Uganda Safaris and Tours.
A drive to the Southwestern part
of Uganda can be quite eye-catching. Vast stretches of plantations, modern
country homes, Mount Muhabura, a smooth highway and an enormous expanse of
green all combine to provide beautiful scenery as one travels to this part of
the country.
Known as the Switzerland of
Africa, Kigezi highlands are a leading holiday destination. One of the
beautiful holiday stops is Lake Bunyonyi, lying between Kisoro and Kabale
districts in Southwestern Uganda. It is the second deepest lake in Africa with
a depth of 900 meters in some places. This picturesque lake, decked with
beautiful green islands, hills and valleys is a haven for a number of foreign
and domestic tourists.
Getting To Bunyonyi.
From Kampala, there are a number
of regular buses to Kabale. Once at the Kisenyi bus terminal, the bus touts
will swam a traveler, dart for your bag and literally drag you to their buses.
Depending on your bargaining power, the journey will cost you between Shs
25,000 to Shs 35,000.
Once on the road, the beautiful
scenery provides a soothing effect; you easily forget the trouble you went
through. From Kabale, there is a short distance to Lake Bunyonyi via Rutinda by
bodaboda or using a hired vehicle. The trip costs between Shs 50,000 and Shs
100,000. The journey to the shore of the lake from the town is eight
kilometers. It is an up and down expedition on a dirt road and all you see are trees,
terraces, hills and swamp cover. One minute you are uphill looking down a steep
slope and the next you are making descent, the different heights making the
trip even more exciting.
On getting the first glimpse of
the lake with its fairytale dark and charming calm, the journey to the shores
continues downhill, leading to a number of exotic resorts and camping sites.
Another uphill climb leads you to Lake Bunyonyi Overland Resort.
Activities on the Lake:
Besides camping, most guests love
going for motorboat rides or canoeing to get a good view of the surrounding area.
The prices vary depending on the time you are going to spend on the lake. With
29 islands on Lake Bunyonyi, guests can go island hopping.
Guests can also go swimming and
bird watching. Lake Bunyonyi (which means, a place of many little birds)
surrounded by steep sided, heavily cultivated mountainous scenery, has also
attracted 200 species of birds that flap their wings endlessly. The lake is a
great place to see colonies of weavers, as well as bigger birds such as,
herons, egrets, the grey crowned crane, the crested crane among many others.
The Batwa, an indigenous tribe of
the area can also be visited to learn about their culture and lifestyle. Lake
Bunyonyi is a swimmers paradise, a bird-watchers dream come true and a great
place to be outdoors.
