Kibira National Park in Burundi covers northwestern part occupying 400 square kilometers, lying along the mountains of congo Nile divide, bordering Nyungwe national park in the north of Rwanda and overlapping four provinces of Cibitoke, Kayanza, Muramvya and Ngozi. The park is at an elevation of 1,100m – 2,660m above sea level. Kibira national park features 16% montane forest vegetation standing out as the leading forested national park in Burundi. It neighbors two massive tea plantations in Teza and Rwegura.
How to get to kibira National Park in Burundi
Kibira national park can be accessible by road from Bujumbura the capity city of Burundi taking about 2 to 3 hours drive or from Kigali Rwanda that takes about 6 hours.
Activities to do at kibira National Park in Burundi
Kibira national park’s forest habitat showcase a home of primates and birds to be explored. Some of the activities include;
Chimpanzee trekking
Visitors have an opportunity to see the chimpanzees in the dense forests and other primates such as olive baboons, L’hoest monkey, red tailed monkeys, black and white monkeys and others.
birdwatching
The park is a destination for birdwatching lovers with over 200 bird species such as mountain lizard, great blue turaco, white spotted flufftail, grey parrot, bar tailed trogon, Rwenzori turaco, black and white casqued hornbill, cinnamon chested bee eater, grey chested illadopsis, Red throated Alethe, red eyed dove, African green pigeon, tambourine dove, black billed turaco.
endemic birds like Klaas’s cuckoo, African emerald cuckoo, barred long tailed cuckoo, red chested cuckoo, red knobbed coot, hadada ibis, black goshawk, long crested eagle, western barn owl, speckled mouse bird, white headed woodhoopoe, crowned hornbill, yellow rumped tinker bird, greater honeyguide, olive woodpecker, black tailed oriole, Rwenzori batis, chinspot batis, northern puffback, tropical boubou, Albertine, African paradise flycatcher, white necked raven, white browed crombec and much more.
Forest walks
The park hosts indigenous montane forests and bamboo forest, boasting of about 644 plant species such as symphonia globulifera, Albizia gummifera, Newtonia buchananii, Entandrophragma excelsum and many others. These plants are medicinal plants that contributes research studies to botanists. Researchers visit the forest for more research purposes on different plant species.
Tea plantation tours
Tea plantation in Teza and Rwegura attracts visitors who wants the experience of tea picking and extraction and the people living around the plantations.
Pygmy visits
Visiting the pygmy homesteads in busekera village that have lived in the forests for many years and learn their traditional ways of living.
Rwegura Hydroelectric dam tour
You will enjoy the powerful Rwegura dam that generates power for many communities staying around.
Best time to visit kibira national park
The best season for visiting this park starts in December, January, February, June, July and august, these months are considered the dry months which are best for tracking when the trails are dry with less mud. However, the park can be visited at any time of the year.
Accomodations in kibira national park
There are no accommodations inside the park but nearby cities have a variety of accommodations for comfort lodging during your safari to kibira national park. Among the lodges include;
Hotel club du lac Tanganyika
This hotel is a serene and relaxing gem for travelers visiting Burundi, it has spacious rooms, restaurant, bar, swimming pool, free parking and free Wi-Fi internet.
Ubuntu Residence
This is an elegant accommodation in Bujumbura town boasting stunning views, a sun terrace where guests relax by the swimming pool. It has a fast Wi-Fi internet for visitors.
Dolca vita Resort
Dolca vita resort is a luxurious accommodation located in the city, it is an ideal lodging for leisure travelers seeking comfort. It is well equipped with amenities such as fast Wi-Fi, showers for both cold and hot water, 24-hour security system.