Ibyiwacu Cultural Village

Ibyiwacu Cultural Village, One of the best and most real places to learn about Rwandan culture and history is the Iby’iwacu Cultural Village. The culture village is in Volcanoes National Park in the Musanze district.

It’s a great place to relax and learn about Rwanda’s history after a thrilling gorilla trekking trip. The Iby’iwacu cultural village, which is also called the Gorilla Guardians Cultural Village, is a new and important addition to the list of possible vacation spots in the country. The Iby Iwacu Cultural Village, which is next to Volcanoes National Park, is a beautiful cultural experience that grew out of Rwanda’s famous hunting culture.

“Iby’iwacu” means “treasures of our home and heritage” in Kinyarwanda. The people who live in the village used to be poachers who made a living by killing endangered mountain gorillas for their fur. Through this program, the government hoped to improve the lives of these former poachers, raise knowledge of Rwandan culture before it was colonized, and strengthen efforts to protect gorillas for tourists. In Rwanda, the Iby Iwacu Cultural Village is one of a kind because it lets tourists interact with locals and learn about their past and way of life.

Rwanda’s famous customs, people, and past are all brought together in the Village so that they can be seen and experienced by everyone. Tourists can get a feel for what life was like in a typical African village and learn about the customs, beliefs, homes, traditional dances, dress code, food, and long past of Rwanda in general.

Tourists can also learn how to hunt in the past, make bags and mats, and build things, just to name a few skills. After an exciting mountain hike or an exciting gorilla trekking trip, tourists can do this one-of-a-kind activity to really get into Rwandan culture. It’s also a great place to relax while shopping for gifts, souvenirs, and crafts made in the area to show your friends back home.

How to Spend a Day at the Iby’iwacu Cultural Village

With Iby’iwacu local guides leading the way, a community walk of this village could be very interesting and relaxing, taking you to different places and giving you a feel for how the people there live their daily lives. Visitors can enjoy getting to know the different groups of people who live in the town by interacting with them, sharing, and becoming immersed in their traditions. When you go to the Iby’iwacu culture hamlet, you can sit with the people who live there in their traditional homes and grass-thatched shelters.

You will also visit the community’s schools and learn about the school system there. You will also visit the different art galleries and shops that sell local art, woven clothes, beautiful pots, and much more. Learn how to make a traditional dish and take a tour of the banana and vegetable farms in the area.

A group walk with a guide can last up to an hour, and people can take as many pictures as they want as long as they ask permission. Having a piece of these wonderful events, people, and places would be great to remember or share with your loved ones.

Check out the King’s Palace.

Going to the king’s house is another fun thing to do in the Iby’iwacu Cultural Village. The King’s Palace is a beautiful building in the town that shows how the ancient Kings ran their courts before they were colonized. In Rwanda, people both feared and respected the kings and queens of the past. The monarchs were in charge of everything and everyone had to accept their decisions without question.

The monarch, royals, clan heads, and high-level guests watched over all kingdom events and celebrations from the palace of the monarch. The King’s home in Iby’iwacu looks like it belongs in an old African country, complete with traditional signs of power and details about each clan. Visitors can feel what it’s like to be crowned and then use the King’s robes to rule over made-up people.

Join in and Have Fun Music and dance from the past

A lot of research has been done on how music, dance, and theater define what it means to be African and give Africans a feeling of belonging and unity. When people go to the Iby’iwacu cultural Village, they can see and learn about Kinyarwanda traditional music, dance, and drama.

Listen to different native rhythmic sounds, like the Ingoma, Umuduri, Amakondera, Inanga, Iningiri, Agakenke, and Ibyivugo. Each sound is different, and each has its own set of instruments and dance steps.

The Intore dance is one of the shows. Men dressed in grass clothes and small bells around their legs do this traditional warrior dance while carrying spears as if they were fighting or celebrating a win over an opponent. It will be very important to these young people that you dance with them or at least learn how to play the drums.

Visit the healers who use traditional methods.

When people go to Iby’iwacu Cultural Village, they can also meet the traditional healers and learn how the locals use grasses, bushes, and plants that are good for them to treat illness. In ancient Africa, people depended on herbal medicine a lot to treat illness, and this is still done in this society today. It’s important to note that traditional doctors are very good at using this medicine because they have a lot of knowledge that has been passed down from generation to generation.

People who work as healers will be happy to share what they know and talk about how traditional medicine has been important since colonial times. You’ll meet a few traditional doctors who are happy to show you how the native medicines work, and you can try some of the plants that grow there.

Pay a visit to the Batwa Pygmy Community

The Batwa pygmies are one of the most well-known groups of people in East Africa. They used to live in the deep forests of Rwanda and Uganda, where they hunted animals and gathered fruits. Later, their governments kicked them out decades ago to make room for gorilla tourists and conservation, and they moved to other places outside the forest.

Luckily, some of them are kept at the Iby’iwacu Cultural Center and can be seen while touring this lovely town. The Batwa have learned ceramics, art, and design since they stopped poaching, hunting, and gathering in the bush.

One amazing thing about them is how they show off their shooting skills, like how they use spears, bows and arrows, and traps to catch animals. Visiting the Batwa is a fun and interesting experience that can teach you new things about things like pottery, hunting, picking fruit, and making herbal medicines.

Learn about how local beer is made.

Learn how to make local brew or beer and enjoy it with the people. A traditional African social scene included drinking local beer with a group. This was a way to bring people together. Local beer was a way to celebrate and bring people together.

It was drunk at weddings, when new babies were born, and when crops were harvested. In order to fit in and look interested at these events, one had to drink the local beer. You will learn how to make and brew banana beer in the village, and you are expected to take part. The experience will end with a sip of the finished product.

Other Things to Do While You’re at Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village

Going on a Gorilla Trek
The main and most famous thing to do in Volcanoes National Park is gorilla trekking. Mountain gorillas, which are the world’s most rare apes, can be seen in the park only once in a lifetime. Over 11 groups of habituated gorillas can be visited by people who want to learn about these giant apes’ daily lives in their natural environment.

In Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, you have to be at least 18 years old to go on a mountain gorilla hike. You can book your Rwanda gorilla trek by getting a gorilla permit from the Rwanda Development Board or from a reliable tour company. Each Rwanda gorilla pass costs $1500. In Volcanoes National Park, you can go gorilla hiking at any time of the year. However, the best times to see these huge animals are from June to September and from December to February, when it doesn’t rain.

Mounting a Volcano

Volcanoes National Park is in the Virunga Mountain Ranges and is home to five of the eight Virunga Volcanoes. These are Mount Karisimbi, Mount Gahinga, Mount Bisoke, Mount Sabyinyo, and Mount Muhabura.

As the tallest volcano, Mount Karisimbi is the most famous with hikers who come to Rwanda on safaris. The hike to the top of this beautiful mountain takes two days. When people go hiking in Volcanoes National Park, they can see the beautiful Virunga Massif, different kinds of primates, mammals, and birds, and the mountain tops offer breathtaking views of the horizon.

Golden Monkey Hiking
This is another popular thing to do in Volcanoes National Park that brings in a lot of people. You shouldn’t miss it while you’re at Iby’iwacu Cultural Village. Volcanoes – Rwanda and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda are the only places where people can see them in their natural environments. It’s a good thing that golden monkey trekking costs $100 less than gorilla trekking.