UNIQUENESS, LOCATION, FORMATION AND HISTORY OF THE PARK.
Buhanga Eco tourism site is a small forest locally termed as “sacred” and is the cultural heritage of the Yore people of Rwanda. The park is a ritual and an ancient place where the Yore people used to crown and enthrone their kings. The mystery park offers thrilling tourism activities that visitors can engage in like bird watching, hiking experiences and nature walking.
Buhanga forest is endowed with a rich ecosystem and is dominated by hilly stony trails and big tall trees making up dense and thick forests. Buhanga Eco Park is small and covers about 31 hectares of the total surface area.
Buhanga Eco Park is a true definition of natural beauty, the combination of lush green vegetation, climbing and crawling plants under the dense thick canopies alongside huge tall trees bring out the true beauty of Buhanga. There is a wide range of bird species, butterflies and other mammal species in the forest that have attracted both domestic and international visitors.
The morning hours and the afternoon hours of the day are the best time to visit the forest as these will enable visitors and travelers to have a great feel of the sights and sounds of the beautiful bird species in the forest.
WHAT TO SEE IN BUHANGA ECO PARK.
Buhanga Eco Park is endowed with various treasures and while some are open, some are hidden in this mysterious ritual forest. The forest is made up of different sections that will throw visitors into a world of ancient times including the conference podium, three in one tree, dark cave and the ditch at Buhanga Eco Park.
The dark cave. The dark cave is such a mysterious place full of history and this is the stopover of the ancient King of the Yore people where he used to refresh after being driven swiftly in their “Ingobyi” royal carriages before heading for the conference podium.
From the King’s place in Nyanza, the King would be swiftly wheeled to the spot where he could take a holy blessing birth in the spring water made up of different herbs collected from the ditch. This was popularly known as the “Fortune bestowing bath” and locally known as “Kwihagira”.
Buhanga’s small ditch. The popular small ditch in the Eco park is where the King’s assistants would pick a wide range of different herbs meant for the King’s fortune bestowing bath. The King’s assistants were locally known as “Abiru” in Kinyarwanda. The purpose of the herbs mixed in spring water was to cleanse this water before the King could take his bath.
The conference podium. The ancient podium is where the King would be enthroned and given all the Kingship titles like “Umwami” of Rwanda. The Kingship instruments that would be used during the King’s reign were given to the King right at the conference podium. The spot is where the King would also get his Kingship blessings and protection from the gods. Elders, clan heads, advisory committees and all royals would bless the Kingship ceremonies right from this ancient spot.
The three in one tree. This is also locally known as “Inyabantu” in the Kinyarwanda language and in the same place is “Umuvumu” which means the curse. It is referred to as the curse by the Rwandan people because it is said a long time ago local men cut the trees for firewood but before they could collect it, all the firewood collected itself back to the original tree and all the local men died with their families the next day. The Rwandan people treasure and believe that the three in one tree represents harmony and togetherness of the three Rwandan ethnic groups.
