COMMUNITY TOURISM ACTIVITIES IN EAST AFRICA.
Community tourism in East Africa takes place in the great lakes region which is massively endowed by lots of community tourism sites. These can be easily accessed by our Engabi Tours tourists on our fun filled East African Safari. The East African Region delivers Community Tourism safaris within Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda too. Having over 200 tribes all with their unique and outstanding norms and traditions to share to our esteemed Tourists that visit them. The Engabi tours offers community tourism to the following counties in East Africa.
Major Uganda community tourism destinations.
The pearl of Africa Uganda is greatly gifted with lots of community tourism destinations to which Engabi Tours takes its tourists for amazing community tourism experiences these that have wonderfully unforgettable impacts to our tourist’s experiences. A case in point are the following communities.
Kiryandongo Community tourism village.
The Kiryandongo community tourism was founded by the great Tooro kingdom so as to preserve and protect the strong cultures and traditions of the Batooro people-so as to ensure culture purity and act as a platform of educating the other societies that happen to visit Kiryandongo village about the treasures and various traditional norms of the Batooro people.
The Kiryandongo has been a great pillar towards up holding the great Batooro culture and traditional norms which has greatly had an awesome impression to our Engabi tours tourists that spare time to have after our Engabi Tours Chimpanzee tracking safari trip in Kibale Forest National Park. It only takes you some 45 hrs. Drive to the village.
While at this community tourism village one could be able to carry out some breath taking fun filled activities. Such as the following;
- While here one is able to do some challenging Hiking activity to the top of Rwabatogota hill where you shall have a clear view of the vast heavily forested areas of Kibale forest National Park.
- You can also have an amazing Cultural Dance and Musical experience that is organised by the local people of the community whereby the tourists would also be a part of the dance completions and lots of musical songs.
- It is here that one can visit the pink blossoms flower gardens as you’re on your way to the Kibale Conservation reserve.
- One can also participate in the traditional ancestral Hurting
- More so the tourists can also carry out nature walks through the beautiful plantain and community walks whereby tourist would be able to observe these various local people livelihoods.
Book with Engabi tours your next Safari to Uganda and experience the outstanding community tourism experience of the Kiryandongo village.
Nshenyi Cultural Village.
Nshenyi Cultural Village is a located on a farm near Kitwe Town on the edge of Ntungamo District. It is a thirty minute drive from Ntungamo Town centre, or an hour’s drive from Mbarara. Traditionally, Nshenyi is a pastoralist area. The terrain is characterized by endless rolling hills, savanna grass and acacia trees, an environment that is ideal for rearing cattle.
There are various activities and Things to see while visiting Nshenyi Cultural Village. These may include;
The Agricultural activities of the people of Nshenyi such as. The large tracts of banana plantations and a variety of subsistence and commercial crops on many farms in the area
You will experience the traditional lifestyle of Banyankole people. Through the various activities, you will immerse yourself in the community through nature walks, visiting homesteads and learn about the farming tools and techniques passed on through the ages.
You will also visit some of the local schools, walk through the local markets and visit with the Batwa pottery makers. You can also walk along the Kagera River and cross into Tanzania and Rwanda.
- There are lots of activities to participate in likes of milking of long horned Ankole cows then watch milk being processed and presented.
- Go for an uphill hike to visit farmers that harvest honey from the caves and rocks of the surrounding hills.
- Learn about traditional homestead crop Cultivation and food processing.
- Visit the Batwa community and see their pottery works.
- Drive to Tanzania and cross the Kagera River.
- Drive to Rwanda through the Mirama Hills border.
- Visit local homesteads, markets and schools, interact with the community.
- Take nature walks through the farm.
- Tree Planting and Bird watching
The Ankole cattle is the great center of attention in this area, as while of your stay you shall find out the various proposes of having this type of cultural assets such as; Friendship and patronage are also cemented through the giving and receiving of cows. This reciprocal relationship is a form of social bonding.
Every cow has a name and will respond to their name when called. The names relate to their behavior, character, skin patterns, size, shape of horns and their position in the herd. Cow products like milk, ghee, meat, hides, even dung and urine are an important part of the pastoralist lifestyle. These are used in the homestead and also sold for income.
A traditional hima Homestead (eka) is a circular kraal with several grass thatched huts.
The largest hut belongs to the head of the family. Calves are kept close for protection in small pens (ebihongore); the milking area is situated in the front of the house (eikamiro); and the fireplace (ekomi) would be in the centre of the kraal. During the night, the entrance of the kraal would be blocked off with logs (emihingo).
