Lake Bunyoni

Lake Bunyoni (literally translated, the place of many little birds) is a must stop for any bird lover in East Africa. My good friend Rita and I both happen to be bird lovers living in East Africa, so before I was too far from Rwanda, we made a trip. The island is home to over 200 species of birds. Beautiful, colorful, singing birds! I’m pretty sure while at Lake Bunyoni we also converted our friend Virginia.

From Kabale, we took a twenty minute taxi ride to the edge of Lake Bunyoni where we were dropped off at the small dock for Byoona Amagara-- our hotel. From the dock, we were given the choice of paying for a motorboat or taking the free wooden canoe to the hotel. I’ll give you one guess as to which option we took.

Our canoe ride took about forty five minutes, and my exhaustion after paddling off and on throughout made me a little nervous for the white water rafting trip I had planned the next week…but more on that later.

unpacking in the geodome

Once off the boat, we were shown to our own personal geodome. This “room” was an open hut, allowing us to take in the beautiful views of the lake and the birds while still in bed.

geodome

Byoona Amagara is a self-proclaimed “traveler’s paradise” and came highly recommended by various Peace Corps and VSO Volunteers. The reviews held mostly true. It is certainly a backpackers place and very camp-y, so if that’s not your scene, I would look into other options on the island. The staff is mostly friendly, accommodations are nice and the price is very reasonable—although everything besides the room is extra, including hot showers and any battery charging you might need (the geodomes do not have electricity).  There is a small library on the property, as well as other entertainment options you can pay for.   

If you find yourself visiting Lake Bunyoni (which you absolutely should if you're in Rwanda or Uganda), I would recommend Byoona Amagara, with some additional suggestions to make your stay even better: make sure all your electronics are charged ahead of time; bring binoculars and a book or two (maybe even a bird guide); pack some snacks—the restaurant is good, but it’s your only option and can get a bit tiresome and expensive. On that note-- make sure you have enough Ugandan Schillings for everything! Credit cards are not accepted and while US dollars are, the exchange rate is awful. 

My friends and I spent a lovely few days on Lake Bunyoni at Byoona Amagara. The combination of beautiful birds, good food (I highly recommend the avocado crayfish dish), and general relaxing/vacation vibe (long naps, jumps into the lake, swings, and nature walks included) were a fantastic start to my newest adventure; and a well needed rest after the long, two-year Peace Corps adventure I just completed. 

view from our geodome