Lake Victoria & Ssese Island

Lake Victoria is Africa’s largest lake and the world’s second-largest freshwater lake. It is also the ninth largest continental lake in the world. However, it also boasts of numerous breath-taking islands with sights so catchy like no other. Ssese islands is one of them. Let’s see how we’ll spend the day on Lake Victoria and Ssese Islands tour.

NGAMBA ISLAND

The island is a jewel in Lake Victoria, the world’s second largest fresh water body. Home to 48 orphaned chimpanzees rescued from throughout Uganda. Day and overnight visitors are facilitated at the island offering you an exceptional opportunity to closely observe and interact with the fascinating great apes in a unique setting. You have a range of options from two types of day visits (half and full day), overnight excursions in a tent, to a long stay program that is one or two weeks program that will immerse you in the life of the chimpanzees.

BULAGO ISLAND

This island is another jewel in the world’s second largest fresh water body Lake Victoria. The island ‘Bulago’ meaning ‘neck’ in Luganda was presumably named so due to its narrow middle section. There are two hills on either end of the island, 12km of white beaches along the coast of the island as well as a huge array of palm trees that produce delicious coconuts. The north-east tip of the island contains a small portion of rainforest and a larger forest is located along the southern shore. The eastern shores of the island are less fertile and are covered with savanna –like grassland. The weather is regularly hot allowing fruits and vegetables to grow all around the island that includes; tomatoes, mangoes, lettuce, cucumber, oranges, sweet bananas and lemons. While at the island, you have a diversity of walks, runs and bicycle rides along the numerous well-maintained paths and tracks, spectacular and magnificent views from the two dominating hills, range of fauna and flora, bird watching with over 300different bird species, horse riding, excellent sport fishing, varieties of butterflies, monitor lizards (sometimes around 2 meters long) and spotted neck otters. We organize both day and overnight visits to the island.

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Itinerary

Day 1

KALANGALA Island (4 Days, 3 Nights)

Travel from our residence to Entebbe, in time for the ferry to the island that launches in the afternoon. Kalangala is one of the 84 islands of Lake Victoria, and the most developed in terms of accommodation options, health and medical services, transport network, electricity, business and trade. Your journey to the island will be full of spectacular views of other islands, birds and fresh air. When you get to the island, your accommodation is in a quite environment with no encounter with the locals, which gives the privacy and favorable conditions to walk for minutes along the shores freely, read, relax and swim any time during the day making it an ideal retreat after a long safari.

Day 2

Community trail and palm plantations

Wake up to the lake’s morning breeze and different sound of birds, have breakfast and then meet the local guide for a 10 minutes briefing before you start the community trail. It is an easy walk through the forest full of monkeys and birds, to the spot where you have a spectacular view of the lake, after which you will get to the meet a local farmer who grows palm on a large scale. The local farmer will take you through the different stages of palm growing and how palm oil is made locally. You will finish the walk passing through the local town where you will experience the life style of people on this island .While on the walking, your eyes will from time to time view the lake. You will return to accommodation in time freshen up, have lunch, relax and later swim. You can go cycling around the island easily with a local map or guide. Over night stay.

Day 3

Fishing site and Fish Market

Have breakfast and set off for the fishing site, where local fishermen spend hours catching fish which they sell to the locals, people from neighboring towns reaching as far as Kampala and some exported. You will walk through a fish market and here you will look at different species of fish that the lake offers to its people freely. You will see local fishing boats, nets and hear the local fishermen narrating their lifestyle and ask questions. You will return to accommodation to freshen up, rest and relax and there after an overnight stay.

Day 4

Return to Entebbe

Have morning breakfast and set-off for Entebbe Musicians experience it during improvisation, writers when an idea carries them effortlessly forward, chefs as they create an unimaginable dish, and children when they use a lot of people. You will get to Entebbe early enough to taste one of our Entebbe exclusive packages after settling in into your accommodation, awaiting your return flight.