Must See Places
Batwa trail - The Batwa Trail of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in southwest Uganda has been a long time coming and has had a lot of partners contribute to its development. This is a cultural tourism ‘product,’ which is what it is called in the tourism industry, but this ‘product’ is something that ties a culture back to the forest that it depends on. And it does so in a way that benefits tourists, the forest and the Batwa people, with real appreciation and respect for Batwa culture.
With Uganda's history of collaborative forestry and natural resource use- beekeepers are already allowed to keep registered beehives within Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, for example- this is still a unique arrangement and highlights the ever-present need to formally engage communities with the conservation of protected areas.
The Batwa Trail runs across the lower slopes of two volcanoes in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, a forest containing rich biodiversity including the mountain gorillas. Led by local Batwa guides, visitors experience the forest through the unique perspective of the Batwa.
