Where to Stay at Lake Bunyonyi (and Lake Mutanda)

Short answerLake Bunyonyi works as a decompression stop after gorilla trekking, not as a base for it — it is one to two hours from the Bwindi sectors on winding roads. Stay on the mainland shore for an easy arrival, or on an island for quiet. It is one of the few lakes in the region with no hippos or crocodiles, so you can actually swim.

Bunyonyi means “place of many little birds”, and it sits in a landscape of terraced hills in Uganda's south-west, its arms winding between islands. It is deep, cold, quiet, and after four or five days of pre-dawn alarms and forest mud it is exactly what most travellers want.

The mistake people make is treating it as a base for gorilla trekking rather than a reward for having done it. This guide covers where to stay and, more importantly, when to put it in the itinerary. Our Lake Bunyonyi guide covers the lake itself.

Bunyonyi is an after, not a before

Gorilla trekking briefings start early, at a sector headquarters, and being late means missing the trek entirely. Bunyonyi to a Bwindi briefing point is a winding drive in the dark. It can be done and we have done it, but it turns the most important morning of the trip into a stressful one for no gain.

Mainland shore or island?

Where to stay on Lake Bunyonyi

Bunyonyi's accommodation is generally simpler than the Bwindi gorilla lodges and priced accordingly, which suits its role in an itinerary — this is the stop where you want a terrace and a view, not full service. The luxury tier here would read as mid-range at Bwindi.

Lake Mutanda: the closer alternative

Lake Mutanda, near Kisoro, is the other south-western lake and is considerably closer to the Rushaga and Nkuringo trekking sectors. It has the Virunga volcanoes on the skyline, which Bunyonyi does not, and it is quieter still.

Mutanda can genuinely work as a trek base for the southern sectors, which is the main practical difference between the two lakes.

Bunyonyi or Mutanda?

What there is to do

Not much, deliberately, and that is the appeal after a week of early starts. The things worth doing:

• A dugout canoe trip around the islands, ideally in the early morning when the water is still and the mist is on the hills.
• Swimming, which you cannot do at most East African lakes.
• A village or community walk on the terraced slopes — Bakiga farming country, and among the most intensively terraced landscapes in Africa.
• Birding, which the lake is named for. Weavers, kingfishers, herons and cranes along the shore.
• Nothing. Genuinely a valid plan here.

Bunyonyi also sits well on a route between Bwindi and either Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park or the drive back north towards Lake Mburo and Kampala.

How to choose

1. Place it after the trek, never the night before.
2. Mainland if you're arriving late, island if you're arriving in daylight and want quiet.
3. Consider Mutanda insteadif you're trekking from Rushaga or Nkuringo, or crossing to Rwanda afterwards.
4. Two nights beats one. One night here is mostly spent arriving and leaving.
5. Pack a warm layer. It gets cold.

We build Bunyonyi into most southern-circuit itineraries as the stop after the trek. Tell us how much time you haveand we'll say honestly whether it fits.

Lake Bunyonyi accommodation: common questions

Where should you stay at Lake Bunyonyi? On the mainland shore near Rutinda if you want an easy arrival and departure, or on one of the islands if you want quiet and don't mind a boat transfer at each end. Island properties are more atmospheric; mainland ones are more practical when you are arriving late from a gorilla trek.

Can you swim in Lake Bunyonyi? Yes, and it is one of very few lakes in the region where you can. Bunyonyi has no hippos or crocodiles and is generally considered free of bilharzia, which is the reason it has become the standard place to unwind after trekking. It is deep and cold — check with your lodge about where they recommend.

Should I stay at Lake Bunyonyi before or after gorilla trekking? After. Bunyonyi is one to two hours from the Bwindi sectors on winding roads, which makes it a poor base for a briefing that starts early in the morning. As a decompression stop after the trek it is close to perfect.

How many islands are there on Lake Bunyonyi? Around 29, though counts vary with water level and with what people are willing to call an island. Several have accommodation on them, and the best-known — Punishment Island — carries a grim local history that the boat guides will explain.

How long does it take to get to Lake Bunyonyi from Bwindi? Roughly one to two hours depending on which Bwindi sector you are coming from and the state of the road. From the southern sectors it is short; from Buhoma in the north it is longer.

Is Lake Bunyonyi worth visiting? For most people on a gorilla itinerary, yes — it is a genuine change of pace after days of early starts and forest, and the terraced hills around it are among the most photographed landscapes in Uganda. If your trip is very short, it is the first thing we would cut.