Facts about Rwanda And Cultural tours

Rwanda

The Indigenous Peoples of Rwanda: The Batwa (Twa) Peoples

Location:

    Great Lakes region of Central Africa, bordered by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, and Burundi.

Size:

    26,338 square kilometers, slightly smaller than Maryland

Population:

    About 10 million (33,000 indigenous, 0.4 percent of the population)

Indigenous Community:

    The Batwa are hunter-gatherer Pygmies who have lived in Rwanda and other countries surrounding the Great Lakes Region since AD 1000.
    Prior to their eviction in the 1990s, the Batwa people lived in the forested region that currently comprises the national parks of Mgahinga, Bwindi, and Echuya. The men hunted and collected food from the forest, while the women harvested fruits and vegetables in their villages.
    Pottery production is a valuable cultural and economic asset for the Batwa, though largely out of necessity in the wake of environmental destruction challenging their traditional lifeways.
    Today, most Batwa People make their living as tenant farmers.

Indigenous Rights Concerns:

    The Batwa were evicted from their homelands in the 1990s when the Rwandan government created the national parks of Mgahinga, Bwindi, and Echuya. The Batwa were never financially compensated for this move. Today, most Batwa people are landless and live as sharecroppers, exchanging their labor for insufficient housing and meager food.
    Deforestation, heightened government regulations, and increased levels of tourism threaten the Batwa's access to their traditional lands and means of cultural expression. For example, the Batwa people have, at best, limited access to marshland, which is essential for production of their traditional pottery.
    The Batwa suffer intense racism, discrimination, and marginalization perpetuated by the state and Rwandan society. Many Batwa children are unable to attend school or receive medical treatment at local hospitals, largely because they are often denied the identity cards necessary for state recognition. Violence perpetrated against the Batwa by other ethnic groups is seldom punished

Rwanda gorilla tours

       
The mountain was entirely enveloped in mist as we crouched just metres from a family of wild mountain gorillas, in an island of lush green vegetation.

If I had reached out I could almost have touched their human-like hands, felt their leathery faces, whose intelligent eyes peered curiously at us. They seemed entirely unconcerned about our arrival, and continued eating in their seated cluster. The enormous silverback, the head of the family, sat to the furthest side of the clearing. His immense strength was striking as he reached for the topmost branches of the bush: each of his arms seemed to be the size of a grown man. His family surrounded him: a few adult females with their young clutched to their backs - partly for comfort, partly for warmth on the cold mountainside. The setting was just as I had always imagined: at times we were so deeply enveloped in cloud that I couldn't see the vast stretch of land below, that on a clear day would have given me views for miles across the hills and lakes of Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park.

Isolated, living on dangerous borders and critically endangered, the mountain gorillas quietly survive despite constant threat from poaching and loss of habitat. The vast conservation park spans three borders - Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. At the time of writing, only the Rwandan side is considered safe for tourists. This place is no safari park: it is wild terrain, and there can be real dangers if you don't keep your head. But that is also why the park is so important - while there are mountain gorillas that we can visit, there are also families conserved purely for research who have barely encountered humans. Visitors' money pays for the expert skills of the trackers and researchers, but also preserves the park and protects its borders. In addition, at least 5% of each ticket is given to sustainability projects amongst the local communities to help combat poaching.

The purpose of strictly limited group sizes is ecological (no more than nine people per group), but it also adds tremendously to the sense of adventure. Along with our guide, Placid, and our tracker, we are accompanied by a silent man armed with a rifle. The tracker, Placid tells me, is there to protect the gorillas. The man with the gun, on the other hand, is there to protect us. My curiosity piqued, I asked him whether people ever get hurt. He nods gravely. "Hurt from the gorillas?" I reply, surprised. "Sometimes," he replied slowly, "people, they do not listen to our instructions. These gorillas are wild animals."

