For travel therapy and romance off the adventure experience, visit this amazing Kalangala Island. The Kalangala, also called the Ssesse Islands, is an archipelago of 84 islands, all found on the northwestern shores of Lake Victoria. With the republic, it’s called Kalanga district. And with the formation of the Buganda tradition, it’s among the 18 counties that make up the Buganda kingdom.
Kalangala Island is mainly facilitated by three economic activities: fishing, agriculture, and tourism. The three major economic drivers have accelerated infrastructural development and raised standards of living. Well-maintained roads, banks, markets, hotels and lodges, resorts. And restaurants can make your stay enjoyable and not boring.
About 70,760 people in Kalangala district live on the islands of Bugala Island, the major ones being Bubeke, Bubembe, Serinya, Buyova, Ngamba, Bugaba, Bukasa, Bufumira, and others. The Islands are enclosed by amazing white sand beaches, flowers, palm trees, lush forests, blue waters, and rare forests.
Geographers believe these islands were formed about 12,000 years ago. The islands came as a result of tectonic movements that caused the elevation of two arms of the east African rift valley, which led to the formation of Lake Victoria and the islands.
The major Kalangala (Ssesse) islands are splintered into two: one is Bugala, and the other is Koome. The Bugala group is found in the south-west of Lake Victoria, and it’s the largest group. The islands in this group include Serinya, Bubeke, Bukasa, Bufumbira, Bugaba, Buyova, and Funve. The Koome Islands are found in the Koome Islands, and they include Luwaji, Koome, and Damba. The following articles will discuss the large islands in detail.
Main tourism activities in the Kalangala Island
Bird watching:
These Sese islands are sanctuaries for a number of birds. These birds live in the lush forests and swamps found on the island. When you visit Bugala, you will see birds such as African fish eagles, palm nut vultures, paradise flycatchers, robin cats, weaver birds, barbets, brown-throated wattle eyes, and hornbills.
Swimming:
Swimming is one of the most popular activities on any of the Sese islands. The best swimming areas are found in Bugala, and the most popular beach is called Mutumbala. Some of the beaches receive crocodiles once in a while. But this should not scare you much, especially when you are visiting the larger islands. The biggest risk of swimming in the waters of Lake Victoria. That there are higher chances of getting bilharzia, but it’s very rare and can be treated in a few days. If you fear crocodiles and are afraid of getting bilharzia, you can swim in the hotel pools. Then go to the beach for relaxation and a cool breeze.
Sport fishing
Sport fishing is one of the things you shouldn’t miss doing when you are on your safari to Uganda. The country is naturally blessed with rivers and lakes, among which is Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa. Sport fishing in Ssese is always organized in different fishing villages with the intention of getting the biggest fish (Nile perch). The main fish caught here is tilapia, but the main goal of the activity is to catch the Nile perch, which is the largest fish in Lake Victoria. To participate in sport fishing, you must possess a fishing permit. It’s advised to carry your own fishing gear, although you can hire it from the islands for a good price.
Wildlife viewing
These islands are habitats for vevert monkeys and colobus monkeys. The places are also home to crocodiles, but they only come once in a while. There are also hippos on the western shores of Bugala Island. There are also large mammals and statungas that love the marshy shorelines. The islands have statungas that have larger horns than those sighted on any other wetlands elsewhere in Africa.
Village and nature walks
Most of the Sese islands are covered with green forests. You can walk through these forests as you admire the beautiful flowers and green plants. You can also go and visit any of the villages on the Sese Islands to get to know how these people go about their daily lives. The people of Sese are still poor and backward. Most fishermen on the island do fishing, and when they sell the fish. They go and buy beer or even women, which is why the HIV rate on these islands is still high.
Playing beach games and cycling: after relaxing at the beach, seeing enough beautiful sights, and enjoying the cool breeze, you can join a group of revelers or form teams and play football, volleyball, or any other beach game. You can also hire bicycles at the beach and go cycling around the beach with your friends.
