A Batwa man demonstrates traditional fire-starting techniques near Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Uganda.

Travelers from around the world flock to Uganda for its wildlife, but its people are just as fascinating. Home to more than 40 languages and many diverse cultures, Uganda provides travelers with countless opportunities to expand their horizons through cultural encounters.

One of the most rewarding aspects of travel is learning to see the world from a different point of view. Getting to know the local people is a great way to do this. By listening to their stories and immersing yourself in their culture, you’ll start to see the land through their eyes.

Not the type to just walk up to a stranger and start chatting? Wary that you’ll be met with a manufactured performance that leaves everyone uncomfortable? Have no fear! A number of non-profit and community development organizations throughout Uganda arrange authentic, unstaged cultural encounters as a way to deepen visitors’ appreciation of their vibrant nation. In this article, we highlight a few cultural activities that Ujuzi travelers to this East African nation have enjoyed and recommended to others.

Cultural Encounters near Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Take a break from mountain gorilla trekking at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to learn about local cultures.

Learn new skills from Bakiga women

Ride 4 a Woman is a non-profit organization that empowers local women in the Bakiga tribal communities surrounding Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. The women form the cornerstone of their families; they raise children, work the land, tend to their animals, and perform many other daily tasks for survival. But many have aspirations outside the home, seeking to learn new skills that will help their communities thrive.

In 2009, Evelyne Habasa and her husband, Denis Rubalema, formed Ride 4 a Woman to provide skills training to these women. They started with a bike rental business, training women to maintain and repair bicycles that were heavily used by tourists. Today, Ride 4 a Woman has expanded to teach a variety of job skills, operates a microfinance program that provides loans to women starting small businesses, and runs the Bwindi Women’s Community Center, where visitors come from all over the world for a fun, immersive cultural experience.

At the community center, you can learn to:

• Cook traditional Bakiga dishes
• Dance the Kiga dance, a celebratory dance of the Bakiga tribe
• Weave baskets from local grass
• Sew on a treadle sewing machine

Check out our Pearl of Africa sample itinerary, which includes a visit with Ride 4 a Woman.

Discover the secrets of forest survival from the Batwa

The Batwa people are indigenous to the Bwindi area and have a lifestyle of harmony with the forest going back thousands of years. Traditionally, they survived by hunting small game with bows and arrows, and by gathering plants for food and medicine.

The Batwa Cultural Experience is one way that the Batwa share their amazing heritage and traditions. Visits can last half a day or a full day, with activities such as:

• Hiking with a Batwa guide, seeing the forest through the eyes of someone who calls it home
• Learning how to shoot with a bow and arrow
• Visiting a Batwa homestead to cook and sample local dishes
• Learning about the medicinal properties of the forest flora from a traditional healer
• Hearing ancient legends and traditional songs

Cultural Encounters near Queen Elizabeth National Park

Meet coffee growers who help chimps survive

Kyambura Women’s Coffee Cooperative is a group of women who tend to over 1,500 arabica and robusta coffee plants on 100 acres near Queen Elizabeth National Park. They process the organically grown coffee by hand at a communal processing plant and sell the finished coffee to nearby lodges.

On your tour, you will view a working coffee farm and the processing plant, while learning how this sustainable source of income helps protect the local population of chimpanzees. The women of the cooperative understand the importance of living in harmony with nature and helped end the hunting of chimpanzees in their community.

After your tour, enjoy what just might be the best cup of coffee in Uganda. Indeed, the Kyambura Women’s Coffee Cooperative doesn’t just grow and process coffee—it also trains women as baristas to work in local lodges, so they really know how to bring out the best qualities in these already excellent beans.

Cultural Encounters near Kibale National Park

Experience life among the Batoro people

Kibale National Park lies on the edge of the Tooro Kingdom, established in 1830 and recognized today by Uganda’s government as a traditional monarchy. When the current king, Rukidi IV, was crowned in 1995, he became the world’s youngest monarch at just three-and-a-half years old.

Learn about the Batoro (the people of the Tooro kingdom) on a community walk in Bigodi village, which borders Kibale National park. Depending on your interests, you can:

• Learn about spirits and plant medicine from a traditional healer
• Hear about local history and customs from village elders
• Observe a local classroom
• Visit traditional wattle-and-daub homes
• Browse fresh produce at the Bigodi Trading Center, the village’s market square
• Grind coffee beans with a mortar and pestle
• Experience a traditional music and dance performance

Bigodi is also home to a beautiful wetland sanctuary with plenty of birds and monkeys to see. All the guides are local residents, and a percentage of fees go to community projects.

Visit Uganda

This article offers just a taste of the many cultural exchanges and visits ready to be experienced throughout Uganda. Wherever you plan to go on safari—whether in Uganda or another African country—take the time for a community walk or cultural visit. It just might become the highlight of your trip!

Have questions about arranging cultural encounters on safari? Contact Ujuzi today.