What you Need to Know about Homestay Safari
Overview
Travelers may immerse themselves in Ugandan culture by staying with a local family, taking part in their everyday activities, and discovering their traditions and customs during a homestay safari. Compared to standard hotel stays, it's more affordable and culturally stimulating, enabling greater understanding of Ugandan life, engagement with the local community, and participation in activities like farming and cooking.
Through our homestay program, we are thrilled to provide our customers with a distinctive and engaging cultural experience. Our carefully chosen homestays offer a sincere and rewarding experience that lets you interact with local families and communities. Our four homestay destinations are in Rwanda (Kinigi and Biyimana) and Uganda (Kibale and Buhoma).
Kinigi Homestay: Kinigi is a community surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, situated at the base of the renowned Virunga mountains. With chilly temps between 10°C and 20°C, it's the perfect place for adventurers and those looking for beautiful scenery. It takes four hours to drive from Kigali to Kinigi, which is around 160 kilometers away through picturesque scenery.
Homestay in Biyimana:
The settlement of Biyimana is encircled by tea plantations and verdant hills. With warm temperatures between 18°C and 25°C, it's the perfect place for anyone looking for a peaceful retreat. It takes around 2.5 hours to drive from Kigali to Biyimana, which is about 120 kilometers away through picturesque countryside.
Homestay in Buhoma
Adventurers and nature lovers will find paradise in Buhoma, which is tucked away in the slopes of the magnificent Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. With Uganda's lush woods, undulating hills, and glittering lakes providing an amazing background for life-changing experiences, our homestay experience gives a singular chance to fully immerse yourself in the country's genuine culture and astounding natural beauty.
Homestay in Kibale
Our Kibale Homestay, which is close to the breathtaking Kibale National Park, provides an opportunity to take in the lively rhythms of rural Ugandan life. This homestay, which is surrounded by verdant woods, tea plantations, and glittering lakes, offers a friendly and inviting setting for interacting with locals, seeing a variety of animals, and learning about the rich cultural legacy of rural Uganda.
Take a Look at Rural Life
While visiting our four sites, you will have the chance to:
Farming: Take part in agricultural activities such as planting and harvesting crops including beans, coffee, and bananas. Traditional agricultural methods and the value of agriculture in the neighborhood will be covered.
Cooking: Learn how to make delicacies like matooke, Rolex, and isombe using traditional Rwandan and Ugandan recipes and techniques. You will learn about the regional ingredients and culinary methods that contribute to Ugandan cuisine's distinctiveness.
Animal care: Assist with animal care duties, such as feeding and caring for livestock including hens, goats, and cows. The significance of animal husbandry in the neighborhood will be explained to you.
Domestic Tasks: Help with cleaning, laundry, and water fetching, among other home tasks. You'll learn about local families' everyday schedules and obligations.
Local Craft Creation: Acquire skills in traditional crafts such as ceramics, woodcarving, and basketry. You'll learn the methods and abilities that local craftspeople have used for decades.
ceramic: Use regional materials and methods to create traditional ceramic pieces. You'll discover how important pottery is to the local way of life.
Traditional Brewing: Discover the materials and brewing techniques used to create regional drinks. You'll learn more about the community's cultural importance of brewing.
Local Basket Weaving: Make traditional baskets out of grasses and papyrus that are found around. The significance of basket weaving to the local economy and culture will be explained to you.
Discover the Culture and Wilderness
You'll have the chance to partake in a variety of activities that highlight the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Rwanda or Uganda while you're there. To guarantee availability, reservations must be made in advance, especially for activities like chimpanzee and gorilla tracking, which we advise scheduling at least three months in advance.
The Wilderness and Kinigi Culture Among the activities are the Muhabura-Gahinga Hike, a two-day trek that includes camping and provides stunning views of the nearby valleys and mountains.
The Karisimbi Hike is a two-day trek that includes camping and passes through a variety of habitats and sceneries.
