African Village Tour experience
Cultural Encounters in Uganda
Most communities in Uganda maintain their traditional way of life, with many still following in the footsteps of their forefathers, as indicated by traditional ceremonies, music, dance, and theater, traditional methods of harvesting, food preparation, and cooking, among other things. Several of these communities are listed below to help you decide where to visit. The most astonishing part is that all of these communities are located in well-known tourist destinations such as National Parks, Woods, and Lakes, among others.
Cultural encounters
Tours of African Villages Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Kenya are among the countries involved.
Boomu Cultural Village
Boomu Cultural Village, commonly known as Boomu Women’s Group, is located near Murchison Falls National Park. It was founded in 1999 by subsistence farmers from the villages of Kigaragara and Kihaguzi during a period of drought in the country’s northern area, when there was less product to sell and consume, resulting in increasing poverty and hunger.
So these folks turned to crafts, and what began as a small group has grown into a lovely village with gardens, traditional lodging, wonderful guided tours, and a restaurant. In reality, to fully appreciate this hamlet, spend a night in a genuine African hut. Before going to bed, sitting around the fire and listening to stories from the elders is unforgettable.
Touring this hamlet allows you to see how the inhabitants live, including how they raise crops, educate their children, weave baskets, conduct traditional dances and cultural acts, and how food is gathered, prepared, cooked, and served in the original African manner.
Boomu perfectly captures the essence of an African true village scene. There is no solar or hydroelectric lighting; food is collected straight from the garden and cooked on a locally manufactured stove before being served to your plate; most locals eat with their hands; tourists are given forks if they want them. Because all items are fresh, there is no need for refrigeration.
The Batwa are an indigenous tribe classified as pygmies. They used to dwell in unity with other forest occupants around 500,000 years ago in homes built out of leaves and branches and consequently were called the “Keepers of the Forest”.
Their time in the forest had no negative impact on the environment because even their shelters were environmentally friendly. They relied totally on the forest for shelter, food, fuel, and fruits, among other things. They are known to cherish their bodies the way they love the jungle.
The Batwa resided in Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks, which are home to the last remaining endangered Mountain Gorillas.
Around 1991, the lives of the Batwa were completely transformed when these parks were permanently established to protect the Rain Forest and wildlife, particularly the Mountain Gorillas, and by 1992, all people living in these National Parks had been evicted and had received no compensation from the government, either in the form of money or land.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority, on the other hand, launched the Batwa Culture Trail in Mgahinga National Park in 2011. (UWA). Members of the Pygmy population lead tourists into the jungle and introduce them to their ancient way of life, which includes picking fruits, hunting, collecting honey, traditional medicine, and other traditional acts such as cave rites and dances.
Now, this cultural route is so well-known that every visitor to the park should take advantage of it; it has helped the Batwa preserve its customs and beliefs. There are two trails, one long and one short, and the tourists may select which one they want to take.
The funds from the visit benefit the Batwa community by assisting in the creation and maintenance of community programs such as the maize mill, microfinance, and secondary school.
Cultural Village of Entanda
Entanda Village is a one-of-a-kind cultural tourism hamlet dedicated to maintaining Ugandan arts and crafts, customs, culture, and performances, and is thus classified as a Community-Based Tourism Organization. All visitors to this community may be guaranteed to experience and participate in the ancient way of life for Ugandan culture and natural beauty.
Entanda is a tiny community in Mityana district, Uganda, set among verdant rolling hills approximately an hour’s drive from Kampala. Entandans have also worked hard to maintain their traditional methods of animal husbandry, beekeeping, farming, food gathering, preparation, serving, and cooking, vegetable and fruit cultivation, and traditional gameplay.
Entanda has a long history; it is supposed to have existed thousands of years ago when Kintu “the first man” to dwell in Buganda encountered death spirits who sought to kill Nambi, his wife. The death spirits, also known locally as Walumbe, used to build incredibly deep trenches in which to conceal and slay people. This is demonstrated by the existence of over 240 deep trenches and the Nambi rocks, which are now utilized for traditional worship.
Visitors may participate in activities like traditional dances, hunting, hikes through woods, banana and coffee plantations, fruit picking, food preparation and cooking, and instruction on traditional musical instruments while visiting Entanda.
Tour of Katwe Village
The settlement is located in the Kasese area, on the outskirts of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The settlement is next to Katwe Lake, which is a salt lake, and salt mining is one of the economic activities carried out in this region. A day at Katwe village is special because tourists get to meet the locals and participate in their daily life.
Guests are welcomed at a local homestead where they may see how the people harvest salt from the lake, as well as how food is customarily prepared, cooked, and tasted.
Visitors should remember that by coming, they are contributing back to the community. They may also visit a primary school in this area and watch how the children are educated. The earnings from the visit are used to improve the health sector in this area and to provide money to individuals who cannot harvest salt for a living, particularly the elderly.
Tour of Nshenyi Village
Visitors to Nshenyi Village are introduced to Ankole culture and traditions. This cultural community is located on a farm on the outskirts of Kitwe Town’s Ntungamo area. It takes an hour to get to this hamlet from Mbarara town and just 30 minutes to drive to this village from Ntungamo town.
Nshenyi is a lovely place with acacia trees, savannah grass, and lush rolling hills. This climate is ideal for cattle raising. Nshenyi’s population is pastoralists, with agriculture being the primary economic activity. A variety of commercial crops and vast banana plantations held by diverse locals attest to this.
This location offers visitors activities that are unique, thus it is frequented by a large number of people on safari in the western portion of Uganda.
Traditional cooking, nature walks, visiting primary schools and local markets, milking the Ankole long-horned cattle, visiting local homesteads, engaging in tree planting, observing milk processing, and discovering how the homesteads do food processing and crop cultivation, among other activities. Birders are sure to spot a number of beautiful bird species.
Tour of Rubuguri Village
Rubuguri Village is located on the outskirts of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which is home to the world’s last remaining endangered Mountain Gorillas. As a result, tourists may easily monitor gorillas and end their excursion with a stroll through Rubuguri Village.
Rubuguri hamlet is a little secluded community with friendly residents that may be reached through a primitive route that runs over the steep mountains. While here, you may go on a village stroll via modest homesteads, where you can meet the residents and learn about their daily lives in this region.
Visitors may visit the area’s local schools and enjoy seeing locals perform the Kikiga dance and sing fantastic cheerful traditional melodies.
Â
Tour of Karamoja Village
A visit of a Karamojong village is classified as a participatory experience since the tourist has the opportunity to interact with the residents and learn more about their culture. A traditional hut may also be booked for an overnight stay.
A Karamojong Village is also known as a “Manyatta” in the local dialect. Karamoja Manyattas are traditional Karamojong homesteads near Kidepo National Park. It is where they live in harmony, just as their forefathers did, and where their culture and customs have been preserved, thus visiting a manyatta exposes you to this incredible group of people.
The Karamojong people dwell in a pristine area in Uganda’s northwestern region. They are classified as a ferocious warrior tribe; they are pastoralists who eat mostly animal products such as milk, meat, and blood. The ladies have attempted to improve themselves by manufacturing beads and crafts.
If you are on safari at Kidepo National Park, you may put a visit to a Manyatta on your agenda.