Nkotsi Village | A true taste of Rwandan Culture and Traditions
Rwanda is one of the best countries that has managed to recover and preserve its rich culture and traditions as a small country despite the past history of the Genocide that hit it so extensively, Nkotsi Village is a one interesting local community found in the northern province of Rwanda in Musanze district the most popular tourist destination, that has been for many years able to organize, introduce and give an insight to visitors into the unique traditional lifestyle of Rwandans.
A few Kilometers from Volcanoes National Park, the home to the endangered Mountain Gorillas, after your Gorilla Trekking Experience, you will wind through undulating rolling hills in a village setting of indigenous local people, to this beautiful Nkotsi Village also known to the locals as Muko Village for your cultural adventure trip to have an amazing experience beyond Wildlife and even wilder activities that will give you a chance to discover a true taste of Rwandan culture and traditions.
Upon visiting Nkotsi Village, there are varieties of quintessential cultural activities, incredibly perfect for visitors to participate and engage in, filled with fun, enjoyment and excitement. Visitors get to interact with the local people as they learn about the culture, different ways of living in the local setting far away from modernity, and Rwandan traditions.
With the help of the local indigenous people, take a village walk through local homesteads in this community and get to learn a number of things such as preparing traditional local foods, engage in cooking on firewood and have a taste of the mouthwatering Rwandan local dishes. Learn about the whole process of millet grinding on a local grinding stone which is among the main traditional foods in Rwanda. You will also get to listen to the history of this community village on your walk around that will give you a whole different perspective and memorable moments.
In this Nkotsi Village, many more interesting activities are offered including basket weaving, locally made with hands out of local raw materials such as papyrus reeds, banana fibres and other materials, sit with the local women and try to weave a basket on your own with their guidance, an experience one of its kind.
On your tour in this amazing village get into the community gardens and get to learn about food growing, how crops are cultivated, engage in bee keeping and harvesting activity and get a chance to observe how bees are kept locally and harvested using local equipment and you will be able to taste the traditionally made local honey at the end which is an exhilarating experience.
Visiting Nkotsi Village is purely an opportunity of tasting the true Rwandan culture and traditions with a lot more to engage in and learn about such as the traditional way of beer production, this is another unforgettable experience learning and participating in the process of how beer is brewed from bananas, at the end you will have a sip of a traditional banana beer, quite exciting.
Other activities that help tourists discover the culture and traditions of Rwandans include lessons about the traditional medicine which were used by Rwandans in the past for healing some diseases and illnesses, even up to date with the modern way of hospitals around, Nkotsi Village members use herbal medicine as immediate treatment for some diseases. Get time with a traditional healer and learn different kinds of these traditional medicines which will absolutely catch your attention.
As if all the above amazing activities are not enough, one thing you will not miss out on your visit to Nkotsi Village, more exciting and fun filled, is the different kinds of traditional performances that include Kinyarwanda dances, songs and drumming, a one major highlight of Rwanda’s culture. You will enjoy dance performances by the local community members such as commonly known Intore dance, songs and beautiful sounds from traditional instruments such as Agakenke, Inanga, Amarinder, and Umuduri among others. You are allowed to join in this entertainment to have fun and feel the real touch of Rwanda.
Visiting Nkotsi Village community and participating in all the above cultural activities as well as purchasing different items from what the local people do is one way of supporting these indigenous local people to improve their standards of living with their families. So why not include it in your adventure.
You can contact us at Rwanda Eco Company and Safaris, we will arrange your Gorilla Trekking adventure in Volcanoes National Park and compliment it with a visit to this beautiful Nkotsi Village for unforgettable memories.
