A visit to the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village is a perfect addition to the thrilling mountain gorilla trekking experiences in Volcanoes National Park. The Iby’Iwacu Village also referred to as Gorilla Guardians Village offers the best cultural experiences to visitors on Rwanda safari. A visit to the Gorilla Guardians Village allows you to immerse yourself in the unique cultures, traditions, practices, and also the lifestyle of the Rwandan people.
The Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village is among the top cultural attractions in Rwanda. It holds all of Rwanda’s popular cultural traditions, people, and history. All these are showcased here thus guaranteeing enthusiastic cultural safari travelers authentic African experiences. A visit to the Iby’Iwacu Village brings you what life was/is in a typical African setting from the design of houses, lifestyle, traditional dances, foods, herbs, dressing code, and the way the ancient kingdoms were organized.
Visitors also have a chance to have hands-on experiences including learning ancient hunting skills, weaving baskets or mats, and carpentry. These and more are among the mind-blowing experiences that await you on your visit to the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village. For years, it has won the hearts of many travelers, especially those enthusiastic about African cultures and traditions. It is the best place to visit to interact with the native community and this can be after or before you embark on your gorilla trekking adventure, golden monkey tracking, and hiking in Volcanoes National Park. Iby’Iwacu Village is also a perfect location to relax and there are plenty of items to buy including local crafts, souvenirs, and gifts.
The Iby’Iwacu Village has also become a unifying factor for the existing tribal groups in Rwanda that is Tutsis, Batwa, and Hutus. The Gorilla Guardian Village encourages a feeling of togetherness based on a common shared ideology. Most of the local entertainers like the Batwa are ex-poachers and this village has given them a great opportunity to engage in something different. As a result, they now have a source of livelihood rather than depending on poaching.
Where is the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village?
Iby’Iwacu Village is found in the Musanze District, Northwestern Rwanda. The word Iby’Iwacu is a Kinyarwanda word meaning ‘treasures of our home and heritage.’
What to expect on a visit to the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village
A lot awaits you on an Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village holiday. Here are some of the interesting things to expect to enjoy on a tour of the Iby’Iwacu Village.
Home tours and guided community walks
The home tours and guided community walks offer visitors a chance to have close interaction with locals in their communities. This provides you with a great opportunity to have a deep understanding of the distinct cultures and heritage of the Kinyarwanda. On a visit to the Iby’Iwacu Village, visitors get the opportunity to sit side by side with the locals in their traditional homes and grass-thatched huts.
There will be elders to share with you inspirational stories and information about Rwanda as well as enrich you with the country’s history or heritage. Besides, expect to pay a visit to the local banana and vegetable farms. In the process, you may even have a chance to learn how to prepare traditional foods/how to use a special grinding stone to make fine millet flour.
A guided community walk comes with plenty of learning experiences. On your guided community walk, you can also pay visits to the schools in and around the village to explore more about their education system and interact with the pupils and students. In addition, do not miss visiting the local art shops where you can find the finest local paintings, beautiful pots, woven clothes, and a lot more.
Local performance
If you love African cultural experiences, then a visit to the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village is worth it. A visit to the Gorilla Guardian Village offers you a great chance to watch, listen, & enjoy the dances of the traditional/cultural music as performed by local communities. African tradition and culture are best defined by music, dance, and drama. They give one a sense of belonging and you can witness this during the local performance at the Iby’Iwacu Village.
The local musical sounds to expect to listen to on a visit to the Iby’Iwacu include Inanga, Ingoma, Amakondera, Ibyivugo, Agakenke, Iningiri, and Umuduri. Each of these sounds is completely distinct and has a special musical instrument it is played and also dancing steps.
The Intore is one best example and is a famous warrior dance usually performed by men with grass clothing and little bells wrapped around their legs. Men hold spears in a mock battle/as a way of celebrating victory over an enemy. The youthful men and women can be filled with smiles and joy all over their faces.
The King’s Palace tour
On a tour of Iby’Iwacu Village, a visit to the King’s Palace shouldn’t be missed. The king’s Palace showcases how the ancient Kings ruled and managed their courts. The Rwandan ancient Kings were not only feared but also given ultimate respect. They held the highest authority and would make decisions that had to be implemented without questioning. At the time, all the kingdom activities and ceremonies were conducted within the King’s Palace and under the watch of the King, queens, princesses, princes, leaders of the clan, and high-level visitors. The King’s Palace provides the actual picture of an ancient African kingdom setting with all symbols to represent power and includes information about each clan. The tour through the King’s Palace is done with the presence of the local guide.
Interact with traditional healers.
At Iby’Iwacu Village, there is the possibility of visitors also paying a visit to the traditional healers. The traditional healers were consulted for several things during the ancient times. They used herbs, shrubs, tree branches, and roots to cure known illnesses. They have deep knowledge of how to apply the drugs and are experienced in their usage. A visit to the traditional healers’ home is a great chance to learn local medicines, and stories on how traditional medicine has survived from the colonial time till to date.
At Iby’Iwacu Village, there is also an option of visiting the Batwa Community. The Batwa community comprises the Batwa pygmies also known as the former forest hunters and fruit gatherers in the lush forest of Uganda and Rwanda.
Besides, visitors can also have a taste of the local brews or watch how it is made. It should be noted that local beer is a unifying activity in the African traditional social setting. These can be witnessed in the various ceremonies.