Ruvubu National Park Park

Address: Ruvubu National Park, northeastern Burundi (Cankuzo / Muyinga region)

Ruvubu National Park is a protected area in northeastern Burundi centred on the Ruvubu River corridor, set aside to conserve riverine forest, savanna and associated wildlife. It is one of the country’s primary national parks for biodiversity protection.

The area was designated as a national park to protect the Ruvubu River ecosystem and the species it supports; management has focused on conservation of habitat and mitigation of human-wildlife conflict. Over time the park has remained relatively remote compared with other East African parks.

Ruvubu National Park lies in northeastern Burundi in the Cankuzo and Muyinga area, following a stretch of the Ruvubu River; the park is located inland from Lake Tanganyika in a landscape of mixed savanna and forest.

• Habitat protection: Protects a continuous stretch of riverine forest and savanna along the Ruvubu River and is one of Burundi’s principal protected areas for larger mammals and primates.

• Visit Ruvubu National Park in Burundi during the dry seasons (June-August and December-February) when tracks are passable and wildlife is easier to observe along river corridors.
• Arrange permits and a local guide through park authorities in advance; the area is remote and most worthwhile routes require a guide with a suitable 4x4 and local knowledge.
• Focus time on the riverine trails and floodplain viewpoints-these are where hippos, waterbirds and other wildlife concentrate and are often overlooked by visitors who stick to the park's main access roads.