Business and agricultural tours and safaris: banana beer production, tea. coffee and palm oil plantations tours.
On this page we show you the optional excursions that can be part of your safaris or part of your beach holidays in Burundi.
1.) Sites of local beer production at Rugombo – Cibitoke
Banana beer ”Urwagwa” is an alcoholic beverage made from fermentation of mashed bananas. The alcohol content is about 4.8% alcohol by volume. This type of beer is produced and consumed in most of the Burundian villages. Those ones who can’t easily buy a bottle of Amstel or Primus produced by BRARUDI (Heineken brewery branch in Burundi) prefer banana beer.
Although, banana beer is produced almost everywhere in villages of Burundi, Rugombo a commune of Cibitoke is still known as, let’s call it so “Banana beer Zone”.
The majority of burundians living in Bujumbura and the north-western part of Burundi call banana beer “RUGOMBO” due its big production from that commune.
Our tour will take us then to Rugombo to meet the local people producing that beer.
How to make it?
It is made from ripe (but not over-ripe) bananas.
To accelerate the ripening of bananas, a hole is dug in the ground, lined with dried banana leaves which are then set on fire. Fresh banana leaves are laid on top of them, and then the unripe bananas. These are then covered by more fresh banana leaves and trunks. After four to six days, the bananas are ripe enough.This method only works in the dry season. During the rainy season, bananas are ripened by putting them on a hurdle near a cooking fire.
There are two types of banana that are used for banana beer: the harsh tasting igikashi and the milder tasting igisahira. The banana beer mixture consists of one third igisahira and two thirds igikashi or totally made of Igikashi. Once ripened, the bananas are then peeled. If they cannot be peeled by hand, they are not ripe enough. After peeling, the bananas are kneaded until soft. The juice is then filtered to get clear banana juice, which is then diluted by water. Sorghum is ground and lightly roasted and then added to the juice. This mixture is left 24 -48 hours to ferment and then filtered.
After filtering, the beer is packaged in glass or plastic bottles. In commercial production, the beer could be pasteurized first before packaging to stop fermentation and extend shelf life.
We have to mention that : Banana juice watered down with equal proportions of water is called urwawa beer. You can dilute the first juice as much as you like, according to your taste. Honey can also be added to pure fermented banana juice to make ”isongo” mead.
Beside banana beer exploration tour, we will have things to see around, like:
- The artificial lake DOGODOGO.It’s so called due to its progressive autoformation.
- Ruhwa Hotsprings located near the border Burundi/Rwanda.
Lunch at Cibitoke center.
The afternoon is at leasure at your hotel or you can extend this trip with other thing worth while visiting.
2.) Visit of Burundi brewery
Visit of BRARUDI, Burundi brewery (Heineken branch in Burundi).
During a tour of the company led by the professional of the department production of beer, you will have access to all the necessary information about different types of beer and soda produced by the company.
Lunch and relax in afternoon at Hotel club du lac Tanganyika enjoying the facilities gym,swimming pool,sauna.beach … or you can extend this trip with other thing worth while visiting.
3.) Rwegura tea factory and its plantations
Burundi is a landlocked country with an underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly agricultural which accounts for about 35% of GDP and employs more than 90% of the population. Burundi's primary exports are coffee and tea, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings, though exports are a relatively small share of GDP. Burundi's export earning – and its ability to pay for imports – rests primarily on weather conditions and international coffee and tea prices.
In the morning, after breakfast, we drive from Bujumbura to Kayanza – Rwegura tea factory.
Meet with the responsible of Rwegura tea factory with a good explanation of their activities.
- Visit of the tea plantations around the factory, possibility to talk to local people working in plantations.
- Tour in the factory letting us explore the way tea is produced until the consumption step.
Beside Rwegura tea factory. a tour to the electric dam. the important electric source of the country is also possible.
After Rwegura. we drive back to Kayanza center for lunch.
(Either we go back or our trip continues to Ngozi for overnight at Hotel Star Ngozi or similar.)
4.) Coffee tour to plantations and factory.
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The first arabica coffee tree in Burundi was introduced by the Belgians in the early 1930s and has been growing in the country ever since.
Lunch at Ngozi and drive back to Bujumbura for spending the rest of the day at leasure at your hotel or you can extend this trip with other thing worth while visiting on the way back. |
5.) Palm tree plantations-palm oil production
After breakfast, we take the direction to Nyanza and Kigwena Forest After breakfast; drive southwards to the region of Nyanza, characterized by the large palm trees plantations and the production of oil. Visit the sites of the local palm oil production, visit of the local fishermen.
Lunch at Saga Nyanza resort and drive back to Bujumbura for spending the rest of the day at leasure at your hotel or you can extend this trip with other thing worth while visiting on the way back.
