Flight Destinations
Flights to Burundi
Places in Burundi
Situated in Central Africa is the small country of Burundi, which borders with Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Burundi is a landlocked country though it does benefit from a lake shore on the large Lake Tanganyika. Burundi is an attractive country with a variety of attractions, however it is currently experiencing civil unrest.
International flights to Burundi land at the Bujumbura International Airport (airport code: BJM). Flights to Burundi from the UK are indirect and available through numerous airlines. One stop flights from the UK are offered by airlines including Ethiopian Airlines and BMI, who fly via Addis Ababa, and British Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways and Kenya Airways who fly via Nairobi. KLM, Emirates and Turkish Airlines are amongst the other airlines providing flights to Burundi from the UK but with two stops.
The Tourist Attractions of Burundi
Due to current civil unrest and the possibility of the outbreak of civil war, now may not be a good time to travel to Burundi. Check travel advisories from the Foreign Office prior to making any holiday plans.
Bujumbura
Bujumbura is the capital and largest city of Burundi. The city is situated on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in the west of Burundi and has several attractions which should interest visitors.
The Musee Vivant is one of the city’s top attractions. Set within beautiful grounds, this is an interesting museum with a variety of things to see including Herpetologic Centre with snakes and reptiles. You can also see local bird species in the bird house.
The views over the city from the nearby hills are very good. One hill also contains the mausoleum of Prince Louis Rwagasore, the founder of independence for Burundi.
The National Museum, Gitega
In central Burundi, the city of Gitega is best known for being the home of the National Museum. This was founded in 1955 and has an excellent collection of ethnographic objects.
National Parks of Burundi
Burundi has two national parks, Kibira and Rurubu. Rurubu National Park is situated along the Rurubu River and has mountains on either side of the river. This is an area of wilderness though an assortment of tracks can be enjoyed, many leading to lookouts with great views.
Kibira National Park stands out for its extensive plant and bird species. The evergreen forests which spread across this park are home to over 600 species of plants and over 200 species of birds. The park is being promoted as an eco-tourism destination, so any development that takes place is being done carefully and consciously, such as the recently added walking trails for visitors to enjoy.
Natural Reserves of Burundi
In addition to its two national parks, Burundi has several natural reserves too. Near to Bujumbura is the Rusizi Natural Reserve. Others include Bururi Natural Reserve and Rwihinda Lake Natural Reserve, which is well known for its many aquatic birds.
When Should You Visit Burundi?
Because of its proximity to the equator, Burundi has an equatorial climate which means there is little variation in the temperature throughout the year. Despite its equatorial latitude the temperatures in Burundi aren’t actually as high as you might expect and this is due to the elevation of the country as Burundi is located on a high plateau. The average highs range from 17C to 23C, and depend on the altitude. The two wet seasons to avoid are between February and May, and September to November.