What is Lake Bunyonyi Known for? Lake Bunyonyi is well known to be the second deepest lake in After Lake Tanganyika but it is considered as the first deepest lake in Uganda which is located in Kabale district in the South Western part in the country and it is close to the boarder of Rwanda along Kabale – Kisoro road which is at an elevation of about 1962 meters above the sea level.
Lake Bunyonyi is famous for its vegetation cover that is filed with green lush and the green terraced hills which range from 2200 meters to 2478 meters and it is ranked among the best destinations for birding in the country due to the fact it harbours over 200 bird species by gathering around the art of several water bird species and other kinds of birds. Lake Bunyonyi is also commonly known for its beautiful islands that make the lake more attractive and these islands include; Kahugye islands, Bwama Island, Akampene, which is referred to as the punishment island, Bushara Island, Bacuranuka Island and many others.
Lake Bunyonyi was formed as a result of the Magma that and erupted from Mount Virunga blocking the waters flowing from River Ndego which later created a dam that turned out to be a lake . More so, the name of this lake was derived from a native word, which means “small words” which emphasizes the point as to why Lake Bunyonyi is referred to as the lake of small birds, and it is known to have existed for about 8000 years.
Things to do while in Lake Bunyonyi.
There are several things/ activities that tourists on their Uganda safari in Lake Bunyonyi can engage in and activities include the following;
Bird watching.
Lake Bunyonyi, which also happens to be referred to as the lake of little birds, is a home to over 200 bird species which attract many individuals who are bird lovers to visit and get to see a variety of birds.
This lake has a good environment for majority of birds because it is surrounded with swamps, islands, forests that all are the bleeding places for several bird species. Therefore, tourists in Lake Bunyonyi have great chances of sightseeing bird species like; the black Heron, African Harrier Hawk, Egrets, Grey crowned crane, the levillant cuckoo, golden black weaver birds, raptors, sunbirds, wood pecker and many more.
Fishing.
Lake Bunyonyi is a fresh water body with several fish species that attract many tourists to Uganda who love to engage in fishing activities. In addition, while during this activity, the fish specie that is commonly caught on this lake is known to be the Cray fish, it is the most readily, and delicious fish available and easily found in Lake Bunyonyi waters and other neighbouring water bodies. This fish is prepared in different ways such as; prepared with soup or fried and served with salads. More so, another fish species that can be caught on Lake Bunyonyi is the Mudfish.
Hiking and Nature walks.
Tourists on Lake Bunyonyi are offered with the best hiking trails, which lead you through the bamboo forests, and these trails are a bit tiring hence emphasizing the point on only how individuals who are physically and mentally fit are suitable to engage into hiking. more so tourists are also able to go for nature walks through forests where they get to look at several wildlife species , bird species, beautiful butterflies, mammal species, primate species such as monkeys which make the peoples tour more interesting.
Canoeing.
Tourists who opt to go for a canoe ride on Lake Bunyonyi have a fascinating and memorable time of their tour. These canoe activities always begin from the Bafuka trading centre, which always takes, takes the visitors along the shores of Lake Bunyonyi as they get opportunities to outlook water birds, farmlands and islands. Canoeing activities involve both non-motorized canoes and motorized canoes and visitors are given a chance to choose what they prefer to use as they explore through the 29 islands that are all found in lake Bunyonyi. However, tourists usually choose a few and different islands to visit required that each has its own history but among these, Akampene which is also referred to as the punishment island is ranked as the most visited because this is where the Bakiga used to neglect and abandon their daughters who got pregnant before as their punishment to starve or die in water since even girls were not always trained to swim.
In addition, the canoes are also seen as the best means of transport that individuals commonly use to cross from One Island to another.
Cultural encounters.
Tourists who are interested in learning about other cultures can engage in cultural encountering activities and this is when they get to meet with the Batwa people who are known to be the first people to stay within the forests. However, later, the government due to that these forests were turned into national parks and this led them to being homeless until today displaced these people. In addition, they now work in local people’s farms and became potters as a way to earn a way of earning a living and they entertain their visitors with traditional dance performances, sing folk songs and tell stories of which these stories help the tourists to learn more about the Batwa’s history.
Mountain Biking.
Tour guides at Lake Bunyonyi arrange the mountain biking which help the tourists who join the mountain biking activities to get a clear view of the magical islands, the lake and the surrounding hills. More so, tourists need to that some of the lodging facilities in the area also provide these bikes for hire.
Therefore will all the above mentioned activities carried out in Lake Bunyonnyi, there are more thrilling and adventurous activities that they also engage themselves in and these include; Community visits, Zip lining, local market tours and many more.
Accommodation facilities offered in Lake Bunyonyi.
Tourists who visit Lake Bunyonyi are offered with a variety of accommodation facilities, which range from Budget, Mid-range and luxury and these include; Bunyonyi safari lodge, Bunyonyi overland resort, Crater Bay cottages, Lake Bunyonyi Eco resort, Africa Explorer Eco village, Bushara island camp, Byoona Amagara birds nest, Arcadia lodge and Upendo guest home among others.
How to get to Lake Bunyonyi.
Tourists planning to travel to Lake Bunyonyi can use road transport means and this when they take a drive from Kampala city to kabale town where they will later take another short drive from Kabale town to Lake Bunyonyi and this journey will take them about 7-8 hours, also covering a distance of 410 square kilometers.
Contact our trusted and experienced tour operators in case of any inquires about Lake Bunyonyi and also Book with our tours and travels companies like; Achieve Global Safaris for the best offers on your tour packages to Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda.
