Lake Bunyonyi – Best Water Front Chill out Venue
You shouldn’t be surprised when we say Uganda has it all, because the diversity here is awesome. Mountains, Wildlife, people/cultures, forests lakes…. Today we single out Lake Bunyonyi, a rising waterfront chill-out venue in southwestern Uganda. The lake is in a flooded valley that separates the districts of Kabale and Kisoro.
If you are a traveler, landscape lover, and African travel destinations researcher, you must have come across this wonder. Surrounded by terraced hills, the 25km long and 5km wide lava dammed lake is said to be the second deepest in Africa after Tanganyika in Tanzania. On the shores of the lake are colonies and nests of weaver birds and other several bird species. It is for these birds, the lake got its name Bunyonyi which translates to “Place of little birds”.
Most visitors take advantage of the fact that the lake is near the gorilla trekking trailheads like Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo of Bwindi impenetrable national park and just a turn and 8km drive from Kabale Kisoro road for those visiting Mgahinga gorilla national park. After gorilla tracking, which is a bit strenuous, we at the time decide to have our visitors rested here and also prepare for long drives back to Kampala. There are dozens of lodges that surround the lake and some are on some of the 29 islands that are enclosed by the lake.
Lake Bunyonyi is a place for all kinds of travelers, those who are active and those who want to just relax. There is a lot to engage in and keep occupied for a day or more. These include
Island tour.
A cruise on the lake usually takes you to 3 famous islands that include Bwama (Sharp) Island where Dr. Leonard Sharp had established a leper colony in 1921 and now accommodates 2 schools, Kyahugye Island that accommodates Lake Bunyonyi Eco Lodge, and wildlife that includes Zebras, waterbucks, impalas, kobs that were introduced from Lake Mburo national park and the Akampene (Punishment Island) where the unmarried pregnant girls were dumped and left to die. There is nothing like skeletons here other than the tree that is in the middle of this small island.
Canoe rides
Dugout canoes offer the most commonly used mode of transport. Women, men, and children use these to cross, to take their produce to markets, go to school, and access hospitals. You can take an adventure and trying riding around.
Zip lining and high ropes.
Swing across the calm waters of Lake Bunyonyi from one shore to another. You can also engage in a walk on high ropes at an adventure park on the shore of the lake.
The other activities include community tours to the Batwa, mountain biking, birding, and swimming in the bilharzia, crocodile, and hippo free waters of Lake Bunyonyi.
This is one of the idyllic places in Africa that Uganda has to offer. Given the highlight, we guess you would love to visit Lake Bunyonyi.