The Bisoke Hike is a one-day trek that leads to the peak of Mount Bisoke, which has a breathtaking crater lake.
Gorilla Trekking: See mountain gorillas in their natural environment (make reservations at least three months in advance).
Trekking with Golden Monkeys: Follow and see golden monkeys in their natural environment.
The Dian Fossey Grave Hike: This is a day trip to the famous primatologist Dian Fossey's grave.
Musanze Caves Exploration: Discover the distinctive ecosystems and geological structures found in the Musanze Caves.
Dian Fossey Museum Visit: Discover more about Dian Fossey's life, career, and contributions to primate conservation by visiting her museum.
Twin Lakes Exploration: Take a trip to the twin lakes, which provide breathtaking vistas and leisure options.
Biyimana Culture and Wilderness Among the things you may do outside of your homestay are the following:
Visit the Kabaya Genocide Museum to discover more about the history of the genocide and how it affected Rwanda.
Tea Plantation Visit/Tour: Experience the tea-making process and get knowledge about the entire tea manufacturing process, from picking to packaging.
Investigate nearby markets and farms.
Gorilla Trekking: Discover Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and witness mountain gorillas in their native environment is one of the activities available at Buhoma Rural Life and Wildlife.
Observe bird species such as the African green broadbill and other uncommon species that are found in the area.
Guided Forest hikes: Learn about the local flora and animals, including trees and medicinal plants, by going on guided hikes in the Bwindi Forest.
Discover the customs, culture, and way of life of the Batwa people by going on the Batwa Trail.
Community Visits: Take a tour of nearby communities to discover their cultures, traditions, and way of life.
Local Markets: Take in the day-to-day activity and peruse booths offering locally produced food, handicrafts, and fresh fruit.
Wildlife Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park: Take part in game drives, boat cruises, chimp and lion tracking, and tree climbing lion viewing to discover the park's varied wildlife.
Outside of your homestay, Kibale Rural Life and Wildlife Adventures include:
Tracking Chimpanzees: Investigate Kibale National Park and follow chimpanzees in their natural environment.
Additional primate tracking: Identify primate species such as L'Hoest's monkeys, bush infants, mongooses, and red-tailed monkeys.
Community Visits: Take a tour of nearby communities to discover their cultures, traditions, and way of life.
Local Markets: Take in the day-to-day activity and peruse booths offering locally produced food, handicrafts, and fresh fruit.
Crater Lake Hike/Drive: Admire the stunning vistas as you explore the picturesque crater lakes.
Guided Nature hikes: Discover the local ecology by going on guided hikes in the Kibale Forest.
Guided Nature hikes: Discover the local ecology by going on guided hikes in the Kibale Forest.
Tea Plantation Visits: Take a tour of a tea plantation to see how tea is made.
During birdwatching, you may see a range of birds, such as the African green broadbill and other unusual species.
Night Guided Nature Walks: See nocturnal creatures like nightjars and bush babies on a nighttime guided walk in the Kibale Forest.
SAFE AND HEALTHY
Our first concern is keeping you safe. In both nations, we offer round-the-clock BAR SOS emergency support, which includes
24/7 Emergency Response Coordination and Risk Management: Our staff makes sure that crises are handled quickly and efficiently while controlling risks to reduce damage.
24/7 BAR SOS Safety Phone App: Use our special app to stay in touch with your emergency team. It gives you limitless access to security and safety alerts, messages, and the ability to make an emergency phone call.
Air Evacuation: In an emergency, BAR EMS (Medical Services) aircraft with a fixed wing may provide rapid evacuation services to the most appropriate medical institution. Although they are not covered, helicopter evacuations can be scheduled.
Remote Medical Assistance: When evacuation is not required, our medical staff may give prompt advice and care via remote support and guidance for non-critical conditions.
Satellite SOS Communication Devices: Any member, even in extremely remote locations, may make emergency calls or send SOS warnings thanks to dependable satellite connectivity, which facilitates immediate communication.
During your visit, we are dedicated to your safety and wellbeing.