The local communities around Bwindi national park primarily consist of indigenous tribes, such as the Batwa and Bakiga people.
When visiting Bwindi national park, apart from seeing the gorillas and taking part in the various activities around the destination, visitors also go to the neighboring communities and interact with the locals and get to know more about their culture and way of life.
Bwindi national park is a famous gorilla trekking destination in Uganda which is located in the south western part of the country and is home to almost half of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population.
The local communities around Bwindi national park have for long depended on the forest and have a connection with it. They also rely on Bwindi forest for a variety of things including food, medicine, shelter, and cultural practices.
Apart from depending on Bwindi forest for survival, the locals have contributed to cultural tourism in the region through these community tours that are organized by the different tribes including the Bakiga and Batwa situated around the Bwindi area.
The Batwa and the Bakiga as well as other locals living around the Bwindi national park have benefited from tourism through employment as guides, rangers and also around the lodges and other accommodation facilities around Bwindi.
Below is the detailed information about the local communities living around Bwindi national park;
The Batwa
Batwa are well known for living in Bwindi forest and they are a group which is indigenous to the forest.
The Batwa people are known for being pygmies due to their short stature. They have maintained their culture over the years and tourists visiting Bwindi national park can experience their way of life during a Batwa cultural experience.
During the Batwa cultural experience, tourists get an insight into the hunter gatherer way of life of the Batwa. It also involves a guided tour led by Batwa guides into Bwindi forest to show the visitors different things about their day to day life and experiences such as honey gathering and hunting as well as local medicines from the Bwindi forest.
Being the original dwellers in Bwindi forest, the Batwa had a significant change in their life as they were evicted from Bwindi forest following the gazetting of Bwindi as a national park in 1991.
The Batwa tour costs about 30 USD per person and can be done after gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park or as a full day community tour.
The unique community tour with the Batwa can involve the forest experience which includes a guided tour in the Bwindi forest while getting to know how the Batwa managed to live with the gorillas.
The Batwa experience also involves singing and dancing with the locals which is done to welcome the visitors and also for an experience of their traditional dance and songs. It also involves storytelling, weaving among others.
They also practice agriculture and some of the crops grown by the Batwa include sugarcane, bananas, yams among others.
The Bakiga
The Bakiga can also be encountered during a cultural tour around Bwindi forest when visiting south western Uganda.
One of the key ways in which the Bakiga people are working with the Bwindi park authorities is through promoting ecotourism and community tourism. Bwindi national park has a number of luxury, midrange and budget lodges, which attract visitors from around the world where the Bakiga are employed as well as other locals.
Tourism in Bwindi national park has also acted as source of income for the Bakiga community who show the visitors in Bwindi their culture and way of life, how to prepare local food such as millet.
Visitors can also go to the local farms with the Bakiga people and see how they practice agriculture and making of local arts and crafts from local materials that showcase their culture and traditions.
In addition to ecotourism, the Bakiga people are also involved in other forms of sustainable development, such as agroforestry and conservation agriculture. These activities help to promote the value of conservation and to improve the livelihoods of the community, while also supporting the long-term health of the park’s ecosystem.
Local communities also play an essential role in conservation efforts within Bwindi Forest. They actively participate in initiatives such as reforestation, anti-poaching patrols, and environmental education programs. By involving them in conservation activities, there is a greater chance of achieving long-term sustainability and protection of the forest and its wildlife.
Ride 4 a woman
The locals around Bwindi national park also have different initiatives such as ride 4 a woman which supports them especially the local women. Ride 4 a woman is in the Buhoma area and it supports the women with HIV, the ones struggling with poverty and also domestic violence.
At Ride 4 a woman, visitors can also experience the local way of life through the Kiga dance performed by the local Bakiga women in their traditional wear. This cultural experience takes about 1 hour and also involves sharing a light meal prepared using a local recipe by the women which can also be shared with visitors.
Other activities to do around Bwindi national park
Bwindi national park has a lot more to offer apart from the visits to the local communities and these activities include the following;
Gorilla trekking
A famous activity done in Bwindi national park is the gorilla trek which is carried out in the four sectors of the park.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park can be done all year round and persons below the age of 15 years are not permitted to engage in the activity. A permit for gorilla trekking costs 700 USD for foreign nonresidents, 600 USD for foreign residents and East Africans are charged a fee of 250,000 Uganda shillings to take part in the activity.
Bird watching
Bwindi national park is also home to a variety of bird species which can be seen in the different parts of the destination such as the Mubwindi swamp.
Guided hikes and nature walks
Visitors in Bwindi national park can also take part in guided hikes following different trails through Bwindi forest. Nature walks can also be doe when visiting the national park.
Visit Bwindi national park and enjoy unforgettable encounters with the local communities and the mountain gorillas in Uganda.