A traditional Hima hut is shaped like a dome and divided into three parts. A common seating area (omuryango), two bedrooms (ebitu) and an open enclosure in the back (ekikaari).
Entandda Community Cultural Adventure.
 |
 |
|---|
The Entanda Cultural Adventure is a community initiative established in Mityana District with in Kijjudde parish. Entanda Cultural Adventure is a Buganda cultural Adventure center that was founded with a basic core objective of preserving, exhibiting and educating people about the Buganda Cultures Norms and tradition to travels.
The Entanda Cultural Adventure is dedicated towards creating a platform to share the Baganda Cultural values to travelers as well as developing the livelihoods of the fellow kings’ men that participate in the Entanda Cultural Adventure projects. In the process the community manage to mobilize its members under supervision of community Elders and come up with numerous activities of which to entertain guests alongside boost the Cultural valves of Baganda Kingdom.
The following are some of the attractions and activities that Entanda Cultural Adventure offers to its guests.
- The Traditional Buganda Food Dishes. The Entanda Cultural Adventure team has been able to come up with numerous culinary tourism activities whereby these where all these are to entice the desires of travelers through learn on how to prepare these delicious dishes. During their different traditional catering lessons that they put up for their guest. The Entanda is praised for its great traditional Baganda Food dishes such as the Luwombo that has become a favorite to many tourists that frequently visit and many other dishes.
The Entanda Culinary Tourism I furthermore boosted from the point of arrival whereby the tourists are offered a fruit buffet as refreshment from long journey and acts as a welcome gesture according to Baganda culture.
- The traditional Buganda Family Boy-Girl Child Education. The Entanda Cultural adventure has more so been able to use it sex education to morally train the boy-girl child on issues to do with sex affairs will in marriage has developing healthy environment. The Entanda Cultural Adventure has been able to expose this ancent way to travelers through the Ssenga and Kojja Talks.
- Traditional hurting. As a great Baganda activity, whereby the tourist are taken to the forest and taught how the ancestral fathers used to hunt in the forest and the different hunting tools which were being used. While here tourists can be able to carry out Bird watching and sight viewing, Nature photography amongst others.
- The Buganda Music Dance and Drama. Hereby the tourists are engaged in the different dance retinues and singing numerous songs.
- Back cloth making. Here by the tourists are showed how the back clothes are made and different tools that are used.
- Sports and leisure. Here the tourists are the local communities engage in different sports activities such as football and swings and the winning team is regularly awarded goat for BBQ as a prize.
Entanda cultural adventure has different volunteer activities that can be participated in by different tourists such as Tree planting that ensures conservation and sustainability of the establishment.
The Entanda cultural adventure carries out different activities to develop its community member’s livelihood such as poultry farming and bees keeping from which it’s sold off and money is given to the community members.
Ruhija Community Tourism Village.
Ruhija is a small village high up in the misty mountains bordering Bwindi Impenetrable National park that most of Engabi Tours Gorilla Safari Tourist love visiting and has gotten a boost from gorilla trekking tourism with work opportunities connected to it giving new possibilities to make a living for the villagers. This walk will give you a chance to make a difference for the ones in need through tourism as the aim is to give support to the Batwa community and a school for orphan and disadvantaged children.
At Engabi Tours our Gorilla safaris to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest N.P go beyond just Gorilla trekking to lots community tourism interactions as we create an opportunity for the tourist to have a chance to really interact with the local people up close.
Ruhija Community Cultural village has a lot to see and do. These would include; this walk will include; A visit to the local Batwa community, a school and a local community group Close to it one of the starting points for gorilla trekking is found.
Walk will start with a visit to the local Batwa community who are traditionally lived in Bwindi forest though. In Ruhija community Village there are 18 Batwa. At this spot, they will demonstrate their traditional dances, huts, fire making and hunting technique which is too interesting to hear, the story about how they had lived in the forest.
You will be offered to try to shoot at a target with bow and arrow.
Visit the school for orphan and disadvantaged children. Who will be dancing and performing for their joy of your visit to them.
Book your next Gorilla trekking Trip to Bwindi Impenetrable forest National Park. As and Experience the Batwa Ruhija Community Tourism village.
Katwe Salt Lake community Visit.
Visiting the salt lake at Katwe is an interesting option. It is located at the border of Queen Elizabeth national park and the community people here make their living by harvesting salt from the lake People in this area have been making their living in this way for hundreds of years.
Your tour around Katwe salt lake will let you see and participate in lots of community fun filled interesting activities about how one would be able to harvest the salt from the Lake.
The united community salt harvesting in Katwe and from the lake they extract three products; blocks of rock salt, salt crystals that can be consumed by humans as table salt and a salty mud that is used for cattle to lick when it has been dried.
