A beautiful remote lake, dotted with tiny islands, in the far west of Uganda. An excellent stop over between the gorilla parks and Kampala and offers places to chill out and enjoy the scenery or canoeing, walking or bird watching.
This southern part of Uganda is outstanding in natural beauty. Numerous crater lakes and mountains dot the landscape and rural villages line the small roads and hillsides. This is a lovely area to get to know the local people and wherever you go, children will be sure to try and join you on your walks! Mountain bikes are also available to hire and this is fantastic country for biking.
Bunyonyi is accessed from the small town of Kabale which is the gateway to the gorilla parks of Uganda and has good facilities. On the lake there are a few small eco-camps on the islands and basic lodges on the shores. This is a freshwater lake which is safe to swim in (no hippos or crocodiles and free from bilharzia) and canoeing is popular here too. Birdwatching is good with over 200 local species.
Lake Bunyonyi is formed from lava flow off the Virunga Mountains, thought to be as long as 8000 years ago. The lake surface has an area of around 60km square and is a very strange shape as it sweeps around the hilly peninsulas. There are about 20 islands dotted over the water and several small villages.
There are many folk legends and historical stories surrounding Bunyonyi including versions of why there are little or no fish in the lake, the origins of the islands and the tribal people and Kigezi region. Although there is a shortage of fish in the lake, the local crayfish are prolific and delicious and can be sampled around the area.
There is a local population of Batwa Pygmy tribes in the area around Bunyonyi, though the more common place to visit these people is from Bwindi forest. The Forest Peoples Project is working hard to protect these indigenous tribes and arrange local village walks to meet them in a sensitive way.