We scrambled through thick overgrowth, going deep (and steep) into the mountains. Our guide stopped us here and there to show us some curiosities of the forest: a plant so packed with water that you can wring its stem and fill a cup. Stinging nettle leaves the size of a palm leaf. Elephant dung indicating that one had passed this way just two days before. The going was tough - and we were on the ‘medium' difficulty tour. The tracker at the front hacked with a machete at the more treacherous overgrowth to allow us passage. The hike is hard work, mostly because it is relentlessly uphill at altitude, there are no footpaths and the wet vegetation underfoot made the path slippery. But without the gruelling trekking, the experience just wouldn't be the same. There are creatures that capture the imagination: some people dream of swimming with dolphins, others want to find the ‘big five' on safari. For me, the most magical wildlife experience on earth is the opportunity to come face-to-face with the majestic mountain gorilla in their hidden world, deep in the heart of the mountains of central Africa.


Gorilla trekking in Rwanda: the details

Gorilla tours are available daily all year round and cost US$500. All routes require a reasonable level of fitness and are not suitable for children (minimum age is 15). There are a range of treks according to difficulty level - the shortest treks can take about an hour, the longest can take as long as six hours in total - but all involve uphill hiking and are hard work. Visitors must check in at the entrance at 7am sharp, when trek groups are allocated according to numbers and the whereabouts of the gorillas. The best time of year to visit is the dry season (June - September, or the cooler dry winter months of January - March). Porters can be hired to carry bags during the trek, and the check-in point also has changing and toilet facilities, as well as a gift shop and information point.

Tickets can be bought directly from the Office Rwandais du Tourisme et des Parcs Nationaux (ORTPN) tourist office in Kigali (www.rwandatourism.com). The tourist office strongly advises booking in advance due to limited availability. Tickets can also be arranged by a number of international travel agencies such as www.activeugandasafaris.com. Most tour operators offer packages that include transport, gorilla treks and other local activities.
A number of minibus companies run between Kigali and Ruhengeri. The two hour journey is inexpensive and relatively comfortable, and offers fantastic views of the Rwandan countryside. All buses depart from central Kigali (mostly from the Nyabugogo bus station just behind the Place de l'Unite National) and tickets can be bought at time of travel. All international flights to Rwanda arrive in Kigali, and flights are operated by Brussels Airlines, Rwandair Express, Air Uganda, Ethiopian Airlines, Air Burundi, Kenya Airlines and KLM (from October).
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Uganda Gorilla Tours and Wildlife Safari

Where as the total number of mountain gorillas in the world is estimated to be between 650 to 700 individuals, Uganda's Bwindi impenetrable forest national park boasts of more than a half. Bwindi in east Africa was and has been the main place of seeing these giant apes during Rwanda's troubled years but these days Parc National des Volcanoes is also drawing visitors in numbers again. Abacus African Vacations a local tour operator has also started taking a good number of visitors to the bordering Congo for other families of gorillas.
Mgahinga National park of Uganda has one family of habituated gorillas but they regularly cross the boader to Rwanda and back so seek recent information on tracking these gorillas from you tour operator. So gorilla treks in mgahinga National Park are made on very short notice between one month to the tracking date.No tour operator can confirm availability of the tour unless its very close to the tracking date.

. If you intend to gorilla tracking in Mgahinga National park, seek information from Uganda wild life Authority or get in touch with us for the update.
A minimum of three days are required to visit and track the gorilla. the first day is of driving and the second day is the day of tracking and the third day is for driving again back to Kampala or Entebbe. The Uganda tour operators listed here can give you better tour itineraries for visiting these surviving mountain gorillas.
Gorilla Tracking Permits in Uganda:

Non residents pay USD 375;
East African Residents pay USD 355

The prices for Gorilla permits will increase for Uganda to USD 500 effective July 1st. For Rwanda gorilla permits fees will rise to USD 500 effective June 1st.

