Rumonge City Burundi

Rumonge city Burundi Rumonge is the capital of Rumonge Province, Burundi, and is located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. The 2008 census recorded a population of 35,931 in Rumonge, making it Burundi’s fourth-largest city it had a big Arab (Sharji/Azri) presence before Burundi’s independence in 1962.

A fishing town, a trading town

With a good location, in the heart of the plain, with lake access and a hinge position between the high altitude road leading into the mountainous interior (RN16 and RN17 towards Bururi and Makamba) and the coastal road leading to the capital (RN3), Rumonge is an active urban centre where fishing and trade take place in the shade of palm trees in a pleasant atmosphere. Although it is supervised by the Burundian customs officers who ensure the payment of taxes on the loads coming from Tanzania (fish, but also fabrics), the improvised auction on the pier is a good time to observe absolutely: the arrival of each boat provokes a frenetic animation, and even without the possibility of cooking, one is very keen to buy fish there, if only to chat with the fishermen.

Palm oil

The city is also at the heart of a flourishing and highly profitable regional economy, that of palm oil, which is the wealth of this whole part of the country. Throughout the Rumonge plain and as far as Nyanza-Lac, small artisanal presses can be seen extracting oil from palm husks and an industrial refinery (oil and soap) is also installed here (its Belgian manager, Ingo, is also a famous botanist). Rice, finally, introduced as oil palm by the Swahili populations at the end of the 19th century, thrives in the drained plain and the surrounding marshes.

Three natural protected areas are located within a small area near Rumonge, one on the shores of Lake Tanganyika (Kigwena), the others further inland (Rumonge and Vyanda). After being abandoned by visitors during the war, they became accessible again. But the conflict, which led to the weakening of nature protection control, allowed serious degradation to take place. Deforestation (cutting of firewood, cultural clearing to introduce oil palm, bush fires for grazing) and poaching operations on mammals have greatly harmed the forests.

How to get to Rumonge city Burundi?

Travelling to Rumonge is easy but travellers are advised to hire private vehicles to travel there opposed to the public as some of the activities like visiting the Vyanda nature reserve can’t be accessed by Public transport

The distance from Bujumbura to Rumonge city is 80 km and the drive can take up to 1 hour to an hour and a half by road.

Things to do in Rumonge City Burundi

Being Burundi’s fourth biggest city the city has a set of activities it offers and some of those include the following

Visiting Lake Tanganyika

Lake Tanganyika’s Blue waters are some of the key attractions as travellers can sunbathe on the sandy beaches and enjoy an ice-cold drink.

Boat cruise

Local boat cruises can be arranged on Lake Tanganyika to see the incredible birdlife and the local fishermen.

Vyanda chimpanzee forest

Vyanda is located 35 km from Rumonge and it’s home to wild chimpanzees and clients can also see the abundant birdlife in the forest and day trips can be arranged from Rumonge.

Taking Tuk-tuk rides

A pretty spectacular way of travelling in Burundi is the Tuk-tuk bikes that sort of the main means of transport in Burundi and travellers can enjoy the rides while visiting the town.

Walking in the Town

During the day walks can be taken to the market and the shopping centres in the town and this can be self-guided or with a local translator, we at Wilderness Explorers Africa recommend using a local translator if you can’t speak French

Where to stay in Rumonge City Burundi

Travellers can stay at the Lake Tanganyika blue bay resort which is located at the shores of Lake Tanganyika.