Cultural tours enable the travelers to visit and interact with cultures of the areas they visit. Visitors to a particular area or home have an opportunity to be part of the music, dance, drama and folktales. They learn about the values of the people and participate in cooking of traditional food and thereafter eating fresh organic meals. You can request different elements of the cultural experiences to be added on your otherwise wildlife tour or gorilla safari itinerary.
The Batwa Trail
The Batwa people inhabited the dense forests at the foot of the Virunga’s for Centuries – long before the agriculturalist, herders and establishment of national parks. They were a hunter-gatherer’s tribe that lived in the forest and depended on it for food and medicinal purposes. Batwa people had a vast knowledge of forest plants, a whole range of techniques for hunting and gathering. It was customary for this knowledge to be passed on orally through dancing, song, and storytelling. Request the Batwa experience to be added on your visit to Uganda and Rwanda and learn more about the life of these amazing group.
Nomadic Pastoralists
The nomadic pastoralists grazed their cattle moving locations depending on availability of water and pasture for their animals. Due to a population explosion they have had to settle on farmlands and significantly reduce on the number of cattle they own. Apart from the movements they did in the past, their culture is still centred around cattle and their products. Enjoy learning about their unique lifestyle.
Cultivators
The cultivators on the other hand derived livelihood from working the land and hunting. The daily chores of these people are currently centred on gardening as there is very minimal hunting due to population increase and the rest of land is protected for wildlife. In the recent past both the cattle keepers and agriculturalist are engaged in cattle rearing and cultivation of the land. Visiting the home of a cultivator will give you opportunities to learn about the different foods grown.
