Igongo Cultural Centre

Top choice in Southwestern Uganda


Located 12km from Mbarara on the road to Kampala, this cultural village features the best museum displays in Uganda. Set on the grounds of a former palace of the Ankole king, this quality museum explores the peoples of southwestern Uganda, particularly the Ankole, through artefacts, a cultural village replica and a heap of info. There's a restaurant serving traditional Ankole dishes, such as smoked Ankole cow's milk and boiled meats. There's also a new on-site hotel.

There's a great bookshop with an interesting selection of Ugandan reading material. Directly across from the centre is Biharwe Eclipse Monument atop Biharwe Hill. It was built to commemorate a victory for Ankole kingdom 500 years ago, following an eclipse that saw the invading king retreat in fear (and never return), spooked as day plunged into sudden darkness.


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