Lake Bunyonyi
Lake Bunyonyi is a spectacular.
A body of water located in southwestern Uganda, near the border with Rwanda. It is known for its crystal clear waters, stunning scenery, and rich cultural history. The lake is believed to be one of the deepest in Africa, with depths reaching up to 900 meters. Its name, which means “place of many little birds” in the local language, is a testament to the lake’s abundant birdlife, which includes over 200 species.
Lake Bunyonyi is surrounded by steep hills and verdant forests, creating a dramatic and awe-inspiring landscape. The area around the lake is also home to a number of traditional Ugandan communities, including the Batwa people, who have lived in the area for thousands of years. Visitors to Lake Bunyonyi can learn about these fascinating cultures and their unique ways of life through cultural tours and interactions with local people.
In addition to its natural and cultural attractions, Lake Bunyonyi is a popular destination for adventure activities, including canoeing, kayaking, hiking, and mountain biking. It is also a great place to relax and unwind, with a number of tranquil resorts and lodges located along its shores.
Where it follows the contours of the hilly terrain that separates the towns of Kabale and Kisoro. It is a very scenic spot, dotted with small islands and ringed by steep terraced hills. It has been a popular day trip out of Kabale for years.
The Bunyonyi walk
The walkout of the lake is worthwhile in its own right, as it passes traditional homesteads and patches of forest rustling with birdlife. You can also ask to be shown a place near Kyabahinga where otters are regularly seen.
Over the last few years, a number of mid-range resorts have been constructed on and around Lake Bunyonyi. More perhaps than can realistically sustain the relatively low volume of visitors to the lake.
If one or two of the places listed below have folded by the time you get there. The good thing for travellers, however, is that there are plenty of choices. The resorts are far enough apart that you could spend an extended period of time exploring.
New activities
An exciting new development, assuming that it comes to fruition.
This will be a three-day, two-night trail connecting the lake to Kisoro. The first day will entail a ferry ride from the Resort Hotel to the western shore of the lake. Followed by a hike climbing 300m to Kishanje.
The second day will involve a hike through the Muchoya Swamp to Behungi. And on the third day, hikers will head southwards to Kisoro or Mgahinga.
The trail will be led by a local guide with overnight stops at fixed rustic camps.
It is unlikely that this trail will be up and running before the end of 1998.
More on Lake Bunyonyi, Kabale, and Kisoro
The southwestern corner of Uganda, known as Kigezi, is one of the most beautiful and distinctive parts of the country. Characterized by fertile steep-sided hills covered from top to bottom in neatly terraced rows of cultivation.
The region’s largest urban centre is Kabale, which lies 430km from Kampala and 147km from Mbarara – an easy day’s ride from the capital via one of the best roads in the country.
Kabale is an appealing, friendly town, and the surrounding scenery is sprawling island-strewn. The beautiful Lake Bunyonyi is more than enough reason to justify a visit to this corner of Uganda.
Although the general scenery and Lake Bunyonyi are in themselves enough justification for visiting this part of the country. Kabale and Kisoro are, for most visitors, little more than staging posts en route to one or other of Africa’s four ‘mountain gorilla reserves’.
Lake Bunyonyi extends well north of Kabale; the northernmost tip practically laps the Kisoro road about 42km past Kabale. There’s a small campsite on this part of the lakeshore within the Muko Forestry Reserve.
Muko lies roughly 12km northwest of Kyabahinga as the crow flies, and you can easily hire a boat between the two. Walking might also be an interesting possibility, particularly if you’re heading to Kisoro anyway.
Finally, there is the Muko Forestry Reserve Campsite, situated on a conifer plantation on the northern tip of Lake Bunyonyi. There are plenty of walking possibilities in the area, most obviously a 3km road which runs through the plantation east of the campsite.
