20 MILES: THE BEACHES OF LAKE TANGANYIKA

Along Burundi's western border is the scenic Lake Tanganyika, the world's longest freshwater lake.  Lake Tanganyika and associated wetlands are home to Nile crocodiles and at least 250 species of cichlid fish.

Lake Tanganyika is also home to Gustave, a large male Nile crocodile. He is notorious for being a man-eater, and is rumored to have killed as many as 300 people. Though the actual number is difficult to verify, he has obtained near-mythical status and was greatly feared by people in the region. Since Gustave has not been captured, his exact length and weight is unknown, but in 2002 a National Geographic documentary stated that he could be "easily more than 18 feet long, and weigh more than 2,000 pounds. He was estimated to be around 60 years old.

 Further down the coast of the lake sits the Blue Bay Resort. A highly popular tourist destination in Burundi, it is an eco-friendly resort that offers beautiful views of Lake Tanganyika. Feel free to take a dip in the lake, but just be on the look out for the hippos that live in the lake, and can be territorial and aggressive if they feel threatened.

 Despite the undeniable charm and unique beauty of Burundi, tourism is not a thriving industry. Years of civil war, political instability, and government corruption has meant that the tourism infrastructure is very lacking. Options for transportation and accommodations for tourist and extremely limited. However, in 2010, the Burundian government planned a 20-year infrastructure development plan in partnership with the African Development Bank to improve tourism infrastructure in the country. The funding also came from other donor nations and organizations.