March 2022: As part of a multi-country African trip, my wife, friend, and I visited Burundi. It was the last country in the region that I had not visited, and even though I was miles from the border in Rwanda years earlier-Tracking Wild Chimpanzees and Observing the Horrors of the Rwandan Genocide-Rwanda | Venture The Planet, I did not make the trip at that time. For years, Burundi had been difficult to visit due to complex visa issues, but it had recently begun allowing visas on arrival, making travel more accessible.
We arrived on an overnight Kenya Airlines flight from South Africa via Nairobi. Upon arrival, we were required to pay for and receive a PCR COVID-19 test at the airport. The immigration process was mostly free of corruption, with one notable exception. When I attempted to pay for my visa with a $100 bill, an official deliberately tore a corner of it right in front of me and then informed me that the bill could not be accepted in Burundi. However, he kindly offered a very favorable exchange rate if I exchanged it with him. I declined his offer and provided another bill that we both agreed was untorn and acceptable. This incident was the only corruption I witnessed during my time in Burundi.
Since our visit to Burundi was short—just two nights and three days—I hired Audace from Gisabo Tours as a guide, along with a 4WD vehicle, to maximize our time in the country. With more time, I likely would have opted to travel independently using a mix of hired taxis and public transportation. However, given our tight schedule, having a knowledgeable local guide and reliable transportation was the best choice to make the most of our stay.
During our time in Burundi, we explored Bujumbura, visited Lake Tanganyika, and took a day trip to the scenic Karera Waterfalls. The landscapes were lush, and the people we met were welcoming and hospitable. We also enjoyed local Burundian cuisine, which featured delicious grilled fish and plantains. Despite the country’s challenging history, we found it to be a fascinating and rewarding place to visit.
About Burundi
Burundi, a Central African country in the Great Lakes region bordering Lake Tanganyika, was a Belgian colony, and the people predominantly speak French. Burundi holds the unfortunate title of being the poorest country in the world. Like its neighbor Rwanda, it was plagued with ethnic tension between Tutsis and Hutus, leading to approximately 200,000 deaths from 1995 to 2003. Presidential coups have also further destabilized the country.
Despite its tragic past, Burundi’s fortunes are turning around, and the country is experiencing a period of hope, peace, and stability. I didn’t expect much from Burundi before my visit. I knew it was overpopulated and that much of its natural environment had been decimated, so I honestly wasn’t that excited since I typically plan my trips around nature. Yes, much of the natural landscape has been lost, but there is still a lot left for visitors to appreciate. In the end, what captivated me most about Burundi was its people.
The people are truly friendly and genuine, and in a world where so many places have been spoiled by mass tourism, Burundi remains a country where locals greet and welcome foreigners with sincere hospitality.
Location of Burundi
Visit to Batwa Pygmy Village
Day 1: Our guide, Audace, along with his driver and assistant, picked us up at the airport, took us to check in at our hotel, Club du Lac Tanganyika, located right on the lake, and we set off to visit a village of the pygmy Twa Tribe. The Twa village is located in the hills about an hour outside of the capital, Bujumbura. To reach it, we hiked along a muddy path in a torrential downpour, crossing a few rickety bridges. The village residents, all 100 or so of them, were waiting to greet us when we arrived.
The regional governor proceeded to speak on behalf of the village, giving a speech about the difficulties of life in the region and emphasizing that any donations would go a long way in improving the lives of the Twa people. The governor was a tall man and clearly not Twa. His somber tone was far different from that of the Twa, who, like all pygmy tribes I have encountered in my travels, are always happy and jovial-Sleeping on the Rim of a Lava Lake at 11,000 ‘ in One of the World’s Most Dangerous National Parks-Virunga and Camping with the Mbuti Pygmy Tribe in the Ituri Forest | Venture The Planet.
As soon as the governor finished his speech, the Twa began dancing and singing for us. I took some Polaroid photos, printed them, and handed them to the children and the Twa Chief. The dancing celebration was interrupted by a heavy downpour, and the chief suggested we take the festivities indoors. With that, everyone moved into one of the Twa huts. All 100 people packed into the small hut, where we resumed the singing and dancing, creating an unforgettable and intimate experience.
Rickety bridge to Twa Village
Twa Children
Twa kid using his shirt as cover against rain
Dancing and singing with the Twa
The Twa village was a mix of pygmy and non-pygmy people. Per the chief, there has been a lot of intermarriage, resulting in some people being very short while others are of average height. The Twa traditionally lived off the forests as hunters and gatherers, but in modern Burundi, there is little forest left for them to hunt in. As the chief explained to me, the remaining forests are protected, and hunting is no longer allowed. As a result, the Twa people have turned to a new way of life—farming. In the case of this village, they have also embraced tourism, though with COVID, few, if any, tourists have visited in years.
We enjoyed our time dancing with the Twa, and they put on a genuinely enthusiastic performance of some of their traditional songs, which we and the entire village took part in.
Dancing and singing of the Twa in the rain
Twa Chief and villagers answered my questions about their lives. The chief wore an interesting ceremonial hat made of a cut-off plastic soda bottle with grass strong around it.
A man who we met, who sadly wears this hat to cover up a giant tumor on his head. He asked me if I could help him and even though I took his contact information and promised him I would reach out to various medical charities in the country, I told him that in truth there was nothing I as a tourist briefly passing through the country could do. This was heart breaking and I wish I could do something for him.
Dancing and singing with the Twa
After a few hours with the Twa, we offered the chief a small donation for their hospitality and hiked back to the car in even heavier rain. We spent the rest of our night relaxing at the hotel along the shores of Lake Tanganyika.