The Gorilla tracking permits are on a high demand that sometimes its advisable to buy your permit atleast one year ahead.Contact your tour operator to advise the situation with the permits. uganda gorillas

The cost of the permit includes park fees and guides fees

While Congo gorilla permit is at USD 340
Its strongly advisable to book gorilla permits several months prior to your visit: There are currently four gorilla families habituated for tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park and these are Mubare(M),Habiyanja(H),Rushegura® and Nkuringo(N)
Only 32 tourists per day are allowed to track gorillas. 24 in Bwindi and 8 in Nkuringo gorillas family on the side of Kisolo.
Gorilla trekking is the most memorable experience you will ever experience in a life time!! By visiting these wonderful primates,you are giving them a chance to live and you are also supporting the surrounding community.
Bwindi Impenetrable forest National park still functions as an important base for international research; biologists come and go, some studying the gorillas, and some focusing on other aspects of the environment and its wildlife. Bwindi is still funded by the "Digit" fund, although it has recently been re-named "The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund".and also by International Gorilla Conservation Program.
Gorilla tourism

Birding Destinations in Uganda

Uganda birding tour.
birding is the observation and study of birds with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, and birding in Uganda is most done in national parks because it has over 1040species of birds and some are rare  for example shoebill stoke   in lake mburo national park , and bare faced go away bird, marabou stork, bronze tailed sterling, bee eaters, Nubian wood pecker, swamp fly catchers and Rupp ell’s long tailed sterling, in  Murchison national park, queen Elizabeth national park.

Facts about mountain gorillas

Below are some fascinating facts about gorillas.

       1.Gorillas are the largest of all the great apes
        2.Adult males may have a height of 1.7 metres and a weight of 135 – 220 kg in the wild
       3.Adult females reach a height of 1.5 metres and a weight of 70 – 90 kg in the wild
       4. Adults’ arms are 20% longer than legs; gorillas walk by using all four limbs, supported by the knuckles (“knuckle-walking”)
       5. Gorillas’ skin and hair are black; they lack hair on the face, hands and feet
      6.  Silverback gorilla is a mature adult male with a patch of silver (grey) hair on his back
        7.Gorillas are vegetarian; they eat fruits, leaves, shoots
       8. Gorillas are important seed dispersers in the rainforest (they are the only known dispersing agents for some tree species); therefore, they play key ecological roles in their forest ecosystems (1)
       9.www.activeugandasafaris.com They cannot swim but sometimes wade into swamps to feed on aquatic plants
        Gorillas live in family groups of 6 to 30 individuals, which are led by one or two silverbacks; they are normally active during the day (diurnal)
        A home range of each gorilla group is 2 – 40 km; but ranges of different groups may overlap
        Gorillas build their own new nests every night using branches and foliage
        They can use tools for problem-solving (for example, using a tree branch as a bridge to cross muddy ground)
        Female gorillas give birth once every 4 years, normally to a single baby but occasionally to twins; the gestation period is 8.5 months
        The repertoire of gorilla calls includes grunts, hoots, an alarm bark and the roar
        The famous chest beating ritual is used for intimidating outsiders, communicating between the groups and maintaining the hierarchy within the group
        In spite of all these physical expressions of emotion, gorillas are shy and un-aggressive unless improperly disturbed.

Things to do in Rwanda

Not long ago, Rwanda attracted adventurers through its natural treasures ranging from gorillas to rain forests to big game. Then in 1994, the infamous genocide brought Rwanda to the world's attention for tragic reasons. Despite the hard times, today the country is once again on the road to a bright future. Leading the way are those same attractions that continue to thrill the adventurer, ecotourist and/or nature-lover. In addition to nature, Rwanda offers a welcoming and culturally rich atmosphere.

how to spend ur holiday

Trails through Kaniyo Pabidi forest for 8 kilometer inside Kichumbar Gate, offer the opportunity to track chimpanzee and primates below Uganda’s largest left mahogany. Bird watching is excellent with the opportunity of sighting rarities while the yellow-footed flycatcher