With a cup of fresh coffee, overlooking the beautiful Lake Bunyonyi, I slowly wake up. The first rays of sunlight rise above the hill and soon it becomes warm. The fog slowly rises above the water and the rice terraces turn bright green. In the distance, I see a small island. Welcome to Uganda, on the beautiful Lake Bunyonyi.
In this travel guide, I will tell you everything you need to know about Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda! What the best hotels at Lake Bunyonyi are, fun activities at the lake and how to get to Lake Bunyonyi! Lake Bunyonyi is definitely one of the highlights of Uganda!
Relaxing at Lake Bunyonyi!
Surrounded by endless hills and with tens of small green islands, this place has something magical! It looks like an alien destination and because of all the greenery, you don’t have the feeling of being here in Africa. It could also be Asia with its rice fields, but then the pine trees are not right. North America is also possible, but it is far too hot for that since you are just over 200 kilometres from the equator.
All in all this place is so special, a big highlight in Uganda which you should not skip! We are here three days and two nights, the majority of which we fill with reading, kayaking and doing nothing. Lake Bunyonyi is our first stop after we have picked up the rental car in busy Kampala. In addition to the car, we have also rented camping gear, so we sleep in a tent and make our own food on a gas burner. After dinner, we drink red wine from metal camping cups and then crawl early into our tent.
Working out and yoga with a view on Lake Bunyonyi!
After hardly being able to do any exercise for two months in Madagascar, I have regained the sporting rhythm for two weeks. After breakfast, before it gets too hot, I lay down a towel on the cool grass and then start a yoga class via YouTube. Ries is joining me and there we are, standing clumsy and all stiff in a downward-facing dog overlooking the cool water.
Fun activities at or on Lake Bunyonyi!
1. Kayaking on the beautiful Lake Bunyonyi
Lake Bunyonyi is known for its clean water. There are no hippos here (life-threatening animals) like in a lot of other lakes in Uganda. The water is also clean and you can swim safely. Because of the many islands, this is the perfect place to explore the lake with a kayak.
We made a trip in a local kayak, a hollowed-out tree trunk with loose stools. Due to the unwieldiness and the instability of the loose stools, it was a real workout and balance exercise. It is also possible to make multi-day canoe and hike trips. The campsite where we slept offered this, among other things. For more information, take a look at their website.
2. View the lake and islands from a higher vantage point
A real must is to view Lake Bunyonyi from a higher point. There are hills all around the lake and if you go high enough you have a beautiful view of the water, the small islands and the endless hills. Hotel Arcadia Lodges is high and is, therefore, the perfect place to watch the sunset over the lake with a drink.
3. Visit the Supreme Adventure Park on the edge of Lake Bunyonyi!
Near the village of Rutinda is a small island where you can go zip lining, canoeing and take a High Ropes Parcour. Feeling like a little less adventurous? Then you can also take a bird watching trip here or book a boat trip. For more information about the Supreme Adventure Park, click here. You can also spend the night here, look here for more information.
4. Do nothing at all: relax at Lake Bunyonyi
But the ultimate activity to do here is to rest and do nothing at all. Enjoy nature and the peace and quiet around you, read a book or drift away in a hammock. Lake Bunyonyi is the perfect place to leave the crowds behind and to just relax!