Cultural safaris in Uganda and Rwanda offers tourists an amazing opportunity to explore and experience the unique heritage and cultural values of Ugandans and Rwandans. There is also a chance to enjoy the unique dances, drama, music performances and have hands on experiences in food preparation in the local communities.
Uganda is a compact country but with 65 different tribal groups all harmoniously living in it. The 65 tribes include the Bantu speaking and Nilotic where the Bantu include Bakiga, Baganda, Banyankole, Banyole,Basamia, Bagisu, Basongora, Bagwere and Batooro. The Nilotics consist of Alur, Lugbara, Madi, Kakwa, Acholi and many more. These and more are among the interesting tribal groups tourists on cultural safaris in Uganda should expect to interact with.
Also, get to interact with the cattle keepers- Banyankole, Bahima famous for rearing long horned cattle. These can be explored while on cultural safari in Western side of Uganda- get to know their unique cultures, traditions, dances and have hands on experience like milking cows and more.
The Batwa trail is another excellent opportunity to explore and experience the best of Uganda cultural safari. The trail/Batwa cultural encounters lets you visit the Batwa who spent 500,000 years as gatherers and hunters in the thick forests at the Virunga Region foothills.
During the Batwa trail or cultural encounter, visitors have a chance to interact with the Batwa pygmies also popularly called forest dwellers. Learn the different plants of medicinal importance, the hunting and gathering methods the Batwa used at a time and later, they will entertain you with lots of musical, cultural, traditional dances and more.
To interact with the Batwa pygmies, tourists can incorporate the Batwa cultural experience with gorilla safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The Batwa pygmies currently live adjacent to Bwindi and Mgahinga National Park, Southwestern Uganda.
In the far North-eastern, the Karamojong and IK should be visit and interact with on cultural safari in Uganda. Karamojong are renowned nomadic pastoralists/manyatta people and they are famous for their unique cultures, traditions, norms, lifestyles and a lot more. The IK are another group worth interacting with and accessing them requires tourists hiking up the Mount Morungole in Karamoja region, North-eastern Uganda.
The Bagisu live mostly at the foothills of Mount Elgon and they occupy Eastern Districts of Budadiri, Sironko, Bududa and Mbale. The Bagishu are famous for their annual cultural event/practice- Imbalu also most known as male circumcision, a practice they use to turn boys into men.
is another significant place worth visiting for you to enjoy variety of the finest cultures, performances of Ugandans. It is an area where different cultures are showcased from music, dances, drama all offering tourists deep insight into the unique traditions, norms, practices of Ugandan people.
designated as a UNESCO Site is Kasubi tomb site a burial ground for Buganda Kings plus other royal family members in Buganda Kingdom. Other cultural sites include Amabare nyinamwiru, Karambi tombs, Nakayima tree and more.
Rwanda is one of the exceptional countries in East Africa with rich cultures, traditions and practices. This makes it an amazing destination to enjoy not only wildlife but also unique cultural experiences. There are many cultural sites, communities and interestingly the warm welcoming Banyarwanda for tourists on cultural safaris in Rwanda to interact with.
This is a cultural village at Nyungwe Forest National Park, Southern Rwanda. It is perfect visiting after chimpanzee tracking, canopy walk, primate tracking and at the entrance of Banda village, visitors get a warm welcome from the Intore cultural dancers and then the local guide leads the ground.
An interesting cultural village any enthusiastic cultural lover shouldn’t miss visiting while on Rwanda gorilla safaris in Volcanoes National Park. The Guardian village is found in Musanze Rwanda and a visit here is a great chance to interact with Banyarwanda, learn how they behave, the dances, food preparation, traditions and more.
Located 88kms off from Kigali capital city is King’s palace in Nyanza. History has it that Rwanda only one king also known as cultural head and this was prior and during colonial era.
Tourists can also get the best of cultural safari experience in Rwanda while on cultural festivals, ethnographic museum in Butare, Inema Art Centre, Rwesero National Arts Museum in Nyanza, Caplaki Craft Village and many more. Cultural safaris in Rwanda like in Uganda can be done together with tours in the parks. Rwanda only has 4 National Park including Nyungwe National Park, Volcanoes National Park, Gishwati-Mukura National Park and Akagera National Park.