Visiting the Southernmost Source of the River Nile in Burundi
Posted: August 20 2023 | Tagged: Burundi
Having backpacked the Source of the Nile in Jinja, Uganda, I went and backpacked the Southernmost source high in the hills above Lake Tanganyika in Burundi
Where is the Southernmost Source of the Nile?
The Southernmost Source of the Nile is located high in the hills to the east of Lake Tanganyika not far from the town of Rutana, and is perhaps one of the many sources of the world's greatest rivers.
So I travelled from Gitega to Rutana in a shared taxi and found a guest house almost immediately.
The ALKADOR LODGE. I get a room for just 10,000 BFr. Yeah, that's 2.50 USD. You do indeed get what you pay for. No Wi-Fi, water gets brought to you in a bucket. But 24-hour electricity.
The ALKADOR LODGE. I get a room for just 10,000 BFr. Yeah, that's 2.50 USD. You do indeed get what you pay for. No Wi-Fi, water gets brought to you in a bucket. But 24-hour electricity.
Frederick, the owner takes me to a place for breakfast.
The coffee is superb. They do good coffee here in Burundi!
So the mission was to find a way to get to the Source of the Nile.
I had been to the confluence of the Blue and White Niles in Khartoum, Sudan. I had taken a boat across Lake Tana, in Ethiopia, the source of the Blue Nile and have very recently been to the Source of the White Nile in Jinja, Uganda where Speke identified the biggest outflow from Lake Victoria.
Everything is possible here. It's just a question of paying. Dollars make everything possible. If you can afford it, you can find someone to take you to the ends of the earth.
MapsMe puts the Source of the Nile 32km from Rutana.
So I needed someone to take me the 64km round trip including waiting time.
What was I willing to pay?
I wanted a price that I didn't feel was just an opportunity to rip me off.
64km uses a fair bit of gas. I am unfamiliar with the fuel economy of a 250cc motorbike.
In Gitega a 2.5km trip cost me 2000BFr. 800BFr per km x 64km = 51,000 BFr though in Bujumbura, 2.5km would cost more than double the cost here in rural Burundi.
My motorbike guy, Fabian:
The coffee is superb. They do good coffee here in Burundi!
So the mission was to find a way to get to the Source of the Nile.
I had been to the confluence of the Blue and White Niles in Khartoum, Sudan. I had taken a boat across Lake Tana, in Ethiopia, the source of the Blue Nile and have very recently been to the Source of the White Nile in Jinja, Uganda where Speke identified the biggest outflow from Lake Victoria.
Everything is possible here. It's just a question of paying. Dollars make everything possible. If you can afford it, you can find someone to take you to the ends of the earth.
MapsMe puts the Source of the Nile 32km from Rutana.
So I needed someone to take me the 64km round trip including waiting time.
What was I willing to pay?
I wanted a price that I didn't feel was just an opportunity to rip me off.
64km uses a fair bit of gas. I am unfamiliar with the fuel economy of a 250cc motorbike.
In Gitega a 2.5km trip cost me 2000BFr. 800BFr per km x 64km = 51,000 BFr though in Bujumbura, 2.5km would cost more than double the cost here in rural Burundi.
My motorbike guy, Fabian:
80,000 BFr, 20 USD on the black market. The cost of 3 beers in Dublin. 2 beers in London, 3/4 of a pizza in Switzerland.
80,000 BFr I felt was a fair price.
On the way to La Source du Nil:
80,000 BFr I felt was a fair price.
On the way to La Source du Nil:
Arrival at La Source du Nil:
Turns out the guide was good at using a smart phone. Nice guy too, as are all Burundians.
He rattles off lots of photos.
The 'climb' is steeper than it looks;
He rattles off lots of photos.
The 'climb' is steeper than it looks;
And there, feeling on top of the world.
I'd first known about this source back in January 1984.
My hero, Nick Sanders, racing cyclist, turned 2-wheeled adventurer had ridden his Raleigh Team Replica bicycle from Cairo to this very spot in the summer of 1983.
His story was published in Cyclist Monthly and later a book was written.
My hero, Nick Sanders, racing cyclist, turned 2-wheeled adventurer had ridden his Raleigh Team Replica bicycle from Cairo to this very spot in the summer of 1983.
His story was published in Cyclist Monthly and later a book was written.
This Southernmost Source was discovered by Burkhart Waldecker in 1937. The pyramid was erected in 1938.
My guide and motorbike guy:
The 5000 BFr ticket:
Then we went to visit the actual source, where the Nile dribbles out of a pipe:
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And having made the trip, could I have gotten here another way?
Yes. Minibuses do run from Bujumbura to Rutana, and they travel down the same road I took with the motorbike.
You'd be left with a 6 km walk to the source and a 6 km back. There are no facilities. Even at the source, there is no kiosk selling water, though the source is drinkable.
And getting back to town? This will be a job. Any shared taxis passing by will be full you can not guarantee that the bus if you see one, will stop. I have seen many people on the side of the road waiting and the buses sail right on by.
Yes. Minibuses do run from Bujumbura to Rutana, and they travel down the same road I took with the motorbike.
You'd be left with a 6 km walk to the source and a 6 km back. There are no facilities. Even at the source, there is no kiosk selling water, though the source is drinkable.
And getting back to town? This will be a job. Any shared taxis passing by will be full you can not guarantee that the bus if you see one, will stop. I have seen many people on the side of the road waiting and the buses sail right on by.
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