One of the highlights of my 21-day trip to Uganda was a two-night stay at breathtaking Lake Bunyonyi — one of the most beautiful places in the country. I hope you agree – once you have seen the photos below.
Bunyonyi, and Bwindi, were tricky places to get to, using public transport, so I used Wagatil Safaris to organise this section. Pretty was the name of my contact and she did a fantastic job of coordinating everything.
Lake Bunyonyi is the second deepest lake in Africa and was formed around 10,000 years ago when a river was dammed by lava. Its name means “lake of little birds”, and with birdsong constantly filling the air, it’s easy to see how it earned the title.
I stayed at Seeds of Hope, a basic but comfortable guesthouse on Itambira Island, one of the lake’s 29 islands. Itambira translates as “a place of healing” — a fitting description for such a peaceful setting.
Seeds of Hope is a not for profit organisation. I met one of the directors, Sally, and she told me about the amazing work they do – helping and supporting the community with a range of projects.
You can walk around the entire island in about an hour, meeting friendly locals along the way. Everyone speaks excellent English, and I spent time chatting with Derek, a local farmer, who proudly showed me his crops and explained how he produces such high-quality harvests.
On my second day, I took a boat tour with an excellent local guide, Hillary. His running commentary — covering both daily life and the lake’s extraordinary history — was fascinating.
Our first stop was Akampene, better known as Punishment Island, where until the 1940s unmarried pregnant women were abandoned and left to die unless rescued by men too poor to afford a regular bride price. A haunting reminder of past traditions.
Next, we visited Sharp’s Island (Njuyera) so named because of Len and Esther Sharp.
In 1921, shortly after the First World War, Dr Len Sharp and his wife Esther arrived in southern Uganda as Protestant missionaries. While working at Kabale Hospital, Len was deeply affected by the suffering caused by leprosy and went on to establish a pioneering treatment and rehabilitation centre across the islands of Bwama, Bushara and Njuyera. Entire villages, along with a hospital, school and church, were built, transforming thousands of lives. At its peak, 47,000 treatments were administered annually, and by 1948 Bwama was home to over 1,000 residents.
Njuyera — later known as Sharp’s Island — became the Sharps’ private retreat. Once barren, Esther transformed it into a lush tropical garden complete with fruit trees, manicured lawns and even a tennis court. Visitors described it as one of the most beautiful places in Africa.
Our next stop was Bwama Island, the former leprosy hospital. Today it is home to a church, school and community hospital. The grounds were packed with patients, supported by volunteer doctors from Slovenia who rotate on three-month placements — a moving continuation of the island’s medical legacy.
Our final stop was a lively lakeside trading hub, where locals buy and sell everything from bananas to beer. It was here that we enjoyed a delicious Rolex — Uganda’s most popular street food. No, not the watch, but a freshly cooked chapati filled with a vegetable omelette, rolled up and served hot.
Then it was time to head back to Seeds of Hope for a well-earned lakeside siesta.
