Things to do on Lake Victoria in Uganda : Lake Victoria being the largest lake in Uganda and the whole of Africa gives it the opportunity to attract lots of activities including tourism activities. Spot fishing and boat ride are done from different of the lakes and one of the places being Entebbe where Mabamba swamp is also located along the shores of Lake Victoria. This is a relative big swamp as it cuts across a long narrow bay with most of it covered by the Cyperus papyrus especially as you head towards Lake Victoria. In some places, somewhere in the middle there is this open water channel. It is small but it sometimes cuts off part of the swamp from the main swamp create a swamp island of some sort and this sometimes sails away.
Bird watching on Mabamba swamp
It is a really great place for bird watching. There are over 300 bird species that live in the Mabamba swamp and visiting it gives you the chance to witness the quality and quantity that nature has to offer. During your walk in the swamp, you will realize that among the 300 birds living there, the papyrus endemic birds like the Papyrus Gonolek as well as the Papyrus Yellow Warble, among others are in plenty, there are also the migrants like the Gull-billed Tern, the Blue Swallow and White-winged Tern as well as others. You might also be lucky and see the popular but rare Shoebill stork, a bird that almost everyone on a birding safari is interested in seeing. The other species include the Spur-winged Goose, the Goliath Heron, there may be the Squacco Heron and many more thus making it the best birding destination in the area. The existence of these so many species is the reason why Mabamba was identified as a Ramsar site therefore marked as an IBA, which means very Important Bird Area.
Butterfly watching on Lake Victoria
Besides the birds, there are other attractions like there butterflies for those that love watching them fly around the place. In Mabamba swamp, you can find about 200 butterfly species flying and this is a really big number which means the whole place looks colorful. There are also some very rare types of butterflies which hard to find anywhere else but common in this swamp for example the Bicyclus sebetus, Abisaraneavei, Acraea consanquinea and Acraea aganice as well as the Acraea aurivilli and many more.
Spot fishing on Lake Victoria
Fishing is also possible so if you have never see how the local fishermen cast their fish nets and collect the fish afterwards, here is the opportunity. When you visit Mabamba wetland, you will find so many fishermen and on request, you can join them and participate if you wish to go fishing otherwise you can just watch them do it from a canoe. It’s important to note that this bay supports are very profitable fishery industry and that is at a commercial level but the locals also fish for their own domestic consumption. In that water there is the Tilapia zillii (Zilli’s Tilapia), the Orechcromis niloticus commonly called the Nile Tilapia and the Oreochromis leucostictus which are the 3 types of Tilapia fish which is on high demand on the market.
Go for canoe ride.
We can also organize a slow canoe ride on the lake and while on the canoes, you can do a little bit of fishing using the local materials like the rod and a hook as well as watching the birds. The canoe ride give you the chance to do the Shoebill trekking and you may be lucky and see them since many shoebill storks live in that swamp, you may be lucky and see 1 or more. That would such a memorable experience to anyone.
Go craft shopping or go for a village walk
With a local guide, you can go for a village walk and this will give you the chance to interact with the locals. You can check out the craft shops in the area where locals sell their craft products and these include items like baskets, huts, mats and other materials. Most of the materials that they use is locally acquired for example the papyrus is got from the wet lands and this used as building materials more so for the roofing, the water from the swamp is used for both domestic use and for their livestock. Locals also get their local herbs from this very place since there are lots of tree species and each has its medicinal values.
If you are interested in wildlife, you will be pleased to see the Sitatungas and the swamp antelopes although their existence is threatened by the human activities like hunting for meat.
If you have some time in Entebbe before or after the tour in other parts of Uganda, you should visit Mabamba swamp. Have it included in your itinerary and it will be an amazing experience and all worthwhile. This is the closest place that you can find these so many bird species. Knee bird watchers will surely have a really amazing time especially if you are able to see the shoebill stork at a really close range. The Mabamba swamp walk is a great addition activity to your main tour which may be a wildlife, primates or cultural safari to other parts of Uganda.