Sunrise Over Lake Tanganyika
Day 2: As I always do when traveling, I woke up at sunrise to catch the best photo opportunities when the light is best and the day feels new and full of excitement. Watching the fishermen set off onto the lake with storm clouds in the distance was a breathtaking sight.
Fisherman at Dawn
Fisherman at Dawn
Largest Rainforest in Burundi-Kibira National Park
After breakfast, we were careful not to venture too close to the lakeshore at our hotel, where serious hippo warning signs were posted. Then, we set off for the mountains to visit Kibira National Park, the largest remaining intact old-growth rainforest in Burundi. Historically, Kibira was protected by the king of Burundi as a royal hunting ground and is believed to be guarded by spirits. This vast expanse of untouched mountain rainforest connects with Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda, where I had tracked chimpanzees nearly a decade ago.
Kibira is home to chimpanzees, though they are not habituated, and I was hoping my wife would have the chance to see them in the wild. To reach the park, we drove for a few hours from Bujumbura along a well-paved but nerve-wracking mountain road, where trucks and cars recklessly overtook each other around blind curves, leading to plenty of close calls.
Upon arrival, we hired a ranger to guide us on a five-mile trek that began in the tea plantations bordering the park. The recent rains had left the trails muddy, so our ranger provided us with walking sticks to help navigate the terrain. Fortunately, the weather was on our side, allowing us to fully appreciate the rainforest’s towering trees, lush vegetation, and cascading waterfalls. Despite seeing ample signs of chimpanzees, we never spotted any. However, we were lucky to catch sight of monkeys high in the canopy, making the trek an unforgettable experience.
Tea Plantations
Paula admiring an old tree
Ranger showing us the old growth trees in the national park
a 100 year plus old 4 foot tall tree that is unique to this forest and only grows a few inches per year
Ranger sitting in a huge tree
Royal Drummers Village-The Tokyo Robot Show of Africa
After hiking in the rainforest, we set off deeper into Burundi’s hilly interior, arriving in the town of Gitenda. We checked into our hotel for the night before heading out to witness the Gishora King’s Royal Drummers—an experience that turned out to be one of the most spectacular performances I have ever seen.
Gishora village is home to one of Burundi’s historical kings, and its people are deeply committed to preserving Burundian traditions, particularly drumming. The men of the village are renowned throughout the country for their exceptional skill. During the performance, around 50 villagers showcased their talents through powerful drumming, energetic dancing, and spirited singing, while hundreds of locals—young and old—clapped, cheered, and sang along, creating an electrifying atmosphere.
It was clear that the drummers were not just performing for us but for themselves and their village’s pride. They poured their hearts into every beat, their laughter and playful teasing adding to the joy of the performance. The energy was infectious, and even locals who had likely seen the show many times before watched with the same rapt attention, as if witnessing it for the first time.
At the end of the show, the drummers invited us to join in. I picked up a drum while Paula danced with them, making for an unforgettable moment. This experience stands out as a highlight of my African travels, and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Burundi.
Royal Drummers Playing Heavy Drums on their Heads
Royal Drummers Playing Heavy Drums on their Heads
Paula and Jimmie in the spectator section
Hundreds of villagers and little kids all gathered to witness the performance, while cheering, clapping and singing along
Royal Drummers Playing Heavy Drums on their Heads
Watching Hippos at Rusizi National Park and Looking for Gustave-Man Eating Crocodile
Pod of hippos with baby
Day 3: On our last day, we returned to Bujumbura to visit Rusizi National Park, which protects the wetlands and banks of Lake Tanganyika. We took a boat out onto the lake, gliding past pods of grumpy hippos and lurking Nile crocodiles.
I was particularly hoping to catch a glimpse of Gustave, the legendary giant man-eating crocodile said to inhabit Rusizi. According to local lore, Gustave is an enormous 18-foot-long crocodile, estimated to be around 100 years old and rumored to have eaten as many as 300 people. He has an almost mythical status among the locals, and despite numerous attempts to capture him, he has never been caught. Many believe he still roams the lake, though in all likelihood, he is long gone.
Curious, I asked our boatman if Gustave was still alive. Without hesitation, he insisted that he was, though he admitted no one had seen him in a while.
False Positive Covid Test
It’s hard enough to travel in Africa as it is, and then throw in relentless Covid requirements—it becomes a logistical nightmare. Traveling during Covid posed numerous challenges, one of the biggest being the risk of a false positive test result, which could lead to a mandatory, self-paid quarantine lasting a week or more.
Unfortunately, Jimmie received two positive test results via email the night before our departure from Burundi, despite showing no symptoms and having tested negative with a PCR test in the Seychelles just days earlier. He believed he had contracted Covid about a month prior, and it seemed the lab in Burundi had detected residual traces of the virus. Strangely, none of the eight other tests he had taken throughout our Africa trip had returned a positive result—except for this one.
Convinced the test was a false positive, he hoped to secure a more accurate test in Ethiopia, our next destination. However, Burundi required a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours for departure, and authorities would not accept his negative test from the Seychelles. At the airport, an official was verifying QR codes on test results, making it nearly impossible for him to leave. By sheer luck, she became preoccupied with a long queue of passengers, giving him the opportunity to slip past, enter the airport, and board the flight.
While some might view this as questionable, he was certain the result was inaccurate or that the lab was overly sensitive, picking up remnants from his previous infection. If he hadn’t made it onto the flight, he would have faced the cancellation of the rest of his Africa itinerary and an extended quarantine in Burundi. Later that evening, a PCR test in Ethiopia confirmed what he had suspected all along—he was negative.