Ruvubu national park  Burundi

Named after the river of Ruvubu which runs through the length of it, Ruvubu national park is a 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.

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 Burundi. The park is a home to a number of wildlife species including the 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 since it has about 50 kilometers of tracks. During this experience, spot a number of wildlife roaming within the park premises. Among the species to sight include the 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 travellers 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 in the Republic of Burundi. These birds can be spotted along the shores of River Ruvubu and try to move with some pairs of binoculars so as to spot many birds no matter the distance they are.

Boat safaris

Have a one to two hour relaxation while having a boat cruise experience in the park. This activity takes place on the River of Ruvubu and it is a great way to spot different aquatic wildlife including the birds and animals like the hippos and hundreds of Nile crocodiles.

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.

Dry Season in Ruvubu National Park

How to get to the park

Landcruiser Adventure in Burundi

Getting to the Ruvubu national park is not very hard. It is about 216 kilometers from Bujumbura the capital of Burundi. Travellers 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.