Bururi Forest Nature Reserve | Burundi Chimpanzee Trekkinng Safari Tour
No trip to East Africa is complete without getting to experience the thrill of tracking chimpanzees in the wild. Imagine wading through the slopes of a dense jungle to catch a glimpse of our ancestral cousins and hearing their shrieks both up close and in the distance.
Bururi Forest Nature Reserve in Burundi offers the best opportunities to spot chimps as the park is both small and home to a healthy number of primates. This makes it easier to locate the chimps, and because of this, we recommend going chimp trekking in Bururi Forest Nature Reserve. Bururi Forest Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in southwestern Burundi. Created in 1951, it is designated a wilderness area (IUCN protected area category Ib). Its area is 33 km2. It is managed by the Institute National pour l’ Environment et la Conservation de la Nature (INECN).
Bururi Forest Nature Reserve is situated on the extreme southern edge of the Congo-Nile divide and is a small patch of forest lying immediately west of the town of Bururi in southwestern Burundi.
Chimpanzee trekking involves walking through jungles and rainforests in search of the primates. The process usually lasts for about 3-5 hours, depending on their location. In places where the chimpanzees are well-habituated, you can get quite close to them, but in others, you’ll see them from more of a distance.
Though less popular than its East African neighbors, Burundi boasts a healthy population of chimpanzees and a beautiful nature to boot. And the best part is, chimpanzee trekking in Burundi is way cheaper than anywhere else!
Bookings and permits need to be made and acquired before chimpanzee tracking tours and can be arranged through a reputable Company or the Bururi Forest Nature Reserve head offices. Ultimate Wild Safaris can assist in acquiring permits on your behalf.
When you go chimpanzee trekking in Bururi, your guide will meet you at your hotel at 6:00 a.m. This is because the chimps are most active in the morning, so it’s the best time to try and find them. After around 10 a.m., they chill out for a while and have a siesta, making it much harder to find them.
In addition to guides, Bururui Forest Nature Reserve has an excellent team of trackers. Their job is to track the chimpanzees day in, and day out. They record their locations, observe their behavior, and spend time with the chimpanzees – this is part of the habituation process (getting chimpanzees used to humans around).
The team of trackers will be ahead, somewhere in the forest. It is their job to find the chimps and communicate their location to the guide. Once they’ve been located, they’ll radio the guide, who will direct you to the right spot.
The chimpanzees in Bururi are usually found somewhat deep in the forest, so expect to deviate from the main trail a bit. But this is all part of the fun! Visitors are allowed to spend around an hour observing the chimps as they interact with one another.
The Reserve also has over 93 species of trees, and over 87 bird species have also been registered such as the Rwenzori Batis, and other bird species endemic to the Albertine Rift.
Best Time To Go Chimpanzee Trekking in Bururi:
The best time to go chimpanzee trekking is during one of its two dry seasons. The long dry season is from May to August and the short dry season is from January to February. During this time, you have the best chance of clear weather (although rain can always happen!) and the trail will be relatively dry. If you end up chimpanzee trekking during the rainy season, expect muddy and slippery conditions. The chimps will still be there though, and that’s what it’s all about.
Access to Bururi Forest Nature Reserve:
If you’re coming using 4x4 or via public transport, travelers can drive to the reserve, and approximately an hour to two will be required to access the forest reserve following the route to Bururi town from Bujumbura.
Accommodation:
The Moonlight Hotel in Bururi is the best place to stay. It’s conveniently located right on the edge of the reserve The rooms are very clean and there’s hot water and secure parking. There is also a basic restaurant onsite.
Other accommodations include Tanganyika Blue Bay Resort, Goodlife Residence, Hotel Club du Lac Tanganyika, Mountain’s View Hotel, Martha Hotel, and Hotel Belair Residence among others.
Arrange and Book with Ultimate Wild Safaris for the Chimpanzee Trekking Tour in Bururi Forest Nature Reserve in Burundi.
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