07 Apr Community and Culture
Uganda is best known for its gorillas and other primates, but it also has an abundance of big game and an impressive 1000+ bird species.
While Venture Uganda can show you all the wildlife highlights, we also encourage you to find out a little more about Uganda’s people and their culture. That’s why this month, our newsletter focuses on examples of the community and cultural visits we offer.
Coffee Farm Visits
Many tourists visiting Uganda are coffee lovers, but do they know how coffee is grown, harvested and processed? Can they tell a good bean from a bad one? And do they know what coffee gardens look like?
Our farm visits introduce you to the farmer, and often their family, and provide insight into how coffee goes from ground to cup. You will likely see other crops too, along with tasting the produce and observing village life, including homes, transport and farm animals.
No doubt the farmers will be interested in you too, so enjoy meaningful conversations over a delicious cup of coffee!
Meet the Ankole Long-Horn Cows
It’s fascinating to see how other people live their lives. A visit to the Bahima tribe provides an insight into a community whose lives revolve around cattle – in this case, the glorious Ankole Long-horn cows.
Spend time with these welcoming people, meet the cows and join in with activities like milking and walking the cows to water. Head to the homestead to see products like butter being made from milk and discover other aspects of their culture such as the traditional wooden milk pots, beadwork, and herb-based toiletries.
Sample Traditional Banana Gin
Gin is hugely popular these days. In Uganda, it’s called Waragi and you can buy it, nationwide, including pineapple or coconut-flavoured waragi. Yum!
But did you know it’s made locally from bananas?
Join one of our village activities and see how the gin is made from a special type of banana, using a traditional process which includes burying the bananas underground to ripen them and stomping on ripe bananas in a large wooden canoe-shaped vessel to extract the juice.
You’ll have so much fun taking part and who can resist the tasting session at the end?
Speak to our team to get involved.
Explore Uganda by Road
One of the joys of a road journey through Uganda is the people you meet along the way.
Chat with the locals as you buy the freshest produce from roadside markets, tuck into delicious street food, or select some handmade souvenirs to take home.
Enjoy Ugandan food in local restaurants, stop for photos of the stunning countryside and see all manner of traffic on the roads, including boda-boda (motorbike taxis) used to carry anything from enormous loads of pineapples to 3-piece sofa sets!
From the comfort of your vehicle and with plenty of stops to stretch your legs, exploring Uganda by road will never disappoint the curious.
Unforgettable Evening With Ndere Dance Troupe
Wow – what a show!
Ndere is a professional dance troupe showcasing traditional music and dance from around Uganda and some neighbouring countries, too.
Visit their purpose-built complex with indoor and outdoor theatres, an arts and crafts shop, a cafe, and beautiful gardens. Start the show with a buffet supper of local foods, then sit back and be entertained by dances from different tribes accompanied by some great stories and jokes. This high-energy, action-packed evening is suitable for all the family.
Kids Bushcraft Experience
Mihingo Safari Lodge in western Uganda is one of our highly recommended properties and if you’re looking for activities to entertain the kids, then look no further than their specialist bush courses.
Your children can get out into nature and learn to appreciate, and engage respectfully, with the wildlife and environment. They’ll even have the chance to prepare bush meals. You can unwind and relax by the pool, knowing your kids are in the safe hands of a professional safari guide.
Get in touch to learn more.
Visit a Ugandan School
We offer carefully considered school visits that allow you to learn more about education in Uganda while having some fun with the kids without disrupting learning.
Join in after-school sports, sit in on selected classes, and sample a school lunch. Donations of sports equipment or scholastic materials are always welcome and appreciated and can be given directly to the Headteacher.
Contact us to learn more about how to visit a school with us.
Please get in touch if you’d like more details about travelling to Uganda.
To learn more about how Venture Uganda can help you make the most of your adventure holiday, find us on social media, visit our website or email enquiries@ventureuganda.org.