The African Village stays are cultural experiences that are perfect for those on a family safari, where you will stay within the African village, engage in the daily village life and this will happen win villages where there is no running water or electricity so that you get the real feel of life in rural Africa with an African Village stay adventure. What’s focused on in Africa is mainly relationships, how will it affect others like family, friends, children. With in Africa, there is no welfare, no aid, churches as well as mosques, so one will look to community of family and friends. You will get to experience the concept of home stays by visiting Uganda or Rwanda.
With the home stays, you won’t be staying in hotels where you get to experience comfort and luxurious things. You get to spend a night or two in a real African Village, go with the women to the gardens were you will gather the vegetables, cut down the Matoke Bananas, bean picking, digging the cassava, fresh potatoes, maize, tomatoes, onions, mangoes, papaya for the dessert. You can also help in butchering of the chicken in case you are comfortable, this is so enjoyable.
The time in the villages in completely a unique experience most especially for the children who think everything come from the store. There are also some families that stay in luxury lodges but also enjoy their time in a village stay and visit the most. This experience will help you pick up a new outlook on life that is based on the principle of Hakuna Matata meaning loosely translated don’t worry. Below are some of the common home stay regions in East Africa.
The Boomu village is just near Murchison falls National Park, this is part of the Boomu Women’s self Help group and here you can get to experience life in an African Village. Get to stay in traditional African huts, having the outside toilet, hot water is just cooked locally, and lighting is commonly done with Oil Lamps. About the meals, you gather food from the garden, help in meal preparations, which is also a bonding time with those whom you stay with. Get to learn how to make crafts, gather flowers for the dye making, weaving of blankets, as well as visiting the schools.
There is also the Ruboni village in the Rwenzori mountain foothills in Uganda. This is a home to the bakonzo people who are keepers of the Rwenzori Mountains of the moon. Here you get to stay in Ruboni Community Camp which is right in the village. You will experience the life of these people. You can as well have drumming and dancing lessons, walk through the village and meet the traditional healer, the black smith that makes tools in the days of the old. Enjoy food preparation for a day meal; enjoy the cultural dancers and drummers as they perform at sunset.
There is also the Nsheyi cultural village which borders Tanzania and Rwanda in Uganda; the village is three hours from Mbarara on the main road that leads to the parks in Uganda. This is the part of the country where you will find the cows, watch ghee being made. Have a walk to the Rwandan or Tanzanian border, learn the traditional ways, stay in a traditional hut and then eat the local food found in the area.
For the Rwanda Village stays, we have the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village; this village offers an adventurous stay within a traditional rural, Rwandan Village which has existed for many years with and next to mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. The village gives an opportunity of meeting the local people within their environment, with a taste of traditions and cultures. You will be welcomed by the community and these will give you all the aspects of their traditions and beliefs.
There is also the Azizi life style which will give you the rural life encounters in Rwanda. You will extend it by staying in a Rwandan home in the rural area forming new friendships. This is a hands on experience were in the morning you work in the fields, prepare lunch and in the afternoon, you learn how to make arts and crafts as you are taught by the Rwandan Artisans.
There is also the banana village which is an African style village that is the perfect place for the incoming visitors to Uganda including the families. These have got spacious en suite cottages, the gardens with flowers, variety of bananas, plants, food. There is great customer service and it’s a perfect place for those that want an African village with that extra plus. Learn local cooking, arts and crafts, visit the local village, Lake Victoria, the adjacent forest or simply enjoy the gardens.
There is also the Hillside Retreat that is set in the village hills of western Uganda; this is a fantastic hillside retreat within the farming and ranching of western Uganda near Mbarara. This only has 4 en suite cottages and it’s a perfect family place, a beautiful garden, scenic views, the African style cottage with great decoration. You can also enjoy the hikes in the hillside, great food made with home grown ingredients.
Lastly, there is also the Nyanziibiri eco community camp, this is an off the beaten path and has got 3 African style bandas but lots of activities to do here. Enjoy the food as you interact with the local people. Visit the museum, a cave of history, get to explore 3 crater lakes, hike galore, this camp is a Ugandan cultural experience at a most reasonable price which allows you to go rustic basic. Also explore the Crater Lake, hike and swim in it. You can as well incorporate your African Village stay into your safari. You can just let us know what you would like to see and the experience the best of the home stays. We have also got family safaris with the children as you enjoy a family stay and get to enjoy lots of comfort.