The Batwa Tribe, Culture, Language, Religion & History + Reviews
The Batwa Tribe, Culture, Language, Religion & History – The Batwa (formerly known by the pejorative term, pygmies) are believed to have lived in these forests for some 40,000 years. They collected wild fruits and plants, game meat, and wild honey from their surroundings. Since becoming a national park. These activities are now forbidden.
One of their most famous “camps” was the Garama Cave, located in the park. Because the cave remained hidden from people outside the forest. It was once thought to be the hideout of an entire Batwa “kingdom”. Rumors of strange rituals and hidden treasure abounded.
There is no early evidence that the Batwa ever hunted gorillas. Gorilla encounters were rare. But when they did happen, it was a bad omen, and legend has it that all tasks had to be suspended until the next day.
Today the Batwa are a very small part of the surrounding community and are among the poorest of the Park’s neighbors. Most do not own and often work as sharecroppers. Yet, they still possess one of the best understandings of the forest and its rich pharmacopeia.
Batwa: the Ugandan pygmies threatened by gorilla tourism
The Batwa Tribe Reviews
I do not regret doing the Batwa Experience. I learned so much about this beautiful people group and their former and current way of life. I would recommend the Batwa Experience to anyone. Be aware that if you are out-of-shape or unaccustomed to hiking, this experience may not be for you. The trail up to where the experience is held is rather narrow and quite steep at times. The guide did an excellent job of explaining everything, and he made sure we were given plenty of breaks on the way up the mountain. It was very evident that the guide cared for everyone’s safety.
A nice experience with the Batwa people. We went in for a challenging hike to the the mountains with our guide, Feni, where we met this lovely group of people. We were welcomed by a chief, to sounds of music and dancing. Our walk was quite tiresome but refreshing upon finishing our mission. The Batwa are such a special, friendly and welcoming group of people living in a land not of their own. We made a donation to them, for which Feni thanked us, it being a boost to their welfare. We promised to visit them often. Great people with touching stories and history.
This is a ‘very’ late review on the Batwa Experience. We went in mid October last year and Levi was our guide. It was a fantastic experience and very sad to see how the Batwa people were treated prior to the Kellerman Foundation coming on board. It’s a pity they can’t still live like their ancestors, but that is a sign of the times. The Batwa put on a brilliant show of dance and song, telling the story of their ancestors and lifestyle. We highly recommend this to anyone, and encourage you to make the effort to get up to Buhoma.
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Important to understand the history of the Batwa people and see first hand their way of life. Good way to support the conservation of their culture
Uganda Safari Packages with The Batwa Cultural Experiences
3 Days Uganda Gorilla Safari and the Batwa Experience is an amazing well planned short Gorilla trekking safari with a possible Batwa cultural experience
3 Days Mgahinga Gorilla Tour and the Batwa Cultural Tour is a Gorilla trekking a cultural experience blended short tour to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and the Batwa community.
4 Days Silverback Gorilla Tour and the Batwa Trail Experience is an amazing Gorilla trekking and cultural tour experience in Uganda.