Cycling Tours Around Lake Bunyonyi

Cycling Tours Around Lake Bunyonyi

Cycling tours around Lake Bunyonyi are one of the tourist activities on the rise among many itineraries. Before cycling was not seen as a viable tourist activity to include on one’s bucket list since the other activities like nature walks and game drives seemed to be enough. However, the cycling tours were then investigated and hold that their experiences were a bit different. The cycling or biking tours as some may call them are physical and healthy since they enable one to burn out some extra calories as they ride the tough terrain.

Cycling tours also go head to navigate through small paths that safari vehicles may not pass. The nature walks were limited to short trails because visitors tire out on the longer tracks. However, cycling tours enable visitors to extend further into the communities and interact with the locals as they explore their cultures and traditions.

Cycling tours around Lake Bunyonyi ensure visitors have an amazing experience from the views of the lake and its dotted islands to scenes of the terraced rolling hills and interactions with the locals. The area around Lake Bunyonyi is well-curved with steep and challenging terrain to smooth flat terrain. Therefore the experienced cyclers who would wish to test their adrenaline can take the steep terrain and after a battle with exhaustion, an award of beautiful views awaits you at the top.

Beyond Beauty

Lake Bunyonyi’s scenic look is like a scene from the movie because of the lush green vegetation that marks its banks. The dotted islands on the lake add taste to the touch by crafting a picturesque portrait. Lake Bunyonyi is Uganda’s deepest and the second-deepest lake in Africa. The lake was formed 10,000 years ago by volcanic activity in the Virunga mountains that blocked the Ndego River to trap the water in a valley.

Lake Bunyonyi, locally means ‘a place of many little birds.’ Lake Bunyonyi houses over 200 species of birds making it a birding hotspot. Different wild animals can be found at Lake Bunyonyi, especially if you go for an Island visit. Lake Bunyonyi has 29 islands that dot its surface with unmeasurable beauty and each island has a traditional and historical significance to the people of this area. Some of the noble islands on Lake Bunyonyi include the following.

Bucuranuka Island

This island was named Bucuranuka in the local Rukiga language which translates to upside down. The traditional myth surrounding this island is that long ago two young men who were local brewers of this island came across an old woman who requested a sip of their brewed local beer. In arrogance and young agility, they rudely refused the old woman’s request and she was not at all happy with how she was treated. She then left for the mainland and upon arrival, she cursed the island which turned upside down downing the two young men. Visit the island and experience cultural and traditional tales with the elders of the communities on the island.

Akampene Island

This is the commonly visited island but was once feared by the locals thinking it was haunted. This is because the Akampene Island which translates to “Punishment Island” from the local meaning was used as a punishment island as its name suggests. Young unmarried girls who would violate the social norms and become pregnant before marriage would be taken to this island to die there. This was done to teach the other young girls to abstain from sex until marriage. Unfit to marry men who lucked cows for bride price would then sail to the island and pick a girl to marry for free. The unfortunate tales even make your experience at this Akampene Island more adventurous.

Bwama Island

This is also a commonly visited island on Lake Bunyonyi. This island hosted leprosy patients who were seen as social misfits. A European doctor Leonard Sharp 1921 visited the Island and set up a hospital to treat patients with leprosy. His hospital helped to cure the disease and eradicate this problem in the communities.

What are some of the other activities to do at Lake Bunyonyi?

The adventures at Lake Bunyonyi are not limited to cycling tours only however there are other interesting activities that tourists can engage in. These include the following.

Canoeing at Lake Bunyonyi

Canoeing is often the most common tourist activity on Lake Bunyonyi. Visitors take on this activity with the guidance of a local guide who helps you enjoy a dugout canoe on the pristine calm waters of Lake Bunyonyi. You will experience the birds as they flock to the skyline with their melodies. Enjoy the sun as it sets behind the beautiful terraced hills of Kigezi in the backdrop of the Virunga Mountains.

Birding

Lake Bunyonyi is a place of many birds and this name suits it well with the numerous species of birds that harbor the lake. The designated trails around the lake lead you straight to several bird species of endemic status and migratory. Some species to look out for include African harrier hawk, African openbill stock, black heron, grey crowned crane, grey shrike, pied kingfisher, speckled mousebird, great cormorant, long-crested eagle, cattle egret, swampy flycatcher, and black-headed weaver to mention but a few.

Nature walks

Guided nature walks are also available around Lake Bunyonyi along the designated trails. Along these trails, visitors experience the local livelihood of the people of this area. Enjoy a guided nature walk around Lake Bunyonyi to get excellent sights of the surrounding terraced hills, tranquil waters, and singing birds.

What is the best time for cycling tours around Lake Bunyonyi?

Lake Bunyonyi is very close to the equator and hence receives an equatorial or tropical type of climate. This climate is characterized by two dry seasons and wet seasons every year. The dry seasons begin from June to September and December to February. During this time, the area receives little or no rainfall and hence it is often dry.

Cycling is an outdoor and off-road activity that requires dry conditions to have an uninterrupted and successful experience. Therefore the dry season is the ideal period for having cycling tours around Lake Bunyonyi. This is because the dry season leaves the cycling trails dry and navigable unlike in the wet season when they would be muddy, slippery, and unpassable.