Much as the mountain gorillas will draw you to the land of a thousand hills, the culture and the people of Rwanda will make you wish to come back for another moment of excitement.
Riveting traditions and hospitality of the people are still as strong as ever and any tourist who explores the cultures of this breathtaking country will concur that they are extraordinary and worth exploring during your safari in Rwanda. A destination with happy and welcoming people will always make you feel at home and interestingly, Rwandans are always willing to welcome you into their lives and introduce you to their interesting traditions.
Music and dance play an important part in the everyday life of Rwandans with invigorating performances ranging from energetic demonstrations of bravery to interesting songs, light dances as well as the countryside artistry with history rooted in traditional agriculture.
In most cases, the traditional songs are accompanied by a harp-like instrument with eight strings locally known as “Lulunga” as the fascinating dances are backed by a drum orchestra which in most instances is composed of seven to nine participants who collectively produce a hypnotic and exhilarating explosion set of intertwining rhythms and sounds. Therefore, cultural experiences in Rwanda introduce tourists to;
Cultural dance and music
Cultural songs and dances of Rwanda are always accompanied by the rhythmic sounds of the traditional lone lulungaa harp thus producing a fascinating listening experience that cannot be experienced elsewhere in Africa and beyond except within the land of a thousand hills. You will also discover that majority of the dances relished by tourists are always backed by the popular traditional drum-Orchestra and is majorly made up of seven to nine members who team-up to bring out the phenomenal intertwining rhythms.
Make sure to enjoy the breathtaking cultural performances during Rwanda safaris because it is popular and best rewarding activity to tourist. These dances offer the deep cultural experience about the country’s dynamic traditional musical and exceptional dancing styles. There is nothing as exciting as watching the famous Intore dance troupes performing the traditional dances
Arts and craft
Another way of immersing yourself into the interesting cultural experiences is by relishing some of the Rwandan traditional arts and crafts such as the Imigongo paintings-where cow dung becomes art, sourced from the local co-operative found within Nyakarimbi Village. You can also learn about local but intricate ways of weaving baskets, thus a visit to the local women groups will take your breath away.
Experiencing rural life
Some of the cultural villages such as Azizi Life in Muhanga and the Iby’iwacu cultural Village within Musanze allow tourists to enjoy some of the ancient ways of the people of Rwanda ranging from the traditional foods to dance performances. While at these Cultural villages, you will be introduced to several farming activities, traditional dance performances, banana juice and beer making, millet grinding, and food preparation as well as tasting.
Exploring the genocide memorials and Museums
Rwanda cultural safaris also introduce tourists to some of the Museums to demonstrate the rich heritage of the country. You can visit the Presidential Palace Museum, King’s Palace Museum as well as the Kandt House Museum of Natural History. A Rwanda Cultural tour will also lead you to some of the Genocide sites such as Kigali Genocide Memorial Site, Ntarama Genocide Memorial, Bisesero Genocide memorial and Murambi Genocide site among others.