The Gorilla Guardians Village (Ib’yiwachu cultural village)
The Ib’yiwachu cultural village is one of the leading tourist attractions in the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. This place is a notable addition for visitors who wish to participate in gorilla tracking activity. Ib’yiwachu is a Kinyarwanda word that means ‘Treasures of our home and heritage’.
In this place get to see and have the best experience of African culture, tradition, customs, and history. Explore the transformed lives of former poachers to community developers. They are hospitable and welcoming, give you comfort, and offer you the best cultural experience.
The Guardians Village is under the management of the Rwanda Development Board and has greatly helped these people to change their livelihood through developing agriculture, providing education facilities, improving health facilities, and modernised awareness.
At the Ib’yiwachu Cultural Center all activities are done with the guidance of the local people and a trained tour guide and expect the following activities
Gorilla Guardians Village
Visiting the King’s hut: In this house, meet different caretakers who will take you through different stories about the ancient kings of Rwanda, how they came to the throne, their ways of rule, and how they left the throne.
You will get to see and know different symbols and items that were used by the traditional leaders. Enjoy the beautiful cultural attire that was used by the king and queen. Feel free to dress up like a king and exercise the rights and powers of the king for a while.
Take a community walk together with your guide and visit different families to find out what people do in their homes to catch up with the standards of living.
In the Ib’yiwachu community, visit the local schools, and check on the local women carrying out cookery and making crafts. If you don’t mind, engage in the cooking and enjoy delicious traditional dishes.
Visit the traditional healer and see how he mixed different herbs from medicinal trees and grasses and how they were administered to patients. Besides the traditional healer is an exhibition of handcrafts like hats, mats, wooden masks, and small tools that were used for hunting.
Don’t leave this place without enjoying live entertainment through music and festive dances. The dancers are dressed in white wigs, carrying spears and swords, and wearing bells on their feet that help to produce rhythmic sound. It’s wonderful and interesting.
Local beer brewing is another activity that can be encountered at this place. In African tradition, beer brewing is an activity that used to bring people together.
Visit the Batwa community. The Batwa are a group of people that used to live as hunters in dense forests of Uganda and Rwanda. These people were relocated by the government to live in the community outside the forests. Some of these [people who were relocated to the Ib’yiwachu cultural village have been taught how to live another life other than poaching.
These people today demonstrate their hunting skills, perform dances make crafts, and carry out pottery to earn a living. Their exhibitions are so interesting that they can’t be missed by a tourist who loves cultural expeditions.
The cost of visiting the Ib’yiwachu cultural village is 35USD per person and is inclusive of a guided tour and taking part in the activities in the place staying for a night goes for 70USD per person per night and the visitor is free to take part in any activity of interest.