Batwa trail in Mgahinga is an amazing adventure experience that takes you to the charming Batwa people that are known as the ancient people who stayed in the park. Taking the Batwa trail gives you an amazing experience that allows you to enjoy the Uganda safari trip in the western parts of Uganda. Batwa trail requires you to walk on foot so as you may meet the local people who are hunter-gatherers and they still live in the forest with mountain gorillas as it was in the ancient years. You will meet the Batwa in person as you head to Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Park.

Once you have encountered the cultural trail in Mgahinga, you will get a chance to explore the ancient ways of Batwa people that are said to have lived in the forest plus adventuring their ancient culture. Batwa were the inhabitants of Bwindi and Mgahinga National Park before being gazette as in 1991 as National parks. The Batwa use to stay in the dense forests and making their homes in the virunga Volcanoes and they lived as hunter gathers and fierce warriors according to the forest fruits and food. The Batwa don’t go to hospitals instead they use herbal medicine to get cured.

 The Batwa Trail

The Batwa trail gives an amazing view of the various species as you’re walking to the thick forest of Mgahinga National Park thus leading you from the Muhavura Cave base. The walk is interesting because it enables you to learn about the batwa culture and the pygmy’s tribe that lived in Mgahinga. They are famously known as fierce warriors and hunter gatherers who depend on forest for medicine, food and shelter. By establishing Mgahinga as a national park in 1991, batwa people were evicted from the park and rehabilitated in the park’s surrounding villages.

Why visit Batwa Trail                                          

When Batwa were expelled, The Batwa locals were forced to drop their nomadic and suffering lifestyles. However, still today, there are some Ugandans who are still suffering and they earn their income through being porters and other such kind of works like working on local farms of other people.

Batwa trails were formed to educate visitors on the social lifestyle of these unique people. When you visit the Batwa, you will know how people used to leave in the wild with wild animals. The walk can also be guided by well experienced Batwa and you will amazed by their traditional forest life and culture.

The Batwa guides always show their past hunting methods which present a way of gathering honey. The guide is well conversant with the medicinal plants which are used to treat diseases. Through the batwa trails, travelers are warmly welcomed to the Ngarama cave. Ngarama cave is a home of the King of Batwa.  You also participate in the cultural dance of the Batwa which is performed by women of the community.

All facts about the Batwa trails

Ideologically, Batwa people are known to be hunter gatherers and of recent Batwa people have interesting cultural trails that were launched on 7^th June 2011 to be one way of preserving the Batwa traditions and culture. Besides attracting traveler’s attention on the conservation cultural experience, it is an alternative source of employment to the local Batwa who participate in daily activities like Batwa dancers and guides. Therefore after your enjoyment of golden monkey or gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi or Mgahinga National Park, you can join the amazing cultural trail that you will never regret for participating in because it is full of amazing cultural dances and is a visit that you should not miss out.

When you visit Bwindi and Mgahinga national Park, do not miss out exploring the Batwa cultural experience and be fascinated with variety of amazing things about the Batwa individuals. During your safari trail, travelers are passed through their grass thatched huts and they will tell you how they manage to construct their huts, they will also tell you about the traditional herbs which they use to treat the sick. They will show you how you will fetch water using bamboo cups and mugs. They will teach you how they gather honey and you can light fire using friction and a stick. They will also act as your tour guides in the Batwa trail.

Batwa trail is an amazing trail that runs via the foothills of Mt Muhavura and Mt Gahinga in Mgahinga National Park and also through the dense forest of Mgahinga. Batwa have small gods they pray to bless them in their daily walk and they will guide you on how to stop and kneel in front of their huts. In the same place, men of long ago also used to kneel there and pray to their gods for blessings before they begin to hunt in the forest.

The batwa trails bring close the secret treasures and when you further your walk deeper, stop in the middle of the forest and pick berries which in the past where meals for the hunters in the past. You can also tour natural pharmacy of the Batwa and take a close look at the herbs picked from the forest. The Batwa guides will tell you about how these plant cure wounds, blood pressure and many more diseases. Batwa people take the forest as an important thing in their lives because it produces herbs that act as their cure and good for their health. Which you see as yellow and useless is seen as a delicious vegetable source by the Batwa.

Batwa are friendly people and once you visit the Batwa, you are required to pay a visit to them and enjoy their friendly memorable experience and you will participate in an amazing activity of gorilla trekking in some of the national parks. Some other activities include honey gathering harvesting skills, demonstration of making bamboo cups, hunting skills, visiting the natural pharmacy, walking to the sacred Ngarama cave.

The visit you make to the Batwa cultural trails is important because it supports the community to improve their standards of living by the funds collected from you.