Lake Bunyonyi: The Lake Stop Before or After Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi

Should I visit Lake Bunyonyi before or after gorilla trekking in Bwindi?

Most travellers place Lake Bunyonyi after the trek, when tired legs want a lake, a canoe and a slow day.

The lake sits between Kisoro and Kabale, close to the border with Rwanda, which makes it a natural add-on to a Bwindi trek from either direction. After the trek is the classic choice. Uganda gorilla treks last between 2 to 7 hours with 60 minutes of observation, and some reports say a trek can take from 30 minutes to three quarters of the day. A night or two on the shore afterwards is the standard recovery stop. Most visitors make it an R&R stop after gorilla trekking in nearby Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Before the trek also works if you sleep near the right trailhead the night before. Bwindi has four sectors: Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo. Kabale and the lake sit closer to the Ruhija and Rushaga side, while Kisoro serves Nkuringo and Mgahinga. If your permit is for Buhoma in the north, the lake is a detour, so do it after the trek instead. Plan at least a night or two on the shores or one of the islands. Trying to squeeze the lake into a trekking day usually means a rushed boat ride and a late drive. A note on seasons: mountain gorilla trekking permits are available throughout the year and the wettest months are March to May. Wet weather on the lake means colder swims and choppier canoe rides, another reason many trekkers keep the lake flexible at the end of the itinerary. Read more in Uganda Weather for Gorilla Trekking, Month by Month.

Source: Uganda Wildlife Authority.

What is special about Lake Bunyonyi?

It is a high, island-dotted lake ringed by terraced hills, with safe swimming, rich birdlife and a dark story on one of its islands.

Lake Bunyonyi sits at 1,962 m above sea level, is about 25 km long and 7 km wide and covers 61 square kilometers, with 29 islands scattered across it. Terraced hills around the shore reach 2,200 to 2,478 m. It is the largest and highest of three Kigezi highland lakes alongside Lake Mutanda and Lake Mulehe. For a gorilla trekker the appeal is simple: after hours of steep forest, the lake offers flat water, warm terraces and no early alarm. Its 200-plus bird species include the Grey Crowned Crane, and the lake has swimming, boat cruising, hikes and nature walks on offer. If you are weighing the lake against the volcanoes themselves, our Virunga Mountains guide covers the hiking alternative.

Is Lake Bunyonyi the deepest in the world?

No, and even the depth itself is disputed, with science saying about 40 m and local guides saying about 900 m.

Scientific literature quotes a maximum depth of 40 m (130 ft), but tourist guides and locals claim about 900 m, which would make it the second deepest lake in Africa after Lake Tanganyika at 1,471 m. Other operator estimates run from 44 m to 900 m. So is it the deepest in the world? No. It is not the deepest in Africa on any published figure, and the measured depth is far below the world's deepest lakes. The honest answer for a traveller is that the lake is deep enough that weak swimmers should stay near the shore, and the 900 m claim should be enjoyed as local legend rather than fact. The same caution applies at altitude on the Bwindi trails: take local claims about effort and distance with a grain of salt.

How was Lake Bunyonyi formed?

A volcanic eruption blocked a valley near Muko about 18,000 years ago and the dammed valley filled into the lake you see today.

The lake was formed about 18,000 years ago by a volcanic eruption blocking a valley near Muko. That origin explains the shape: a long, branching body of water about 22 to 25 km long with drowned valleys that now read as its many arms and islands. The same volcanic landscape produced the gorilla habitat you will have walked. The lakes and the mountain gorillas of Bwindi and Mgahinga share one highland region, which is exactly why the lake makes such a convenient trekking add-on.

How many islands are on Lake Bunyonyi, and what is the story of Punishment Island?

The lake has 29 islands, and the most talked about is Akampene, the Punishment Island, where the Bakiga once abandoned unmarried pregnant girls.

The lake holds 29 islands, including Punishment Island and Bushara Island. The Bakiga used to leave unmarried pregnant girls on Akampene, the Punishment Island, to die, a practice abandoned in the first half of the 20th century. Guides tell the story on nearly every boat trip. Bwama island carries a very different history: in 1931 missionary Leonard Sharp established a leprosy treatment centre there. Kyahugye Island is the closest to the shore, covering 74 acres with birding and nature walks, which makes it the easiest island target for a short trip. Bushara Island is a pine-shaded stop popular with campers. A standard island-hopping canoe trip takes in two or three of these stops. Budget half a day to do it properly, or a shorter evening paddle if your trek starts early the next morning.

What can I do at Lake Bunyonyi during a gorilla trip?

