A small country in the heart of the continent, in the mountainous and rainy Great Lakes region of the Rift Valley close to the Equator, Burundi is crossed by the dividing line between the waters of the Congo River basin and those of the Nile, and is a point of transition between Central and East Africa, a crossroads of different peoples and cultures.

From here, one can explore the Swahili culture that dominates the east of the continent, or look towards the great Congolese mosaic, but everywhere one will encounter the human richness and diverse influences that characterise this original society.

The shores of Lake Tanganyika, the second largest and deepest lake in Africa, mark the western landscape of the country, where the capital Bujumbura is also located. Along its shores, it alternates between fishing villages intent on drying ndagalas (silver sardines) and modern lodges with equipped beaches, where hippos and crocodiles sometimes venture, which can be spotted in large numbers in the nearby Rusizi Park.

In the interior of the country, in the verdant hilly regions, the history of the kingdom of Burundi, which from the 16th century until German colonisation imposed its supremacy and culture on the entire region, echoes. The batimbo (drummers) of Gishora, ancient guardians of the secrets and rituals of the kingdom, still echo the splendour of times gone by.

Further south, the sources of the White Nile, more than 6,000 kilometres from the delta of the river that flows into the Mediterranean Sea, remind us of the exploits of 20th century explorers.