Agricultural tours
Agricultural tours are arranged to the largest palm oil trees in Uganda on the Bugala Islands and also to the pineapple gardens owned by the BIDCO group of companies in Bugala. Although the plantations employ a number of local people, conservationists say that agriculture has led to a loss of forest cover and natural beauty.
Quad biking
Quad biking is among the newly introduced tourism activities in Uganda. This activity involves the use of quad bikes to move around the island as you enjoy the beauty of the area and the cool breeze while having fun. Using quad bikes, you can tour around the beaches, fishing villages, and forests. The quad bikes used on Bugala Island are easy to use, and they do not require one to be an expert to use them.
Those who want to take part in the activity but don’t know how to use the bikes are first trained on how to ride, and it’s done at no cost. There is no age limit for people who use the quad bikes, so anyone can use them, but it will be better if you bike with your friends or family. Those who want to go quad biking at Bugala Island pay 70,000 UGX for an hour.
Cultural visit
The islands are one of the last strongholds of Buganda’s ancient cultural practices. For those interested in knowing Buganda’s traditional cultures and religions but brave enough, they can visit Kihumuro Cave, which is 40 meters long with a wide entrance and a small exit. The name Kihumuro means “resting place” in Luganda. The Baganda believe that their gods and spirits still live in these caves. The custodian and the assistants are always there, smoking pipes, as they pray to their gods, such as Jajja Muwanga. If you visit the caves, you must remove your shoes and be ready to follow the rules. Inside the caves, you will find spears, bark cloth, coffee seeds, baskets, and skulls. The cave might appear scary, but the Baganda people and other people around the country go there to seek blessings for their carriers and businesses.
Visit the John Speke House.
John Speke became a famous British explorer after discovering the source of the Nile. John Speke reached the Sese Islands as he was busy looking for the source of the Nile, but unfortunately it was not there; it was in Jinja where he found it. When he was on Ssese Island, he constructed a small building in 1863 in Lutoboka Forest. John Speke abandoned this house when he discovered that the source of the Nile was in Jinja. John Speke’s house was abandoned for more than 100 years, and right in front of his house is a tree believed to be more than 100 years old.
Visit the Nanziri waterfalls.
These waterfalls are found on the Bukasa Islands. They are found close to Wanema’s shrine and Nanziri Cave. These areas are considered scary by the locals, and when you enter them, you must remove your shoes and lower your voice in order not to annoy the spirits. While at Nanziri waterfalls, you will notice the remains of many sacrifices to Nanziri and other spirits, like coffee beans, coins, and coffee. People from many parts of Uganda come to this area to seek blessings for their businesses, protection, fertility, and wealth. The fishermen around the islands also go to this place to seek blessings as they go fishing.
Accessing Kalangala Island
To reach Sese Island, you will need to use a ferry or speedboat. At the moment, there are three ferries going to and from Bugala Island. The first ferry starts from Nakiwogo in Entebbe to Kalangala at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., with the journey taking 3 hours. The ferry from Kalangala lifts cars for 20,000 UGX for Ugandans and 25,000 UGX for international travelers. The second ferry starts from Butakata near Masaka to Bugoma, and this is done four times a day.
But this ferry is not as good as that from Nakiwogo to Entebbe and Kalangala. The third option for reaching the Sese Islands is by hiring a private boat. These boats are very expensive but offer high-quality services and are very comfortable. Private boats cost about USD 30 per person from Kampala to the Sese Islands in Entebbe. Speed boats can also be arranged, and they are more flexible because they can help you access remote areas.
Hotels and lodges in the Sese Islands
Being a tourism and business island, decent accommodation is among the vital considerations at Kalangala. There are various accommodation facilities that cater to all classes of travelers, from luxury to backpackers. These lodges, campsites, and hotels include Brovad Sands Lodge, Ssese Habitat Resort, Hornbill Camp, Mirembe Beach Resort, Ssese Islands Beach Hotel, Banda Island Dorms, Panorama Camp, and Kingfisher Camping Site.