Cultural sites and safaris in Uganda

Uganda is a multi-cultural National with people from different ethnic origins. The rich culture of Uganda  is one of reasons that attract tourists to visit the country. Note that Ugandans are very friendly people who welcome strangers. Most of the tribes of Uganda are under cultural leadership and a majority are still conservative even with the influx of modernization. These Ugandan tribes also communicate using different languages.

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Most of the tribes of Uganda are under the leadership of kingdoms, chiefdoms and others. Some of the prominent cultural institutions of Uganda include Busoga Kingdom, Buganda Kingdom, Tooro Kingdom, Bunyoro Kingdom and others.   `                          

For the best Uganda cultural experience, ensure you open your mind and embrace the cultures of the people so that they can open up to you. You may experience some cultural shock however be ready to embrace that uniqueness. Engage in the cultural performances made before you in case you are requested to join the dancers or performers. Contact us for more information.

Some of the Uganda Cultural sites include

Mengo Kabaka’s Palace

In Buganda Kingdom in Kampala, the central part of Uganda, Mengo Palace is one of the prominent palaces in the Kingdom. The title of the Kings of Buganda is Kabaka meaning king. Within this palace is the torture chamber where a number of locals were brutally murdered by the Amin Millitary. In the Mengo palace compound is the electronic machine gun used by Kabaka Mutesa II to defend his palace from military attackers.

The structure and beauty of the Mengo Palace of Uganda were influenced by colonial architecture with a stunning large compound decorated by well kept flowers and trees.

Bulange is the administrative block of Mengo Palace where most activities of Buganda kingdom as decisions are made. Some of the businesses owned by Buganda kingdom are at Bulange including the Lukiko section where the parliament of Buganda is situated. The language spoken by the people of Buganda Kingdom is Luganda.

The current Kabaka of Buganda is called His Majesty Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II

Kabaka’s Lake Ndeeba

The Kabaka’s Lake in Ndeeba is the largest manmade lake in Uganda. According to history, this lake was physically dung by the locals of Buganda using rudimentary tools as the then KabaKa wanted to connect to Lake Victoria. It was also an escape route for the King in case of an attack.

Naggalabi Coronation Grounds

All the Kabakas of Buganda are colonized from one ground called Naggalabi since time immemorial. At this ground are a number of grass thatched huts, a mysterious root where the KabaKa is believed to obtain power to rule the Kingdom of Buganda. At this traditional coronation site, there different rituals that are performed prior to the actual coronation day.

The Naggalabi Coronation ground of Buganda is situated on so many hectares of land but due to land grabbing, they have been encroached on. Having a local guide with knowledge and experience about the Naggalabi coronation grounds is an added advantage because there is not so much information about this place in the public.

Kasubi Tombs

The Kasubu tombs are a UNESCO cultural heritage site situated on the outskirts of Kampala city. This all grass thatched dome shaped tombs where the remains of the Kings of Buganda Kingdom are buried. The history of the Kasubi tombs can be explained in detail from the entrance point.

The Kasubi tombs were burnt to ashes in 2010 but since then, some renovations have been done to make the tombs better without forgetting to follow the cultural norms of the Baganda people.

Nakayima Tree

While on a drive to or from Fort Portal, along the Mubende road on the way you may make a stop to visit the mysterious Nayima tree which is believed to host some spirits. Local worshipers and rituals are performed at this tree. Follow the guidelines expected to be followed by visitors to this place, the norms of this place are very important and if you want to get more information, you need to go with the flow.

Tooro Kingdon Palace

The Tooro Kingdom palace is situated on the hilltop of Fort Portal town overlooking the main town center. The palace is stunningly beautiful with structures built in a circular form and a compound with well kept flowers. The compound is clean most of the time and local guides are on the ground to take you through the history and norms of the Batooro.

The title of the Kings of Tooro kingdom are locally called Omukama. The current king of Tooro kingdom is called Omukama Oyo Kabamba Iguru. The people of Tooro locally speak Rutooro.

Karambi Tombs

The kings of Tooro kingdom are buried at Karambi tombs in Fort Portal. These tombs have the remains of the past kings of Tooro. On ground are some local guides with details of the history of the Tooro Kings but sometimes there is language barrier so you need an interpreter to explain in detail what he is communicating.

Amabere Ga Nyinamwiru

Amabere Ga Nyinamwiru are stalactites and Stalagmites situated beneath a cliff in a cave. The history surrounding these caves is very interesting to listen to as it is one of the local theories that the people of Tooro have about how Amabere Ga Nyinamwiru were formed. The locals believe that the Amabere Ga Nyinamwiru were breasts cut off from the king’s daughter and dumped in this place to drip.

To get there the ranger guide leads the way through the thick vegetation and dense undergrowth that covers the cliff to the bottom of the valley. A trial is in place that is used by regular visitors to these stalactites can be used to get to where they are situated. Listen to the calls of the birds that freely live in the forested areas surrounding this place.

