Hostels in BUJUMBURA, BURUNDI

City Bujumbura – Gateway to Burundi

Capital city and main port of Burundi, City Bujumbura in Burundi exports most of the cargoes of the country. Shipping most of the parts of the main export of the country; coffee, cotton, tin ore, and skins, the city serve as the gateway to Burundi. Located on the north-eastern side of the Lake Tanganyika, it is one of the colonial towns.

Accommodation
Major hotels in Bujumbura are Vaya, Source Du Nil Hotel, Le Doyen, Club Du Lac Tanganyika, and Chusse de People Burundi. However there are also budget hotels, bed and breakfast joints, guest house, resorts, and hostels in the city although there is no information about youth hostels.

Brief History
From a small village, Bujumbura became a military post in German East Africa during the year 1889. It was made the administrative centre of Belgian League of Nations of Ruanda Urundi. Name of the city was changed from Usumbura to Bujumbura after Burundi achieved independence in 1962. Constant fight between the two main ethnic groups, the Hutu militias and Tutsi dominated Burundi army characterizes the country.

Getting Around
Ferry services are available running from Bujumbura to Kigoma in Tanzania and the city houses the Bujumbura International Airport as well as the University of Burundi. Buses and trucks are the most common transport and taxis are available. It is better obtaining help of some online guide websites to get the information about getting around Bujumbura. While car rentals are available the user requires an international driving license for it.

Popular Places and Monuments
Burundi Museum of Life and the Burundi Geological Museum are the two most popular places in Bujumbura for visitors. Rusizi National Park, Livingstone Stanley Monument of Mugere, Presidential Palace is the major monuments.

Source of tributary of river Nile is also a place worth visiting. Northern round trip and Southern round trips are popular since they give the visitor a total view of the exotic landscapes and natural scenario around the city. Forests of Congo-Nile Ridge at Kibir, Forests of Kigwena-Rumonge, National Park of Ruvubu and Kibira, and Forest of Nyakazu, Muhewaza hot springs, German falls and Mwishanga are other places of interest.

Places of Entertainment
A large market, a mosque, national stadium, and the cathedral for the Archdiocese of Bujumbura are the most popular places in and around Bujumbura. Excellent restaurants with delicious cuisine are another place of entertainment for the visitors. About 200 Kilometres from Bujumbura one can visit the bird lakes. More than twenty restaurants of different kinds and number of book shops are some of the major places offering entertainment.

Currency
Currency used in Bujumbura is the Burundi Franc. Current exchange rate is 1,245.50 Burundi Francs and 1,667.85 Burundi Francs for one US dollar and one Euro respectively. Having a look at the news relating to currency exchange regularly either on the electronic and print media or on the Internet could be really helpful in keeping one abreast. No customs restrictions are there in Burundi.

Bujumbura group accommodation | Budget hotels & hostels