Cultural tours in Rwanda
Cultural tours in Rwanda : Rwanda is a major tourist destination in Africa and is the home of a number of tourist destinations. Rwanda safaris are majorly nature based taking a visit to the primate parks for mountain gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking and other primate treks. Rwanda is a very hilly country with a beautiful landscape and very friendly people. Get to blend your Rwanda safari with a cultural visit enjoying a number of traditions of the Rwanda people being shared with you.
Rwandan culture is rich with a number of ethnicities all with unique identifiers which you can get to explore on a cultural site visit. There are a number of cultural sites that you can opt to visit while in Rwanda. These cultural sites are both educative and entertaining with traditional dancers and traditional food dishes and traditional set up grounds.
Rwanda is bordered Uganda in the north, Burundi in the south, the Democratic republic of Congo in the west and Tanzania in the east and all these countries have a similarity in their cultures. Rwanda has 3 ethnic tribes and that is the Twa, the Tutsi and the Hutu. The Twa people are known as the original people of Rwanda and are the hunter gatherers, the Tutsi who are famous for raring cattle familiar to the Hima people of Uganda, and the Hutu who are more into crop growth.
As the years have evolved, so have the technology and the way of doing things in the cultural groups. Lifestyles have adjusted to the ever developing and modernizing of technology and this is evident in the urban parts of the country. Some places have been touched but still left with a local element for those interested in learning more about the ancient Rwanda.
Opting to take on a cultural tour in Rwanda is a great chance to interact with the local people of Rwanda at a lengthier and deeper insight in their culture. You will get to spend quality time to relive the ancient Rwanda. While on a cultural tour in Rwanda, you will get to visit the local communities and get a closer look and interaction advantage. There are a number of Rwanda safari packages that one can opt to take on and these are never complete without a visit to one of these.
Cultural tours while in Rwanda comprises of partaking in the cultural dances, learning some of the cultural hymns and songs, enjoying the local brew and learning the processing method and also get to enjoy some local dishes prepared. Agriculture has always been the backbone of most families in Africa and this is Rwanda inclusive so be sure to be a part of some farming activities and the guests interested in this sector can even take home some local produce.
Some of the cultural sites you should not miss out on while in Rwanda for a cultural tour are listed below.
The Kigali Genocide memorial grounds
All travellers who travel with us get a complimentary Kigali city tour that gives you a chance to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial ground. This is one of the genocide sites of the country and others include the Gisozi memorial grounds, Nyamata Memorial site, Murambi Genocide site, Ntarama memorial grounds, Bisesero memorial grounds that are spread out all over the country.
The Kigali Genocide memorial ground is a memorial for the events that occurred in 1994 in Rwanda, the civil war that claimed many lives of the Rwandan people including the bombing of the then ruling president that sparked this genocide off. The Kigali Genocide memorial was founded to keep the memories of the fallen individuals but also show how Rwanda as a country has recovered from that time.
Iby’iwachu Cultural Village
This is a must visit for the travellers headed to the Volcanoes national park or the north western part of the country. The Iby’iwachu cultural center is one of the best cultural sites in the country and offers guests a chance to ‘become Rwandan’. The Iby’iwachu cultural center is run by reformed poachers which make this place ideal to visit.
The Iby’iwachu cultural center has a number of activities to take part in like learn and dance the Rwandan cultural dance performed by the Intore dance group. This group also performs some folk songs and share folk tales with the visitors. If you are interested, you will also take on a traditional cooking class, learn how the local brew is made from bananas, also try milking cows and also learn how the milk products like ghee are made.
It would be sad to leave the Volcanoes national park without a visit to the Iby’iwachu cultural center for this experience so be sure to book a visit for Cultural tours in Rwanda.
Bugesera Reconciliation Village
The Bugesera reconciliation village is located a few kilometers away from Kigali the capital city of Rwanda. This village was started by the Rwandan government aiming at providing a home to the refugees who were left homeless after the 1994 Rwandan genocide after the country regained its peace. This was aimed at providing a new start for them and also to promote harmonious living of the different tribes of the country.
On your visit to the Bugesera reconciliation village, you will be able to enjoy a group of local dancers, singers and drummers entertaining you with the cultural dances and folk songs.
The Ethnographic Museum in Butare
The Ethnographic Museum is a famous cultural destination located only a kilometer away from the Kigali city. This cultural site is located in the Butare town and gives an insight on the Rwandan people and their culture. This museum was opened in 1989 for public visitation and guests can enjoy a tour to the 7 exhibition halls and these all have items to display like cultural artifacts, royal regalia, art works and also an entertainment center.
The King’s palace in Nyanza
The King’s palace in Nyanza is famous for the architecture of the palace. This King’s palace is a 25 minutes’ drive from the Butare. The Nyanza king’s palace gives an insight in the history of the former kings of Rwanda and you can see some of the royal regalia at this palace like the spears, shields, drum, crown and other pieces of value in the kingdom that have been used by the past kings.
Get to enjoy being crown as a King of Rwanda or Queen and keep the photos for souvenirs. You will also enjoy the famous long horned cattle at this site which is a rare sighting as they are reducing in number in the region.