Bugembe palace for the Basoga.  The Busoga kingdom in the eastern part of Uganda has its main palace in Bugembe Jinja. This Beautifully built palace is located on a beautify hill and very well kept. The title of the Kings of the Basoga people is Kyabazinga. The current Kyabazinga of Busoga is called Kyabazinga William Nadyope

Bujjagali Falls in Jinja

Even though the Bujjagali Falls on River Nile were turned into an electricity dam, the spirits of Busoga Kingdom are believed to still dwell here. You may be a chance to move closer to this iconic location where locals used to perform rituals and some still do so believing in the spiritual powers that existed in this area.

Bunyoro Kingdoms Palace

The Bunyoro Kingdom palace is located in Hoima District. The people of this Kingdom are called Banyoro with their King locally referred to as Omukama. During the colonial era, one of the famous kings of Bunyoro kingdom called Omukama Kabarega put up a great resistance that earned him being exiled when captured.

The once vast Bunyoro Kitara empire was reduced to the current size as some of its regions were returned or given to other surrounding Kingdoms. Bunyoro Kingdom makes a big part of the general history of Uganda because of the part they played in trying to resist colonial rule and capturing parts of other Kingdoms to create the Bunyoro-Kitara empire.

At the moment, the discovery of oil in Bunyoro Kingdom areas is one of the best mineral explorations that Uganda is celebrating. The main language spoken by the People of Bunyoro is Runyoro

The current Omukama of Bunyoro is called Omukama Gafabusa.

Ankole Kingdom

The Ankole Kingdom was one of the prominent Kingdoms in Uganda. When the Kingdoms were abolished in 1960s, the Ankole king was not restored up to date. The title of the kings Ankole is Omugabe. The palace of the Omugabe of Ankole still stand and renovations are being made atleast to preserve the history of this kingdom. On the way to the Uganda safari destinations in western Uganda when you pass the Masaka- Mbarara route, a detour to the Omugabe palace is possible.

Use the assistance of a local guide to provide the details of the history of Ankole kingdom and its current status. The local language spoken by the people of Ankole is Runyakitara. Note that cattle keeping is one of the main activities of the people of Ankole a practice they have inherited from their forefathers.

Rwenzururu Kingdom

The Rwenzururu Kingdom of Kasese is another Kingdom situated in the western part of Uganda. The Bakonzo people live around the Rwenzori massif. This is one often the ancient Kingdoms in Uganda and the title of the King of Bakonzo is Mumbere. The main economic activity of the Bakonzo people is farming and because the topography of the area they occupy is mountainous, they practice terrace farming to prevent landslides.

The current Mumbere of the Bakonzo is called Weziri Mumbere.

Other Cultural institutions in Uganda

Uganda being a multicultural country is rich in cultural diversity with local leadership other than the government. There are other cultural leaders including the chiefs that have chiefdoms that are responsible for bringing together their people and preserving their culture. 

Most of these chiefdoms were abolished during the Obote Milliton regime however some have managed to restore there chiefdoms in recent years but because of financial constraints, they cannot survive on their own.

When Is The Best Time To Do A Uganda Cultural Safari

Uganda safaris are open a year including the cultural tours. For the best experience of the Uganda culture, you need a local guide with factual knowledge of these cultural institutions. There is no specific time when you can do the Uganda cultural tour however, for an experience, there are some gatherings these traditional cultural institutions often recognize like coronation day, cultural leaders’ birthday and others. Multitudes of the subject from the government and the indigenous gather to celebrate these occasions.

Advance booking for the Uganda cultural safari is required in case you are on research and wish to get more details. This helps to notify the information centers of these cultural institutions in advance so that they can make necessary arrangements for you and allocate the right guides to you especially at the cultural sites.

Note that during the peak tourism season in Uganda, more people visit these cultural institutions. The peak tourism season of Uganda is normally June to early October and December to January. Contact our team for more infrmation.

How Much Is The cost of Cultural Safari In Uganda

The cost of Uganda's cultural safari varies with where your niche of study is. Uganda is a multicultural country so you need to make a selection of where you wish to go. Some Uganda cultural institutions have information centers whereas others may not have so you need to get in touch with a knowledgeable person. Note that the language barrier may be a problem to getting information from the local guides.

At Encounter Africa Safaris, we can help you realize the dream of getting information about the Uganda Cultural institutions. Our experience in organizing Uganda safaris and beyond has exposed us to a number of destinations in Uganda and beyond.

Carry some cash to use for ground purchases such as souvenirs from the craft shops of these cultural institutions. We encourage our clients to tip generously as a token of appreciation for the service rendered as this is one of the ways to directly give back to the community.

How To Behave While At The Cultural Site On Uganda Safari

Observe the guidelines expected of visitors at the cultural sites in Uganda so that you can get the best experience. Try not to be ridged as the guides on ground are under strict conditions from the elders. Most of these Uganda cultural institutions still conservative as the is one of the ways to save themselves from cultural erosion.

Dress decently while on a visit to these Uganda cultural institutions to avoid being out of place and this may be one of the requirements.

Engage in the cultural activity where you are invited to be part of the performers so that you can enjoy the entire experience of the Uganda safari.

Do not try to violet the language spoken by the people of this cultural institution but ask for the right word pronunciation.

Get in touch with our team for more information.