Have you ever visited beautiful places in Africa? Hurry up; visit the Eastern part of Burundi, which is endowed with natural impressive waterfalls, greenly vegetation, flowers and hills. In eastern Burundi:- a wonderful mountainous and landscape contains a serious of beautiful flowers and waterfalls. The beauty colors of flowers, quietness and peacefulness of this place make it significance.
Eastern Burundi is endowed with natural gifts: steep gorges, rolling hill and forest. Unlike Bujumbura (capital city if Burundi) it offers a nice weather and temperature ranging between 20-25 degree centigrade. The stands of flowers and the landscape looks like Alps. In this land, rainforest meets savannah. If you approach the waterfall, you will see huge trees; birds’ sitting in the canopy and the vegetables becomes dense with lianas.
The biggest and the most impressive waterfall, Nyakayi 1, is breathtaking the water falling over cascades of more than 40 meter, the most tourist highlight Nature of Burundi. The splash of clean and endless flow and fresh water is guaranteed by the river Nyakayi.
“Gusuma” is the locally name of kagera waterfall; it means “the production of continuous noise”. There is a small cave to the right of the waterfalls; the local people are using this place for worship spirits. In addition, many useful plants found in this forest are known to have beneficial medical effects which used to heal from sickness. The most notably plant is called “Umugoti”, this is used against fever.
The two drop kagera waters; provide a very beautiful look for this place, The smaller waterfall, Mwaro, fall near Nyakayi, it runs down a steep. Most of Burundi was covered with forest and vegetation but nowadays, due to deforestation the percent of area covered by forest is decreasing.
If you follow a steep hill from Mwaro falls, the vegetation gradually changes from dense to drier, hot tree and it became rocky. The clear water of Nyakayi comes from the smaller Nyakayi 2 falls. Nyakayi 2 fall set in beautiful rock formations, with beautiful ponds shinning orange and reddish around the rock.
The best time to visit the waterfall regions of the eastern Burundi is on April and May because during these months the dry season starts. The waterfalls in this time are very impressive and the vegetation’s is green with flowers everywhere. Getting around the Eastern Burundi is easy. Main roads are in good condition. However, the stretch access from the main road to falls needs a four-wheel vehicle as the dirt road is step in parts.
The visit to the waterfalls can be done as a day trip. It takes about three hours from Bujumbura to the waterfalls. Coming from Gitega, you must take the RN8 towards Rutana. After 52 kilometers, turns left and follow dirt roads towards Shanga village. From there, just continue to the falls. However, if you decided to spend more time to explore more this part of Burundi, for accommodation there are several guesthouses and hotels in Makamba and Rutana. Come and visit western Burundi, enjoy the most fantastic and wonderful nature gifts to refresh your mind.
