Rusizi National Park Facts, Tours, Activities, Map & Photos

When it comes to Burundi’s national parks and reserves, Rusizi National Park is both the most well-known and the most frequently visited. Parc National de la Rusizi is the common name for this park in French-speaking countries, which includes Burundi.

Two major sections of the park, divided by the Bujumbura-Uvira highway, make up the Rusizi National Park. The park extends primarily along the river’s eastern bank. Acacia trees, bushes, and grasslands predominate in this 2-kilometer-wide, 45-kilometer-long flood plain.

The delta of the Rusizi River, which flows into Lake Tanganyika, is located south of the highway in another portion of the park. There are numerous small islands, waterways, and papyrus beds in the river delta.

Rusizi River Rusizi River Delta, Rusizi National Park

Location of Rusizi National Park

Just a few kilometers from the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this Burundian national park can be found 15 kilometers to the north-west of the country’s capital, Bujumbura. The park is split in half by the motorway that runs between Bujumbura and Uvira.

Wildlife Tours in Rusizi National Park Burundi

Hippos on the river delta and other wildlife such as antelopes, monkeys, and giraffes are protected thanks to the establishment of Rusizi National Park in the past.

Cisticola, sharpe’s pied babbler, red-chested sunbird, Angola weaver, Baglafecht weaver, and the yellow browed cistril are just a few of the estimated 200 bird species that call Rusizi Park home. The marsh attracts a variety of migratory species, including the white-winged tern and the African skimmer.

Activities in Rusizi National Park

You may go on wonderful nature treks and view birds here. Honey bee gathering is a popular pastime in the Rusizi National Park, and fishing is popular on the Rusizi River and Lake Tanganyika. Communities are urged to support conservation organisations that work to protect this area’s natural resources.

Even though wildfires are more common, safari walks are ideal in the dry months of June through September. Since the country is on the equator, the rainy season lasts for the remainder of the year.