The popular Lake Bunyonyi is a prime destination where you can relax after the tiring gorilla safari in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The beautiful destination offers several adventure activities to its visitors who spend lesiurely holidays that the shores of the beautiful lake. Here are the top tourism activities that you can engage in while at the “Switzerland of Africa”.
Swimming
Lake Bunyonyi is free from bilharzias and there are neither hippos nor crocodiles found here. It is safe to swim here and enjoy. It is the second deepest lake in Africa so you ought to be a good swimmer. Some lodges such as Bird’s nest Resort also have a choice swimming pool or the lake for their guests.
Take a swim in one of Africa’s most beautiful lakes. There are also places along the lake where they have enclosed a section of the lake like a swimming pool where one can swim. But remember that it is a very deep lake and if you swim out into the lake, use some safety precautions such as a nearby canoe or buddy system.
Mountain Biking
You can ride around the lake on a mountain bike and enjoy the scenery, villages, people and get a feel for authentic Africa in Uganda. The temperature and weather are nice here due to the elevation and a bike ride will be most enjoyable and the Equatorial sun will not beat you down. Bike rides can be all day long or just a few hours. You will have a guide with a vehicle near to help you where necessary.
Bird Watching
The word Bunyonyi means a place of little birds and Lake Bunyonyi is a home to over 200 species of birds where one can do a great bird boat safari with your own birding guide from the water on some of the various islands surrounding the shores of the lake. You can go birding on one of the 29 islands on Lake Bunyonyi and combine it with a dugout canoe or motorized boat adventure.
Lake Bunyonyi is a great birding destination in Uganda where you will see some gray-crowned cranes, red-chested sunbirds, and many flycatchers.
Nature Walks and Hikes
You can go for hiking, take nature walks both on the Islands and around the Lake. The walks are not strenuous and can be taken at your pace, guides will go with you that you will not get lost and do not miss one of the highlights of your walk. Your hike will mostly be scenic in nature, some will lead you through small villages where you will meet Ugandans up close and personal, while others might be on an island that you came to with a dugout canoe. Your hike can also include some of the idyllic hamlets and villages with their terraced Gardens that surround the lake.
Boat Ride to the Punishment Island
The Bakiga People would take unwed pregnant girls to Punishment Island and abandon them there to nature. This would be a big event meant to frighten other girls to abstain from having sex outside marriage and causing the loss of the Bride’s Price for the family. Many boats would come, people, shouting, calling names, shaming the frightful girl even more. Some tried to swim back to the mainland but often died. The only way to escape was if a poor man that could not afford the bride’s price would come to the Island and rescue a girl. Today Nature seems to slowly destroy Punishment Island. It is good to have us arrange a boat ride here with a guide who knows the story and history of the Island.