General Information
Lake Bunyonyi is said to be the deepest water lake in Uganda and second in Africa after Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania. The lake is seated at an altitude of 1950 m above sea level covering 25 km in length and 5 km in width. The lake is known to have a depth of 44m to 900m making it the deepest in Uganda. Being home to about 200 bird species, its name Bunyonyi meaning little birds could have been derived from this.
Lake Bunyonyi has 29 small islands all of which have an intricate story attached to them. Some of the most frequently visited islands include; Bwama Island, Bushara Island, Akampene Island, Akabucuranuka Island and Kahugye Island. A visit to Lake Bunyonyi can be combined with a gorilla tracking safari at Bwindi Impenetrable national park as it is only a two hours drive. Visitors from other savannah game parks like Queen Elizabeth national park and Murchison falls national park also come here to relax and drown out the noise in the serenity that the lake offers.
How to Get To Lake Bunyonyi
Lake Bunyonyi is approximately 439 km from Kampala, the business hub for Uganda. The lake is located in South Western Uganda between Kabale and Kisoro districts. It can be accessed by road in a 7 to 8 hours drive using Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara-Kabale road. Also a charter flight can be arranged from Kampala to Kisoro airstrip and from there an hour’s drive to Lake Bunyonyi.
What To Do At Lake Bunyonyi
With the beautiful scenery and picturesque landscapes, Lake Bunyonyi is a quiet haven for relaxing after a long safari in the savannah game parks of Uganda or a long day of gorilla tracking or just a break away from the tiring hustle and bustle of city life. Not only does it cater to relaxation, active travelers can spend days of adventure on canoes, kayaks, hiking and mountain bikes which are always available for hire. These are some of the activities you can engage in while visiting Lake Bunyonyi;
- Canoeing: This involves one riding in a traditionally dugout canoe or boat across the waters of lake Bunyonyi. This gives one a feel of a day in the life of a local fisherman while offering breathtaking views of the surrounding terraces.
- Roaming The Island: The Lake has 29 islands each with a unique history attached to it. Visitors to Lake Bunyonyi have the opportunity to visit these islands on a motor boat at a small fee. Some of these islands include;
- Akampene island (Punishment Island) which is said to have been a place for exile to bakiga girls who got pregnant before marriage and they would starve to death or drown trying to swim back to the mainland or men who didn’t have cows to pay dowry could save them.
- Akabucuranika Island (upside down island; it is said that many years ago, some male revelers on the island refused to share their drinks with an old lady who was a sorceress. She then performed her magic and turned the island upside down, drowning all of them and flipped it back as if nothing ever happened. Kahugye Island, Bwama Island and Bushara Island among others can be visited on Lake Bunyonyi.
- Muko And Ruhuma Swamp Visit: The best spot for bird lovers at Lake Bunyonyi. Species like white-winged warbler, fan-tailed widowbird, papyrus canary, weavers among others. A visit can be done using a motor boat or a dugout canoe arranged through the hotel or local tour operators.
- Batwa Pygmies: A visit to the Batwa from the lake can be arranged through your local tour operator as you cannot go there on your own. The Batwa live far on the high slopes near Echuya forest reserve and only descend by arrangement. You can get to enjoy their cultures and traditional dances. The Batwa can also be seen in Bwindi impenetrable national park or Mgahinga national park.
Other activities to do at lake Bunyonyi are; birding, mountain biking and nature or village tours. These can be arranged with your tour operator depending on your safari itinerary.
Where to Stay In Bunyonyi
Accommodations are scattered along the shores of Lake Bunyonyi and vary according to tastes and price from budget, midrange and luxury. Some of the facilities include; Bird Nest , Arcadia Lodge Bunyonyi, Bunyonyi overland resort, Lake Bunyonyi Eco Resort among many others.
