Ruvubu national park, Burundi

Named after the river of Ruvubu which runs through the length of it, Ruvubu is the largest national park in the Republic of Burundi covering an area of approximately 508 square kilometers. The park was established in 1980 and its borders fall within the provinces of Karuzi, Mayinga, Cankuzo and Ruyigi. It stretches on the boundaries of Tanzania to the south and the valley of the River of Ruvubu whose landscape dominates this area.

Facts about the park

Referred to as Parc National de la Ruvubu in French the official language of Burundi, Ruvubu national park is the last vestige of the natural grassland ecosystems which once covered the large part of the northeast part of the country. The park is known as a homeland to some of the amazing flora and fauna species that’s makes it among the top tourist destinations in the country. Among the wildlife species spotted in the park include; hippos, Nile crocodiles, waterbucks, cape buffalos, various duiker species and more than five primate species including the olive baboons, red colobus monkey, blue monkeys, Senegal bush baby, and the vervet monkeys. Also, the park records more than 200 species of birds.

Safari activities in Ruvubu national park

While at a safari in Ruvubu national park, expect to have a number of interesting and memory catching experiences including the following;

Game drives

Enjoy the guided game drives within the park tracks where you will spot a number of wildlife species roaming within the park premise. Among the species to sight include animals like cape elephants, lions and others. Also, view other park species like birds and plants. The national park also conducts guided night game drives where the travelers spot different nocturnal animals like the leopards and lions which are mostly hard to spot during the day game drives.

Nature walks

Explore the park on foot and encounter the savannah grasslands within the park with their inhabitants including the plants, birds, and some wild animals like the buffalos.

Bird watching

Recording more than 200 species of birds, Ruvubu national park is one of the best destinations for birding experience in the Republic of Burundi. These birds can be spotted during different park experiences like boat cruise on River Ruvubu and these are spotted along the river shores and also during nature walks through the park plains and vegetations. To easily spot the species, try to move with some pairs of binoculars so as to spot many birds no matter the distance they are.

Boat safaris

Relax your minds for about 2 hours during the boat cruise experience on the safe waters of River Ruvubu. As you enjoy the moment, you will also spot a number of species including aquatic animals like hippos, Nile crocodiles and others like elephants along the shores. Also, the cruise provides a clear view of several bird species and other park features like vegetation.

Best time to visit the park

Ruvubu national park can be visited at any time throughout the year for various activities but the best time is during the dry season that runs through the months of June to August and December to February. These months are best for game viewing since the vegetation of the park is not too long and the surface isn’t slippery.

How to get to the park

Getting to the Ruvubu national park is not very hard. It is about 216 kilometers from Bujumbura the capital of Burundi. Travelers fly into the country and then transferred to the park by road or still air transport. Charter flights to the park from small airports in Bujumbura are always available.