Gorilla Guardians Village, also known as the “Ibyiwacu Cultural Village,” is a phrase that means “the treasures of our home and heritage” in Kinyarwanda. It is one of the leading cultural attractions in Rwanda. It is located in Musanze District in the Northern Province of Rwanda, next to Volcanoes National Park.
It is a real village because people live there, and what makes it special is the commitment to showing tourists different lifestyles, such as how they live, eat, and learn. The village represents Rwandan traditions, culture, people, and history.
While in the village, you get to see how life was in a typical African village. A visit to this place feels like traveling back in time as you learn about traditional clothing, dances, food, medicinal herbs, and the ancient kingdoms and their ways of life.
Tourists who visit the village are given a good chance to engage with the people and take part in activities such as basket and mat weaving, preparing local food, learning ancient hunting skills, and more.
Even though Rwanda is small and has fewer natural resources compared to neighbors like D.R. Congo and Uganda, the country has invested heavily in promoting tourism with support from development partners.
The village was an idea introduced by the Rwanda Development Board. All the hard work has paid off because Rwanda is now one of the leading tourist destinations in Africa.
The village has created unity among Rwandan people because all tribal groups meet here to showcase their ways of life. It has also created employment opportunities for the local people. You will find many shops selling arts and crafts.
The Batwa, who were once poachers, have been given a chance to live differently by working with other people, which has helped them move away from poaching and instead support wildlife conservation.
Activities you can engage in while at Gorilla Guardians Village.
Visiting the King’s Palace
This section of the village shows how the ancient kings of Rwanda ruled and managed their people. It displays how their courts looked. Kings held the highest authority and made all important decisions without asking others.
All kingdom ceremonies were held at the King’s Palace and were highly respected and surrounded by fear. In the village, the King’s Palace has been recreated to look like it did centuries ago, including African symbols and clan elements, explained by a local guide.
Community Walks
If you want to learn more about Rwandan culture and tradition, community walks are a good way to understand and experience Kinyarwanda culture. You visit different local communities, interact with people, and take part in local activities like cooking, listening to elders’ stories, visiting banana plantations, and visiting schools where children study.
Traditional Music
Music, dance, and drama are important parts of African culture. They were used for communication and entertainment. The village gives you a chance to watch, listen to, and even take part in singing and dancing activities.
Several traditional musical instruments like Amakondera, Umuduri, Iningiri, and Agakenke are played in the village. Each sound is unique and has its own dance style and meaning, such as Intore, the popular warrior dance where performers dress like ancient warriors with bells on their legs, cloth around their lower bodies, and they carry spears and shields.
Meeting Traditional Healers
Long ago, ancestors used herbal medicine to treat all kinds of illnesses, and this knowledge has been passed down to today. At Gorilla Guardians Village, you can meet traditional healers who use natural products like tree branches, leaves, roots, and other plants to make medicine for different diseases.
You will learn how this knowledge has been passed on for generations and how the herbal medicine works.
Drinking Local Brew
In traditional African society, drinking locally made alcohol was a way to bring people together and create unity and peace. It was also important at ceremonies, adding excitement and joy.
To be fully welcomed in the society, one had to take part in drinking. The village shows how alcohol is brewed from fermented bananas, and you can even take a sip to taste its authenticity.
