Village Tours in Uganda
Village Tours in Uganda are a great way to explore the local area. See the daily lives of local people and learn about the local culture. When your tour operator gives you a chance to experience the local culture, you enter into a different world as you explore traditional villages in Uganda. The traditional villages that you visit are located a short distance from the national parks. This is where you carry your safaris which are 20-minute drive from the parks.
At the village walks, they give you an opportunity to interact with the local villagers. You see them going about their daily tasks. The village tours enable you to see tribal life first hand. Visit rural homes, see people tending their fields and possibly getting the chance to help in some of the day-to-day chores.
Most Village Tours in Uganda still hold their traditional way of life. More so, many still follow the way their ancestors lived. This is evidenced by the traditional rituals, music, dance and drama. Furthermore, traditional way of harvesting, food preparation and cooking, among other things. Some of these villages are mentioned below to guide you on which to visit. As is stated above, the most amazing thing about it, is that all these villages are located in the famous tourist sites such as National Parks, Forests, and Lakes.
The Batwa Cultural Trail
The Batwa were the original inhabitants of the forests. This is before Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park were gazetted into National Parks in 1991. The dense forests on the foothills of Virunga Volcanoes was their comfortable homes. They lived as hunter-gatherers and fierce warriors depending on the forest for food, herbal medicine and food.
During the eviction, these people were not evicted and were forced into dropping their nomadic and bushmen lifestyle. Today these are some of the poorest Ugandans. Many of them earning a living from working on local farms of other people. The Batwa Trail was developed to teach visitors about the lifestyle of these people. You learn about how these people survived in the forest.
Batwa guides
This walk is conducted by Batwa guides who provide insights into their traditional forest life and culture. The Batwa demonstrate their past hunting techniques; ways of gathering honey. The guides points out the medicinal plants that are used and demonstrate how to make bamboo cups. Guests are finally invited to the sacred Ngarama Cave. This was once home to the Batwa King. The women of the community perform a cultural dance and you can participate in their dances
The trails are two; both a long one and a short one. The visitor is at liberty to choose the trail they want go for.
All proceeds from the visit support the community of the Batwa. They help in the development and sustaining of the community projects. They iclude the maize mill, microfinance and the secondary school. In a nutshell therefore, the Batwa cultural trail is an incredible experience that you can engage in during your gorilla trekking experience.
Katwe Village Tour
This Katwe Village is located at the border of Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is always a great experience to meet a village adjacent to a Salt Lake. This Salt Lake is one of the economic activities carried out in this area is salt mining. Visiting for a day in Katwe village is exceptional since visitors get a chance to meet the local people and involve in their day-to-day lives.
Visitors are welcomed in a local homestead where they get to observe how the residents harvest salt. They can also observe how food is traditionally prepared, cooked and are able to taste it.
Tourists vising the village should keep in mind that by taking this tour you are giving back to this community. Proceeds from this tour assist in health plus environmental awareness campaigns. More so, provide income to the elderly that can no longer mine salt. Your tour develops very many people’s lives! Hence you should not miss village tours in Uganda
Karamoja Village Tour
The traditional Karamoja village tour and homestay possibility. They are all about sharing the rich cultural heritage of the Karimojong by participating in various domestic activities. Apart from sightseeing, a tour to a Karamojong community is defined as a participatory experience. It is because the tourist gets an opportunity to engage with the locals and learn more about their culture
The Karamojong live in an unspoiled part of the country; in the North Eastern part of Uganda. They are described as a tribe of fierce warriors, they are pastoralists who even feed on mainly animal products like milk, meat, blood among others. The women have tried to develop themselves by involving in the making of beads and crafts.
Staying in traditional huts
When you have a full day participatory experience with the local people, you have the option to stay in a traditional hut in the village (homestay). Experience well known Karamojong pastoral life by sleeping a night with former warriors. They are nowadays passionate cattle herders in the Kraal. Help bringing the cows to the kraal, milking the cow and herding. Learn how to identify local greens, experience traditions as spearing a cow for blood to drink. Lastly eat roasted and get your own Karamojong name.
