Kigwena Forest Reserve

Kigwena is a small block of lowland rainforest close to the Lake Tanganyika shore south of Rumonge, an outlier of the Congo Basin forest type that reaches its eastern limit here, with olive baboons, vervets, blue monkeys and a good bird list. Trails run in from the lake road. It is easy to reach compared with Burundi's other forests, which is its main advantage. Its position on the lake shore means the forest sits at only around eight hundred metres, far lower than Burundi's other woodland. That altitude is why the species composition is so different from the highland reserves.

What you actually see

• The lowland rainforest - Congo Basin forest at its eastern limit.
• The baboons and monkeys - the primate troops living in the block.
• The trails - the paths running in from the lake road.
• The accessibility - forest reachable directly off a main road.

When to go

June to September is the dry season and the trails are firmer. The rains from October bring mud. Early morning is best for primates.

Honest expectations

The reserve is small, around three thousand hectares, and encroachment on the edges is heavy. Trails are unmarked and a guide helps. Facilities are none.

Nearby

Rumonge is north, and Vyanda is east.