Rusizi Delta: Hippos, Papyrus & the Lake Gateway
The Rusizi River delta where it meets Lake Tanganyika is a birding and wildlife hotspot just outside Bujumbura — hippos, Nile crocodiles, and waterbirds in papyrus swamps at the lake's northern tip
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Rusizi National Park Hippos
Rusizi National Park on the river delta protects one of East Africa's densest hippo populations – the animals are visible from the park's viewing areas throughout the day
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Crocodile Sandbanks
Nile crocodiles bask on the sandbanks of the Rusizi Delta — the park's viewing trail brings visitors close to these ancient reptiles in their natural behavior
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Papyrus swamp bird life
The Papyrus Swamp along the Rusizi hosts Shoebills (extremely rare), Papyrus Gonolek and Malachite Kingfishers – the birdlife in this overlooked wetland is exceptional for specialists
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Lake Tanganyika Fish Eagles
African Ospreys call across the Rusizi Delta — their call echoing across the papyrus is the defining sound of the East African waterway, and Tanganyika's shores abound with pairs
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Rusizi River Border
The Rusizi River forms the border between Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo — the delta is a transboundary wetland, and the fishing communities on both sides share the river's resources
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Boat trip on the delta
Local wooden boats navigate the Rusizi canals through the papyrus — the water-level perspective among the papyrus reveals the delta's hidden wildlife in a way no land visit can