Rusizi River National Park is majorly the most popular and visited tourist destination in Burundi because of its thrilling wildlife biodiversity. It is also commonly known as Parc National de La Rusizi located in the northwest of Bujumbura city.
It is separated into two sections by Bujumbura – Uvira road as the larger part lies on the eastern bank of the Rusizi River while the other smaller portion forms the Rusizi delta where Lake Tanganyika begins.
Tourists that come to Rusizi national park witness the goodness and wildlife biodiversity in this park as they explore the abundance of unique flora and fauna species found here. The park is famous for its large numbers of hippopotamus families identified in the waters and the banks of River Rusizi.
Wildlife species in Rusizi National Park include Hippopotami, Statungas, Antelopes, Colobus monkeys, and Nile crocodiles, alongside 200 bird species among which is the white-winged tern as a migrant bird.
Things to do in Rusizi National Park
Considering the rich biodiversity here, there are a number of activities you are welcome to undertake in this beautiful part of Burundi.
Safari game drive; Rusizi is one of those places that are known for the best game drive experience as drive through the tracks for a chance to spot animals. Expect to see a lot of animals and bird species like hippopotami, antelopes, water birds Glossy Ibis, Lesser Flamingo and White-faced Whistling-Duck, White-winged tern, and African Skimmer.
Guided naturewalks; nature lovers will tell you how safari nature walks give such incredible moments and encounters with wildlife. Nature walks simply bring you in close contact with wildlife as you walk through the park off trails with the help of a game ranger and safari guide and at times help you realize and see some of the species that are missed out on the game drive.
Boat ride; boat ridesare done at RiverRusizi and this will give you an open chance to see animals on the river banks and water birds. Expect to see big hippo numbers on the water banks, Nile crocodiles, water birds such as flamingos, whistling duck among many others. Moving towards the source of the river is also done with the boat.
Bird watching;the park is a birder’s haven with over 200 bird species recorded in this highly visited game park in Burundi. If you’re looking out for where to go on a birding safari in Burundi, look no further.
How to go to get there:
Traveling to Burundi on a safari holiday can be done by flying into Bujumbura international airport where you will meet your safari handler guide and drive to Rusizi national park on a 4×4 land cruiser. Combining Burundi safari tours with either Rwanda safaris or Uganda and Congo safari tours with an option to fly into Kigali Rwanda and take on Burundi safari tours starting from Rwanda is also a great choice.
Accommodation and where to stay in Rusizi national park?
There are quite a number of hotels and lodges in and around the park like Hotel club Du Lac Tanganyika, Royal hotel, Urban lodge among others available for providing accommodation to travelers and tourists visiting this park.
However it is wise enough and advisable to confirm your booking with these hotels and safari lodges quite in advance about 3 months before your safari time as they tend to book out mostly in the busy months of the high season thus say June to September.
Why book your Burundi safari with us at Gorilla Holidays?
Gorilla Holidays is well established local tour operator with firsthand ground knowledge and information in all the destinations we offer.
We have local contacts and ground handlers in each destination thus well placed to advise on the best trip options and help you plan a rewarding holiday without emptying your bank account!
Contact us from the planning stages of your Burundi safari tours or planning a combined Rwanda, Burundi, and Congo safari.