Bujumbura is the Capital and largest City in Burundi. Formerly known as Usumbura prior to independence, the City was founded as a small military outpost when Burundi was annexed as part of the German East Africa Protectorate in 1896. Bujumbura quickly became an important center for trade and its ample location on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, meant that it also became an important harbor.
Bujumbura is situated at the northern end of Lake Tanganyika in western Burundi. The City is a vital center for commerce and trade and is home to a number of the Country’s manufacturing and processing industries. The University of Bujumbura, the sole institute of higher learning in the Country is also found here.
Transport in Bujumbura:
Transport within the City consists of buses, minivans and taxi. The Bujumbura International airport is the key airport in the City and is served by a number of regular scheduled flights to neighboring African Nations. The airport is home to local airline; Air Burundi. The port of Bujumbura handles boat and ferry services on Lake Tanganyika into neighboring Tanzania.
Museums: the City is home to the Burundi Museum of Life which displays different facets of the history and culture of the Burundian people.
Flights to Bujumbura:
The Bujumbura International Airport is the sole international airport in Burundi and is situated approximately 10 km from the Bujumbura City Centre. A small facility, the airport handles just under 100,000 passengers each year.
A number of international airlines cancelled their flights to the City when civil war erupted in the 1990s. In recent years following a return to peace, a number of airlines have begun conducting regular scheduled flights to Bujumbura including; Kenya Airways, Air Burundi, Ethiopian Airlines, Rwanda Airlines, Eagle Air.
Services at the airport include; a taxi rank, travel agencies and information desk.e
Hotels in Bujumbura:
There are a number of good hotels that can be found in the Burundian Capital Bujumbura. As the main tourism and travel centre, home to the Country’s sole international airport, Bujumbura is situated on the shores of the beautiful Lake Tanganyika and other nearby attractions include the Rusizi National Park. Leading hotels in Bujumbura include;
The Novotel Bujumbura: one of the leading establishments in the Burundian Capital, the Novotel is a three star hotel situated at Chaussee du People Murundi near the City Centre. The hotel’s 103 rooms feature satellite television, and other facilities include; a swimming pool, restaurant, café, bar, meeting facilities and tennis courts.
Hotel Club Du Lac Tanganyika: another of Bujumbura’s premier hotels, the Club Du Lac is a lakeside resort situated at Chaussee d’Uvira near the shores of the Lake Tanganyika. From here, visitors can indulge in a variety of water sports including windsurfing and sailing. The lake is also popular for fishing and there are beach areas where one can relax. Other services at the hotel include; internet access, gym, conferencing facilities, restaurant, bar and swimming pool.
Other popular hotels in Burundi are; Club de Vacances Hotel Bujumbura, Source Du Nil Hotel and Hotel Burundi Palace.
