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5 hours
Daily Tour
Unlimited
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Our motorboat is awaiting you for a Lake Bunyonyi experience like no other! Have fun, meet a remarkable craftmaker and an intriguing islander, eat well — and let a guide take you through the story of the lake, the region and the nation… Oh yes, even if you are a Mukiga, you will learn a lot and in an entertaining way! (Don’t miss the Tour Video about Lake Bunyonyi.)
Departure times: 9am and 2pm
There is also a shorter version of this trip available, the Mini Cruise.
The listed price applies when we have 5 participants or more.
We will pick you up from your lodge or from Rutindo market and give you a short motorboat ride to the tip of the Kyabahinga peninsula. From here, some 20 minutes of gradual hiking will be required to reach the best view point, allowing you to clearly see all three sides of the fascinating Y-shaped lake with its 29 islands. This is going to be the most demanding walk of the day but totally worth it, trust us. Our guides will present the amazing stories of Bunyonyi’s major islands to you as you admire them from above.
A little below the viewpoint lives Mrs Annah. You will be surprised by the colourful collection of crafts, jewellery and very affordably priced fashion accessories.
The motorboat will take you to Habukomi Island, the island of pelicans — for an unknown reason the small Bunyonyi flock of pelicans all nest here. However, the legendary elder Tom who is famous for his homestay, will have many other interesting things to share as he takes you around the island! Habukomi used to be one of the centres of Nyabingi, the traditional religion. You will also clearly see the Upside Down Island that offers a tale about the importance of sharing.
Next is a visit to Bunyonyi’s most notorious island, the Punishment one. Here, unfortunate girls who got pregnant before marriage were dumped, emphasising the importance of marriage to the traditional Bakiga people. The practice stopped when British missionaries arrived to treat leprosy in the area. Their leader, Dr Sharp, based himself on an island nearby, and you will land on it and have a look at his house.
You will continue the boat journey past Bwama Island — the former leprosy hospital that now hosts a secondary school and Slovenian medical student teams — to Itambira Island. In the olden days, Bakiga would paddle to Itambira to collect special medicine for specific diseases. Its name originates from “healing”.
Here, in a cosy and pleasant environment, Seeds of Hope is generating funds for rural development projects. You will down a soft drink as you look around the site.
On the way back to the starting point, we will pass by Mr Mutebile’s island where we are likely to see some zebras and antelopes grazing on its shores. The last stop will be Edirisa on Lake Bunyonyi, an unusual site with one of the best cooks of the lake area.
After Chef Brenda shows you the cleverly submerged wooden swimming pool and other attractions of Edirisa, she will serve you a BBQ lunch/dinner with a tasty twist. Do you want to eat in our cool tree house perhaps?
We recommend you consider adding the Supreme Adventure Park to your Bunyonyi Day. Priced at 40,000 USh for ziplining only and 60,000 USh for the whole package with high ropes, it is located just opposite Edirisa. Please book in the “Extras” section.
