Batwa Trail Experience in Uganda
Batwa Trail Experience in Uganda
Batwa Trail Experience in Uganda: Bwindi Forest National Park is a habitat for the mountain gorillas, mammals, primates, birds, and trees. It’s a natural rainforest of montane lowland forests, which is located in the southwestern part of Uganda.
But the history behind Bwindi Forest has it that the Batwa were the first people who lived in the forest and these are the ‘Batwa’ people, also called the Batwa pygmies.
They lived, hunted and gathered in the forest; the forest provided whatever they needed to have in life, but later on they were pushed out of the forest and they started living a miserable life. Owning the land was new to them since they lived in harmony in the forest, but due to time, everything changed because of conservation and this caused the preservation of the rainforest of Bwindi and its wildlife, including birds, primates, and the endangered mountain gorillas.
And because of all that happened, they became refugees, people who lacked but had; they lost their traditional ways and culture, ways of living in their normal and beloved forest. An experience of the Batwa trail gives you a lifetime experience to learn about the day-to-day life of the first people who lived in the forest.
Spend time with people of small stature but with a big heart.
Learn as they guide you through the forest, dance, sing and storytelling of their traditional ways of farming, handling the bow, gathering honey, and picking herbal medicine from roots and leaves—a local way of treating the local people.
Get a chance to share a local meal with them of plants and goat stew; this will be another way of learning about the life of the Batwa people. The experience shows you how they lived in grass-thatched houses and caves and hunted small animals, which were used for food.
The trail begins with a nature walk and hike through the forest as you learn from the first keepers of the forest. This takes a full day or 5 hours; your simple presence will give a great honor to the Batwa people.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is not only a place where you only trek mountain gorillas but also a home where you have a right to learn about the culture and ways of the first people to inherit the forest; planning your day gives you an opportunity directly to support the Batwa development. And the funds can be used to construct local schools and many more.
The Batwa live outside the forest and every region/sector, including Rushaga, Ruhija, Buhoma, and Nkuringo.
The Batwa trail can also be an added advantage to your gorilla trekking to have a chance to spend time with the first people of the forest. Book with us in advance to enjoy the unforgettable experience of the Batwa.
The Batwa trail currently costs $80 and takes place in Mgahinga, whereas the Batwa experience costs $100 and takes place in Buhoma, Bwindi.
