Short distances, calm fresh water, and hippos to keep an eye on.
Photo Edouard MIHIGO / Pexels
05
Adventure & outdoors
For travellers who would rather walk it than watch it.
Adventure
Walking the Divide
Kibira on foot, Mount Heha in a morning, and the lake shore road south.
Hiking the Hills
Heha, Kibira and the ridge roads, none of them more than a day.
Luxury TravelModest
A handful of hotels in Bujumbura, and lodges on the lake shore.
Photo Edouard MIHIGO / Pexels
06
Travel inspiration
The frames people come home with.
Photography / Scenic ViewsDrums in Motion
Gishora mid-performance, when the drums are carried and struck at once.
Photo Safari Consoler / Pexels
Rusizi Delta
Hippos, birds and the Congo across the water, twenty minutes from the capital.
Photo Charles Chen / Pexels
Why Visit This Country
Why Burundi
The Nile's furthest source, the royal drums, and a lake almost nobody visits.
Why Burundi
The Nile's furthest source, the royal drums, and a lake almost nobody visits.
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