The Batwa experience available near Semuliki National Park provides visitors with a guided introduction to the cultural practices of one of the region’s original forest communities.
These activities are conducted outside the park boundary, in settlements located near Sempaya Gate, particularly in the Ntandi area.
The Batwa, also known as Twa, are traditionally hunter-gatherers. Their cultural link to the Ituri–Semuliki forest spans generations.
Following formal gazettement of the park in 1993, Batwa groups were relocated and now engage with Uganda Wildlife Authority and local community-based organisations to preserve and share selected elements of their cultural identity.
The experience is led by Batwa guides trained in cultural interpretation. Activities typically include fire-making demonstrations, traditional music, herbal medicine knowledge, and archery or hunting techniques using historical methods.
Most visits last 90 to 120 minutes and are conducted in small groups, usually not exceeding 10 visitors at a time.
Participants observe but do not enter residential homesteads. Cultural performances are held in designated community spaces. Songs and dances are accompanied by percussive instruments, often featuring call-and-response vocals that symbolise ancestral stories.
Guides explain the symbolic function of each performance, including links to forest seasons, fertility rites, or animal migration patterns.
Local interpreters translate oral explanations into English. Visitors may ask questions during brief pauses, though lengthy discussions are discouraged during live segments to preserve rhythm and group engagement.
Photography is permitted, but participants are requested to avoid interrupting ongoing activities or using flash.
Part of the visitor fee supports community education, health services, and capacity-building workshops for Batwa youth.
This tourism model operates under a Community-Based Tourism Agreement co-signed by UWA, the Semuliki Local Government Authority, and registered Batwa groups. Transparency reports are displayed at the reception centre quarterly.
The activity is optional and not included in the standard park entry. Tickets are issued at UWA’s Ntandi station or by prior arrangement with approved tour operators.
Visitors without transport may request local boda-boda services for the short connection between the gate and performance area.
This engagement does not involve forest entry, spiritual shrines, or ancestral burial zones. Those elements remain closed to the public, in accordance with cultural protection guidelines under the Uganda Museums and Monuments Act (Cap 135). However, visitors gain access to narratives about those spaces through approved oral storytelling.
Although the activity is not a substitute for anthropological immersion, it provides valuable insight into the Batwa’s relationship with the Semuliki forest.
Participants are encouraged to approach the experience with attentiveness and respect for the community’s terms of engagement.