Canoeing, Hiking, and Bird Watching at Lake Mutanda
Lake Mutanda is a perfect addition to the gorilla trekking experience at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park. Lake Mutanda is situated at half distance between Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and the southern section of Bwindi National Park. The drive time from Kigali, Rwanda, to Lake Mutanda is just 4hrs via the Cyanika Rwanda-Uganda border.
Assuming you are planning to book a short gorilla trekking experience that takes 2-3 days; it is possible to visit Lake Mutanda on arrival from Kigali on the day one of the typical three-day gorilla treks. Alternatively, visit Lake Mutanda in the morning of day three before traveling back to Kigali, Rwanda.
All activities at Lake Mutanda cost USD 30 per person. The price is inclusive of transport from downtown Kisoro to Lake Mutanda. No meals included.
Sunrise and Sunset Canoe Trekking
Explore Mutanda lake and its life as the locals do! You can hire the dugout canoes and go on your own as you explore different fascinating islands or take a tour with a local guide who will introduce you to the lake’s local life. Visiting this fabulous lake with a dugout canoe will be a fascinating experience! Choose between an early morning/sunrise canoe trek or an evening/sunset canoe cruise.
Otter Viewing Experience
Go behind the scenes at the Kaboko river channel at the north of Lake Mutanda to meet the clawless otters! This unforgettable one hour experience gives you an up-close clawless otter interaction after relaxing from a dugout canoe through the Kaboko encounter area. Take photos to capture a memorable moment.
Punishment Island Visit
The punishment island is a notable island that acted as a prison for wrongdoers–girls who got pregnant before marriage and the old aged because they could not let burry them. The bones of the deceased are still visible on the punishment island. The alternative name for the punishment island is ‘skeleton island,’ and the island is not inhabited to date. Among the Bafumbira people of Kisoro and people of the nearby Rubanda district and Kabale visit the punishment island occasionally and later hike a blessing hill –Nyaruyaga for blessings of their ancestors.
Kyangushu Island Tour (skeleton island)
Take a ride to the burial place of Kyangushu followed by Mutanda island, the largest island and the only inhabited one at Lake Mutanda. On a clear day, the Mutanda island offers stunning views of the Bunagana-DR Congo border and Bwindi impenetrable national park. After visiting the Kyangushu island and the ancestral burial place, you will anchor near the picturesque village of Chihe with a backdrop of green hills and growing crops. It is also possible to combine the Kyangushu island tour and Mabungo cultural village experience.
Bricklaying Experience
Meet the experienced bricklayers without the formal education qualification. This experience will take you through the process of manufacturing of bricks from clay. The brick-making experience involves the preparation of clay, molding, drying, and then burning of bricks. Bricks are generally available as rectangular blocks that help in building blockhouses. The experience is worth its value, and it leaves you with a signature of memories.
Underground Salt Spring Tour
Visit a natural underground spring located at the Gihuranda village – a neighboring locality at Lake Mutanda. The spring has fresh water from underground, just in rocks. In the same location, it has got unique clay soil from which locals make pots and charcoal stoves. With improved technology, which is not in the area yet, one can make cups, plates, and other roofing materials. The salt spring area is a potential research project for those interested in the technological advancement of the pottery industry.
Sport Fishing
Meet fishmongers, who will take you through the incredible sportfishing experience. Apart from wildlife safaris, cheerful & welcoming people, the big game, stunning scenery, and critically endangered mountain gorillas, Uganda comprises of many freshwater resources that support aquatic life. Like other freshwater bodies in Uganda, Lake Mutanda is one of the best sportfishing destinations in Uganda. It features several water adventure activities that support water tourism in Uganda.
Other activities that you can do while at Lake Mutanda are bird watching, hiking, and nature walks.