Boomu Cultural Village
Boomu Cultural village also called Boomu Women’s Group is an African setting. This group neighbours Murchison Falls National Park. Formed in 1999 by subsistence farmers from villages of Kigaragara and Kihaguzi. In a time when the northern region of the country was dry. There was less produce to sell and consume hence poverty and malnutrition levels increased.
The people in this area resorted to making crafts and this started as a small group. Today is a beautiful community with gardens, traditional accommodation facilities, exceptional guided tours and a restaurant. In fact, to enjoy this village to the fullest, you spend a night in a real African hut. Before getting to bed, sitting at the fire, and listening to stories. The stories about this place from the elders is unforgettable.
Real African Authentic Villages
When you visit Boomu village, you truly experience the real African authentic village setting. There is no solar or hydroelectric lighting. Food harvested directly from the garden and put on a locally made stove, then to your plate. Most of the locals eat with their hands. Village Tours in Uganda, tourists are given forks if it is what they want. There is no need to refrigerate food because the food in the area is fresh and always ready for eating.
Entanda Cultural Village
This is a unique cultural tourist village that is aimed at preserving arts and crafts, traditions, culture, and performances. Hence described as a Community Based Tourism Organization. All tourists to this village are assured to experience and also participate in the old way of life. This is for the Ugandan culture and the natural beauty in the village.
Entanda is a small village situated in Mityana district among green rolling hills about 1 hour drive from Kampala. People in Entanda ensured to preserve their traditional ways of animal keeping and bee keeping. Farming, food harvesting, preparation, serving and cooking. More so, growing of vegetables and fruits plus the traditional playing of games.
Entanda Historical Background
Entanda has a great historical background. It has existed thousands of years ago when Kintu, “the first man” to live in Buganda met death spirits. The spirits that wanted to kill Nambi his wife. The death spirits also locally called Walumbe used to dig very deep pits to hide and kill people. This is proved by the existence of about 240 deep pits. And the Nambi rocks which today are used for traditional worship.
Tourists while at Entanda can engage in activities such as traditional dances, hunting, walks through forests, banana and coffee plantations. Furthermore, fruit harvesting, food preparation and cooking, and lessons about the traditionally made musical instruments.
Nshenyi Village Tour
Nshenyi Village exposes visitors to the Ankole culture and traditions. This cultural village is situated on a farm at the edge of Ntungamo district in Kitwe Town. It is an hour’s drive if someone is coming from Mbarara town and takes only 30minutes to drive to this village from Ntungamo Town.
The Nshenyi area is an area characterized with Acacia trees savannah grass, and lush rolling hills and this makes it a beautiful area to visit. This environment favours cattle rearing. The people in Nshenyi are pastoralists with agriculture as the main economic activity carried out. This is evidenced by a number of commercial crops and large banana plantations owned by various residents. This place has activities that are unique for visitors, hence it is visited by a number of people on safari in the western part of Uganda.
Involvement in Traditional Activities
When you visit Nshenyi village, you a chance to get engaged activities like; traditional cooking, nature walks, visiting primary schools and local markets, milking the Ankole long-horned cattle, visit local homesteads, engage in tree planting, observe the processing of milk, discover how the homesteads do food processing and cultivation of crops. Birders are also sure to spot a number of beautiful bird species, among other activities.
Rubuguri Village Tour
The Rubuguri Village is located at the edge of Bwindi impenetrable national Park. It is the forest where we find the only remaining endangered mountain gorillas that totals to 459 gorillas. When tourists finish to track gorillas, they finish a day’s tour with a village walk to the Rubuguri village.
This is a very isolated village but with the most friendly inhabitants that are so welcoming. The Rubuguri village is accessed by a rustic road along the steep hillsides. While here, you can engage in a Village Tours in Uganda through small homesteads, where you are able to meet the locals and enjoy their day to day way of life in this area.
You receive entertainments and performances from the local people. They perform Kikiga dance as well as singing amazing joyful traditional song. On addition to these, tourists can also visit the local schools in the area.