Cultural tours in Kibale Forest National Park involves the activity where visitors other than wildlife exploration go and meet or interact with the local communities especially those residing on the edges of the park in the local natural setting to feel the culture of these local communities. Kibale forest national park is amidst the tribes of people in Uganda that do still respect their culture and have pride in conserving their cultural values. These tribes are the Batoro, the indigenous people of these areas, and the Bakiga who migrated to these areas for the hills of southwestern Uganda of Kigezi

The Batooro cultural tribe around Kibale Forest National Park is united under the massive kingdom ship of Tooro led by the king who happens to be the youngest among the kings in Uganda known as Oyo Nyinmab Kabamba Igulu. The tribe has a rich cultural attachment and they still believe in their traditions and customs. Where there has been some laxity in cultural practices, several strategies have been put in place to revive their culture. For instance, each child born is named with a pet name in Rutooro which they called “Empako”

Having a good time with these communities surely is fantastic and rewarding. Watch out for the physical setup as listen carefully to their cultural stories regarding their ways of life and how far they have come from up to where they are. You are free to ask any question you feel like these two major tribes.

Don’t be surprised when you’re also given one of their pet names such as Atwoki, Abwoki, Akiki among others. Dig deep into their community cultural practices by asking them and meet their joyful children who are entertained and welcoming. You can as well get to know the ceremonies they perform at childbirth and the baptism stage.

It is said that Batooro that forms a large group of people staying around Kibale Forest National Park has benefited from the park for their livelihood through ready market available provide by tourists for their products.

People staying around the park are involved in different activities such as craft making, selling food staffs which are bought by the tourists coming to the Kibale forest national park for chimpanzee trekking and other safari activities. The local communities get medicinal herbs from the park, collect firewood, and as well as a water collection point. This is important and interesting as the park provides a source of livelihood to the local communities.

By engaging in community walks around Kibale Forest National park, you will be able to explore churches, hospitals, and mosques without forgetting to visit the traditional healers within the community. The presence of worship areas means that community members are staunch believers in different denominations. The most important attraction here is the Tooro Kingdom palace in the center of the Fort portal. Tourism city where you will learn all the clan heads and how did the kingdom come about.

In Bigodi, there is a group known as the Bigodi women group which stated of 40 women who are engaged in weaving activities that have translated and uplift their standards of living. This community group is visited by tourists on their primate safaris and this has motivated the community who are involved in weaving baskets, mats, necklaces that they sell to both local and international visitors.

Going for cultural walks and tours in the community around Kibale Forrest National park will help you explore the stunning feature of historical and cultural importance in the history of Tooro known as “Amabere ga Nyina Mwiru”. These are naturally stalactites and stalagmites coupled in Amabere cave. You will meet children on the way of selling fresh guava which you can buy or else children can escort you to the garden and see how best they harvest these guavas. Children sell these types of fruits to earn a living and thus your arrival in their community will be of great value to them.

Don’t miss this cultural encounter activity to communities’ adjacent Kibale Forest National park as you will get the real feeling of the true African way of life with struggling children and their survival techniques.