Rubuguri Village walk in Bwindi Forest Park : Rubuguri village is located in Bwindi Impenetrable in the lower lands and found in between the two sectors of Bwindi Impenetrable National park that is Rushaga sector and Nkuringo sector therefore Rubuguri is in the southern part of the park. Rubuguri Village is a human settlement to a good number of people and is surrounded by the rolling hills and for one to reach or access the village is by Road. Rubuguri is found in Kisoro district in Kirundo sub county and has neighboring cities like Kihihi, Rubanda, Kabale, Kanungu, Kambuga, Cyahafi, Rubale.
Rubuguri Village walk is another activity in Bwindi forest that can be done alongside gorilla trekking. During Rubuguri village walk, you will walk past through the lush swamps, rolling and steep hills sides leading you to the traditional homesteads of the locals thus encountering the local community residents. Rubuguri village walk is under the authority of Nkuringo Cultural Center. Since Rubuguri village walk involves encountering homesteads, the visitors will therefore take part in the daily activities like farming, feeding and rearing animals, visiting gardens and plantations and house chores like cooking and preparing food and sometimes the tourists might dine with the locals.
While on the Rubuguri village walk visitors will meet with the warm welcoming locals who are friendly thus creating a humble environment for the tourists. Therefore, this will create grounds for interaction helping tourists to know more and explore the lifestyles (present and past) of the locals. The time spent together will help tourists to know more about the behaviors and habits of the locals.
On the Rubuguri village walk, visitors get a chance of getting entertained by the locals as a way of welcoming them with the traditional songs and dances. Stories, riddles and legends will be told depicting the ancient lifestyles of the locals. This is done during the one on one interaction between the natives and the tourists.
You will encounter the Batwa culture during the Rubuguri village walk. Batwa are the first people who used to stay in the forest and late resettled outside the park. On the village walk tourist will meet the Batwa people who I’ll tell and narrate stories depicting the life in the forest. Performances including the traditional dances and songs will be made, other activities like showcasing hunting skills, gathering fruits, crafts making skills harvesting honey skills, meeting up with the black smith, meeting up the herbalists who treat with local herbs therefore tourist will have so much to learn since they get to participate while they are being taught. Thus exploring and learning about the lifestyles, tradition cultures and norms of the Batwa people.
One thing not to be missed out on a Rubuguri village walk is visiting the local schools within the village. This involves visiting the schools like St Peters primary school where the visitors get a great time with the pupils and school teachers who greatly welcome them with some entertainment. This is through the songs and traditional dances of the Bakiga (Kikiga dance which involves jumping high and stomping down the ground.
Rubuguri Village walk in Bwindi Forest Park will take tourists to visit some of the projects done in the area like the arts and handcrafts projects, which involves making different pieces like basket weaving, bags, huts, mats. Visitors will get an opportunity of participating in the making since they will be taught how to make them. Besides, visitors will buy the crafts the locals will be earning income.
Rubuguri village walk will give you beautiful scenic views of the rolling terraced hills, lush swamps and the African traditional homesteads.
What is the best time to carryout Rubuguri village walk?
As it has always been noted Rubuguri village walk can be done any time of the day and year. But there is that favorable time for doing it and this involves months of December, January, February, June, July, August and September which are regarded as the dry months or season meaning during these months the park doesn’t receive rainfall and if it does since it’s a rainforest its very little rainfall. And during this time the roads and pathways are dry, clear convenient and passable and vegetation is short therefore easy passage. However thou one can choose to do Rubuguri village walk during the months of March, May, October, November which heavy rains are being received. Warning is that during this season the roads and passages in the park are in a bad condition wet, slippery, slick and muddy making hiking a challenge.
Highlights of Rubuguri village walk.
- Visiting the traditional homesteads of the locals.
- Interaction between the tourists and the locals
- Exploring and learning about the cultures and traditions of the locals
- Visiting different projects and local schools.
- Viewing the different attractions during the hiking.
- Tips to planning a tour to Rubuguri Village.
- One should be mentally okay and physically fit. This is so because it involves hiking a distance on foot.
- Keep yourself warm with hand gloves, long sleeved shirt / sweater, long trousers, good hiking boots which are light weight so that they won’t be heavy for while walking
- Consider the time you visit. This involves determining the season with good conditions.
- You should be having a water proof back pack having some essentials like enough food, snack, enough water, sun cream, insect repellent, hat and sunglasses, camera.
- In case you have a heavy luggage consider hiring a porter to help you carry the luggage.
- Book or deal with the best tour operators like the journeys Uganda to help out with the details of the tour.
