Cultural Tours in Akagera National Park

Cultural tours in Akagera National park are quite common especially for travelers looking to get a taste of the rich cultural heritage in Rwanda. Cultural tours in Akagera National park are conducted within the local communities that live near the national park.

Akagera National Park in Rwanda is the largest and oldest national parks in the country. It was first established in 1934 and spans over a radius of 1,122 square kilometers. The national park is located in the north-eastern part of Rwanda and is mainly characterized by marshland and swamps, savannah woodlands, lakes and the popular River Kagera.

The park is home to over 500 species of birds, with about 8,000 large wildlife animals. The park is the only refugee in the country for savanna wildlife animals such as elephants, lions, rhinos, buffaloes, the leopard, antelopes, impala, topi, zebras, giraffes, hippos and so many more. Akagera national park is the ideal park to be for any visitor who wishes to see savannah wildlife species.

Cultural tours in Akagera national park usually take between one to three hours and will cost you USD 20 dollars per person. These cultural tours are such a wonderful way for visitors to get an insight into the interesting Rwandan culture, and also get to mingle with the ordinary Rwandan citizen.

Cultural tours in Akagera national park offer visitors many memorable experiences. Visitors on a cultural tour in Akagera can choose from any of the four cultural programs to take part in. There are four categories of cultural tours that visitors can take part in on a visit to the park, and these include;

The Heritage:

The heritage cultural tour in Akagera national park is basically the culture of cattle. It involves visitors visiting local cattle farms in the communities and taking part in activities like milking the cows, as well as learning about the cultural rituals involved around milk. Rwandans hold cattle very dear to them and cows play a very important role in the cultural rites and rituals in the Rwandan culture.

According Rwanda’s cultural history, cows are a symbol of wealth and prosperity and still today, a person who has a lot cows is considered a wealthy person. Cows also play an important role in traditional marriage ceremonies called ‘Gusaba.’ During these ceremonies, the groom’s family hands over an agreed number of cows to the bride’s father.

Visitors attending a heritage cultural tour get a chance to learn a lot about Rwanda’s rich culture and also interact with the local people. You will also get to see how the milk is fermented and made into traditional ghee.

Local Production:

Local production cultural tours in Akagera national park offer visitors the best cultural experiences during your Rwanda safari. The local production tours involve visitors sampling honey on combs and making local banana brew. Visitors get to visit a honey cooperative where you will get to learn about the traditional and modern methods of bee keeping and harvesting honey. Visitors will also get to local beer brewing house where you will get to learn how ‘urwagwa’, traditional banana brew is made. Visitors can also get to taste the beer and honey that is made by the locals.

Arts and Crafts:

Visitors who opt for the Arts and Crafts cultural tours in Akagera national park get to visit local Arts and Craft shops in the community. On this cultural tour, visitors get to learn how to make crafts like necklaces from traditional beads, traditional ‘Imigongo’ paintings, straw hats, traditional mats and so many more. Visitors can also visit the local craft shops and buy some souvenirs for yourself and loved ones, while in turn showing support to the local community.

Get to visit the Imigongo Art and Craft Centre which was designed by Prince Kakira. This house of Arts was designed using cow dung that was made by women. The dung is mixed with other plant products and clay soil to create wonderful white and red colors.

Foods and Festivities:

This is the best part of any cultural tour in Akagera national park. Here, visitors get to visit a local homestead in a community like the Humure refugee village, which is a 40 minute drive from the national park. On such a community visit, visitors get a chance to learn how traditional Rwandan delicacies are made. At the end of the lessons, visitors get to share the meal with your host. Also visitors get to watch stunning dance performances from the locals and also take part in the dance.

Cultural tours in Akagera national park in Rwanda can always be combined with other interesting activities in the park such as; a game drive, boat cruise on Lake Ihema, sport fishing, birding, behind the scenes tour, walk the line and guided nature walks.

Conclusion: Always book your cultural tour in Akagera national park through a trusted tour operator company like Explore Rwanda Tours and get the best out of your money while exploring the different cultures around and wildlife within the national park.