Not to miss

Bujumbura

Bujumbura has a choice location, sprawling up the mountainside on the northeastern tip of Lake Tanganyika, overlooking the vast wall of mountains in the Democratic Republic of the Congo across the waters. Swaying palms fringe the lakeshore, giving it something of a coastal feel.

The Burundian capital is a mixture of grandiose colonial construction - with wide boulevards and imposing public buildings - and the sort of dusty, anonymous suburbs found in many African cities. Buj, as many foreign citizens refer to it, is also one of the most important ports on Lake Tanganyika.

Bujumbura has been under a curfew for a number of years now, and this has dampened the freewheeling reputation it once enjoyed. The curfew is currently placed at midnight, but if you have access to a private or chartered vehicle it's not so rigidly enforced.

Burundi

Although the situation has cooled in recent years, Burundi is a powder keg that could potentially explode at any moment. Travellers are strongly advised to stay away until Burundi gets back on its feet.

Saga Beach

Although it's got nothing on nearby Kenya and Tanzania, Burundi's beaches along the coast of Lake Tanganyika are surprisingly attractive. The sand is white and powdery, and the waves should keep the Bilharzia at bay. Saga Beach, which is the most developed stretch of sand along the lake, lies about 5km (3mi) northwest of the capital.

Although it used to be known as Plage des Cocotiers (Coconut Beach), most locals now refer to the area as Saga Beach (pronounced Sagga) in honour of the Saga Beach Resort. This popular complex has several large restaurants and a brilliant beachfront bar that turns out cold Primus beers at bargain prices. It draws in huge crowds on the weekends, and the whole complex rocks on as a club by night.

La Pierre de Livingstone et Stanley

This large rock allegedly marks the spot where the infamous 'Dr Livingstone, I presume?' encounter between Livingstone and Stanley took place on 25 November 1871 (Ujiji in Tanzania has more claim to being the location of this event, though). Wherever it was, this is as good a place as any to do your own re-enactment, though it'll probably be a solo performance as it's not too likely that you'll meet another tourist here.

Rusizi National Park

Probably the most accessible of Burundi's national parks - and the one most likely to be open - is the Rusizi National Park or Parc National de la Rusizi. It's a wetland environment and provides a habitat for hippos, sitatungas (aquatic antelopes) and a wide variety of birds.