The Royal Court of the Kabare Kingdom
The Royal Court of the Kabare Kingdom in Kahuzi Biega national park.
The Royal Court of the Kabare Kingdom: Kahuzi Biega national park is one of the homes to the lowland gorillas of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kahuzi Biega national park was established in 1970 by a Belgian photographer and conservationist called Adrien Deschryver. The major tourist attraction of this park is the lowland gorillas however the park has a few other spots that one could visit while in the park. The Kahuzi Biega national park is located in Bukavu town which is the capital city of Sud-Kivu region.
Bukavu town is bordered by the Lake Kivu and the Rwanda Rusizi border just an hour’s drive away from the border. This small town is still remote but boasts a very nice climate and a scenic view of the Lake Kivu from many points of the town. Bukavu was established in 1901 by the Belgian authorities then living in the area. The land was being used as a place to build a Belgian uprising against the Mobutu in the early 60s and also doubled as a refugee camp for Rwandan people who were fleeing the genocide in 1994. The walls of some of the buildings and cars until date today have bullet holes showing the existence of the Rwandan forces in the region. The region over the years has managed to regain its stability to a 75% rate and has a great future of being safe.
Bukavu town, the home of Kahuzi Biega national park, has over the years been evidently developed and can safely accommodate tourists coming in to visit the lowland gorillas. The Kahuzi biega lowland gorillas are the most visited and the major reason most tourists set out to Bukavu as a destination however the park eventually saw the need to diversify the attractions in the region. The Kahuzi Biega park authorities along with the local community that knows their area better, came together to identify a few hidden jewels of the region to top up the lowland gorilla trek.
This partnership saw the birth of the Tshibati waterfall as an individual tourist attraction in the region. The Tshibati waterfall is right at the entrance of another famous point in the park; the Lwiro Chimpanzee Sanctuary that gives the primates a second chance at life after being rescued from the forest. This also saw the emphasis of the Mbayo tea plantation as an activity when in Kahuzi Biega national park. The Mbayo tea plantation covers a vast area where you also get to learn about the growth of the cinchona also known as the source of quinine and also get to be a part of the tea picking process up to the end product which you will get to enjoy a cup of coffee at the end of the tour.
The Royal Court of the Kabare Kingdom was a major highlight as it put the cultural bit in the tourism in the region. The Kingdom was led by one Mwami Kabare Rugemanizi who showed his resistance to colonizers publicly to a point that he slapped a Belgian colonizer in his face in public which led to his exile from the kingdom to about 2,000 kilometers away. The history that this place holds is tremendous and one shouldn’t miss it out on. Mwami Kabare Rugemanizi was later after 20 years brought back to run the kingdom as it was on a standstill after his exile.
The Royal Court of the Kabare has had a long and outstanding tradition being the most powerful kingdom of the South Kivu region. On your visit to the Kabare kingdom, you will spend some time with some of the old Mwami’s wise men for a deeper insight of the Kingdom. You will get to see some of the important objects at the palace with symbolic importance to the kingdom. Get to enjoy the Griot sing the history of the Kabare Kingdom.
At the end of your visit, you will be entertained by a group of Bashi natives doing the Ntore dance. This is a famous dance performed by the natives of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo especially living in Bukavu. Be sure to book one or all the supplementary attractions while on your Congo safari to Kahuzi biega. Reach out to us and let us plan for you the desired itinerary.
