Rumonge

Rumonge sits on the Lake Tanganyika shore south of Bujumbura, a fishing town where the boats go out at night with lamps to draw the ndagala, the small sardine-like fish the lake economy runs on, and come back at dawn to sell and dry the catch. Oil palm plantations cover the flat ground behind the town. The escarpment rises steeply a short way inland. The ndagala fishery supplies protein across the whole region and the dried fish is traded far inland.

What you actually see

• The night fishing fleet - boats going out with lamps for the ndagala.
• The dawn landing - the catch coming in and being sold and dried.
• The palm plantations - the oil palm country behind the town.
• The escarpment - the wall rising steeply inland from the shore.

When to go

June to September is the dry season. Fishing runs year round with the lamps visible offshore most nights. The rains from October make the road slower.

Honest expectations

There is little arranged for visitors and facilities are basic. The lake shore here is working rather than recreational. Bilharzia is a risk in the water.

Nearby

Mugara is north, and Nyanza-Lac is south.