Uganda Cultural Tours, Different Cultures in Uganda

There several types of culture in Uganda and cultural differences offer the diverse Uganda cultural tours experience. Uganda is comprised of a variety of ethnic groups with over 50 different cultures. These have different traditions, beliefs, norms, and more.

With the tribes in Uganda, the Bantu tribe has the highest population found in central, eastern, and southern regions, the Nilotic are mainly in the northern and northeastern regions.

Indeed a peaceful country, even with these different tribes’ cultural differences never restrict harmony in the country. English is the national language just to ease communication and is widely spoken all through the country.

On Uganda safaris, any cultures can be visited but in most cases, the marginalized groups are the most visited. The most visited cultures include Buganda where different traditional sites are visited including the Kasubi tombs, Ssezibwa falls, palace, and many more.

IK and Karamojong – Uganda cultural tours experience

In northern Uganda, the IK people are the marginalized group and one that has been less infiltrated by western cultures. Living in the far northeastern region of Uganda, the IK live on the hills of Moroto and live an authentic African way of life.

While visiting the IK it would be wise to involve in their local activities like dances, cattle keeping and a lot more to help you best understand them. A cultural tour to the IK and Karamojong can be included on a 4 days Kidepo safari.

The Batwa Pygmies

The Batwa people were inhabitants of the tropical rainforests of Uganda and Rwanda who have now become conservation refugees after they were kept out of the forest for conservation purposes.

Batwa pygmies depended on the forest and these acted as their hunting and gathering grounds as they co-existed with the mountain gorillas for thousands of years.

They have a creation story that they believe in and this is that their creator gave some people height, others prosperous land, however, when it came to the Batwa such gifts were no more and therefore they were given the rainforest.

For thousands of years, the Batwa pygmies lived, gathered, and hunted in the rainforest but still conserving their beloved habitat. In the rainforest, the Batwa did not destroy the forest and their shelters did not destroy the forest and they left a low ecological footprint in the jungle. The Batwa protected the gorillas and did not kill gorillas.

Eviction of Batwa People

In 1991, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park were set to be national parks and this is when the lives of the Batwa started to change drastically. In 1992, all those living in the park including the Batwa were sent out of the forest with no compensation at the insistence of conservationists.

From then, the Batwa were left without anything, no land, no means of survival, and complete a change in how they had to live their lives. Having no land and skills to compete in the modern marketplace, the Batwa became marginalized and existed in extreme poverty in the park’s boundaries.

The Batwa have kept their traditions and passed them on to their children by teaching them how they conducted their lives in the forest. Today, there are less than 3,000 Batwa people.

On the Uganda gorilla trekking safari, you can have a chance to visit the Batwa either by taking the trail or having an experience outside the forest with performances from locals.

No matter where you want to safari in Uganda, it’s upon you to include a cultural tour. Each destination has something unique from it that you won’t find in a different tribe.

The best way of understanding the people is by learning their traditions and therefore take time to learn what is different about the people you have visited.

Uganda cultural tours experience

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