The different forms of salt salt storage methods that are available around Lake Katwe community.
You can have a simple nature walk around the park area of which this area is a great scenic region with lots of geographical sites, to spot out for photography.
Lake Katwe is a very wonderful spot to have an excursion to while on Engabi tours Wildlife safari in Queen Elizabeth national park.
Ruboni Community Tourism Village.
The Ruboni Village is one of the most fascinating places to visit while on a safari in Uganda. Spending time with the Bakonzo people on the foothill of the Rwenzori Mountains is one of the interesting things that you can’t afford to miss while on one of our wildlife safaris of Engabi tours. These people are considered the keepers of the Mountains and have inhabited the area for Centuries, hence wouldn’t surpass the excitement of spending some precious time with them
This small Village is a short distance away from Queen Elizabeth and Rwenzori Mountains National Park and offers a lot of activities for the tourists to participate in such as;
You will get to see some of the wildlife on top of experiencing breathtaking cultural encounters, hence making it a perfect place for going off the beaten track.
You will relax and breathe fresh air as you appreciate the sights and sounds that nature offers.
While here, you will get the opportunity to experience a typical Ugandan rural life as you meet the elders of the Village who will narrate about some of the ancient traditions of the Bakonzo people, get the chance to taste some of their local cuisines, visit the black smiths who curve metals into different tools including knives and visit the traditional healers among other activities.
Ruboni village also introduces tourists to several hikes in addition to the popular “Ruboni Cultural walk”. One of the exhilarating Hikes includes the 3 days Mahoma trail that takes you to the top of Mountains where you will be marveled by the Mahoma Lake. There are also several accommodation facilities in and near Ruboni Village and they include;
Ruboni Community Camp
This budget camp is one of the Community-based projects meant to benefit the local residents through job creation hence more income for the locals. This small Camp features three Bandas with 6 rooms. The food prepared is delicious and is served at the restaurant on-site. You will be amazed by the setting of the Community Camp that offers phenomenal views of the Mountains of the Moon. This amazing community tourism village is an amazing destination to visit while on a visit to either Queen Elizabeth National park or Mountaineering experience to Mt Rwenzori.
BOMBO Community Tourism Village.
The Bombo Community Tourism village is one of the most out awesome Communities to visit while on Engabi Tours wildlife trip in Uganda. The Bombo Community Tourism village is based in Bombo an hour’s drive right from Kampala town.
The Bombo Community Tourism village was created to promote community tourism as it promotes some of the project’s objectives like to provide cultural exchange between visitors and the community, empower communities to foster conservation, and turn rural people into entrepreneurs. While on a visit to Bombo Community tourism village your assured of participating in lots of activities such as the following.
The Nubians cultural adventure, the Nubians have a distinctive culture which includes language, dress, hair dressing, cuisine, dance, handcrafts, and festivals. Each year, there is a gathering of Nubians from all over Africa in a different country (local residents host visitors in their homes). The intent is to preserve the culture and get to know the community. Each village picks a color scheme and all of the women wear that color. There are competitions for dress and dance. We happened to visit after annual gathering and the women still had the henna dye on their hands and feet (they make the henna).
Explore the different Hand Craft Gifts as there are 35 women in the handcraft group who create baskets, placemats, and food covers.
You can also participate in the learning of how to handcrafts while the women teach the skills to their daughters. The learning time varies according to the skill of the student. There are different grades / specialties. The group sells their handcrafts at the Nubian Cultural Center and also does custom orders for visitors and shops in Kampala.
You can participate in some Volu-tourism at Bembe Hill Primary School or Elohim Orphanage. The Bembe Hill primary school provides education for children up to grade seven. There are academics and after school clubs like writing.
You can also visit the Elohim Orphanage, as you’re to even help to fight the war in protecting and grooming the young African generations there are many orphans in Uganda. Bombo Community village has created a semi-self-sustaining home for some of these orphans. You can also plant in the garden with vegetables along with popo guava, mango, orange, avocado, cassava, and passion fruit. They also have a fish pond to produce fish for food. The kids learn, music, dance, and drama; and they conduct performances to earn money for food clothing and medicine.
You can also visit Maama millys house for lunch and a lovely music and dances performances from the locals traditional culture. The main Nubian ceremonial dance is called Doluka. Women form a line and sway their hips and dresses. Then the men form a line facing the women and dance. All wave white pieces of cloth, which symbolizes happiness. At the end, the crowd joins in.
The Bombo community tourism village is a very interesting community that’s very easy to visit while on a Engabi tours adventure safari.
Contact us to combine your community tourism with the following customized safari packages;