Swim, take canoe rides and island hops, join sunset boat cruises, hike, walk in villages, watch birds, ride mountain bikes and zip line at Supreme Adventure Park.

Activities include canoe rides and island hopping, sunset boat cruises, Batwa pygmy tours, hiking, community village walks, zip lining at Supreme Adventure Park, bird watching and mountain biking. The lake also has over 200 bird species, swimming, boat cruising, hikes and nature walks. On a price comparison, few operators publish current activity costs. One travel writer reports that a motorized one-hour canoe tour cost 100,000 USh and a non-motorized boat 50,000 USh, and that a boda boda ride to Rutinda cost 5,000 USh one way. Expect to confirm prices locally on the day, since figures are not stated on most operator sites. Culture is a big part of the offer. The Bakiga and Batwa live on the shores, the Batwa having been evicted from Bwindi and Mgahinga. Cultural sites include the Bakora cave and the Abaheesi traditional smiths. One caution from travellers: some Batwa tribe tours are considered exploitative, so make an informed decision before you book one. Our own Gorilla Trekking and Batwa Experience tour covers the Batwa visit on the trek side.

Is Lake Bunyonyi safe to swim in?

Yes, the lake is reputed to be free of bilharzia and has no hippos or crocodiles, though its depth deserves respect.

Rumor has it the lake is free of bilharzia and safe for swimming, and travel writers report it is free of bilharzia and dangerous wildlife like hippos and crocodiles. The depth is the caution, mainly for inexperienced swimmers, so stay close to shore. For a trekker this matters more than it sounds. After a 2 to 7 hour trek you will want a proper swim, and at most gorilla lakes in the region that is not possible. Here it is, straight off the lodge lawn. Two practical notes. First, highland water is cool even on warm days, so get in slowly. Second, weather can cancel water plans, and the wettest months for the region are March to May, so keep a shore-based backup such as a village walk for stormy afternoons.

Does Lake Bunyonyi have fish?

Yes, the lake holds Nile Tilapia and Clarias stocked in large numbers, plus mudfish, crayfish and mirror carp.

At the end of 2002, 300,000 Nile Tilapia and Clarias fish were released into the lake, which also holds mudfish, crayfish and mirror carp. Crayfish is the local specialty on lodge menus. You can fish at the lake, and anglers should arrange a trip through their lodge since operator prices for fishing are not stated online. For everyone else the fish matter as dinner. Ask for crayfish at Arcadia Lodge or your own terrace table, and you get the classic Lake Bunyonyi meal the same week you met the gorillas. Note that the lake was historically known for having few fish before stocking, so fishing is a newer activity here rather than a tradition.

How do I get to Lake Bunyonyi from Bwindi or Kampala?

The lake lies about 7 km west of Kabale between Kisoro and Kabale, reached by road from any Bwindi sector or on the long drive from Kampala.

The lake is in south-western Uganda between Kisoro and Kabale, close to the border with Rwanda, about 7 km west of Kabale town. From Kampala or Entebbe the drive is long, with one worked itinerary quoting about 8 hours to the Bwindi area including a lunch stop in Mbarara, and Kabale sits further along the same route. From Bwindi, driving time depends on your sector. Rushaga and Ruhija are the closest to Kabale and the lake, while Nkuringo and Mgahinga connect more easily via Kisoro. Buhoma in the north is the farthest, so plan the lake either before reaching Bwindi or well after it. A boda boda from Kabale to the Rutinda landing cost 5,000 USh one way according to one travel writer. If you are flying into Kigali instead, the lake is close to the Rwanda border, which is why so many trekkers route through Kigali. Our Bwindi Gorilla Trekking from Kigali guide covers that crossing in detail, and the East Africa Tourist Visa lets you move between both countries on one visa.

Source: Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Where can I stay at Lake Bunyonyi?

Sleep on the shore or on an island, with Arcadia Lodge the well-known terrace stop and Bushara Island an option for campers.

It is recommended to spend at least a night or two on the shores or one of the islands. Arcadia Lodge claims the most breathtaking panorama and welcomes non-guests for a drink or meal on the terrace, with crayfish as a local specialty. Bushara Island works for camping and Kyahugye Island sits closest to the shore with its own nature walks. Choose your side of the lake by your next drive. Kabale side suits departures towards Kampala or the Rwanda border, while the Kisoro side suits a return to Nkuringo or Mgahinga. Accommodation prices at the lake are not stated in the guides we draw on, so confirm rates directly when you book, the same way you would compare gorilla trekking cost across the two countries.

Sources: Uganda Wildlife Authority, Visit Rwanda.