subject: The Ssese Islands: Uganda's Ideal Honey Moon Destination [print this page] The Ssese Islands: Uganda's Ideal Honey Moon Destination
Situated in the northwest of Lake Victoria, the Ssese Islands form one of Uganda's prime destinations for honey moon excursions. For much of the 1990s, the islands were entrenched as perhaps the most popular backpacker' chill-out destination in Uganda. Although their attractions have not diminished in recent years, their popularity evidently has, attributable perhaps to the suspension of ferries connecting the mainland to the islands.
The Ssese Archipelago consists of 84 separate Islands, some large and densely inhabited, others small and deserted, but lushly forested thanks to an annual average rainfall in excess of 20,000mm. Only two islands regularly receive tourists. The more established of these is Buggala, it extends over 200km2 and measures 43km from East to west. Buggala is the largest Island set within the Uganda waters of Lake Victoria and the best developed for tourism, linked to the mainland by a regular motor ferry and dotted with accommodation to suit most tastes and budgets. Kalangala, the administrative centre for the Islands, is an unremarkable small town situated on a ridge at the eastern end of Buggala, while the nearby Lutoboka Bay hosts the Island's main cluster of beach resorts. A Uganda safari to the Ssese islands offers you a variety of attractions.
Amongst Ssese Islands' attractions are their rustic character and the sense of being well away from established tourist circuit which makes it more convenient for honeymooners who are interested in a private setting trying to enjoy their first days as marrieds. The various beaches at the island provide for sun bathing, beach volleyball etc, a variety of both indoor and outdoor games are available. If interested you can view wildlife, the most common large mammal on Buggala is the Vervet monkey, Bushbucks, Black and white colobus are also present but seldom observed. Over the 12000 years that the Island has been separate from the mainland, one endemic creek rat and three endemic butterfly species have evolved. Water and Forest birds are prolific. Expect to see a variety of hornbills, barbets, turacos, robin-chats, flycatchers and weavers from the roads around Kalangala. Particularly common are the Jewel-like pygmy kingfisher, the brown-throated wattle-eye and a stunning morph of the paradise flycatcher intermediate to the orange and white phases illustrated in most East African field guides. African fish eagles and Palm nut vultures are often seen near the lake, while immense breeding colonies of little egret and great cormorant occur on Lutuboka and other bays.
Although many visitors to Buggala stick to the beach resort at Lutuboka, the island also offers some great possibilities for unstructured walking. Strike out in any directions from Kalangala and you will be greeted with pleasing views over the forested and grassy clearings to the Lake Shore and more distant islands. Experience Ssese's lengthy white sand beach showered with the gentle Victoria water waves. Beach walks are memorable. Discover the beauty of the neighbouring islands and the scenic view of Lake Victoria on a motor boat or canoe. Here you can also have a chance to do Spot Fishing.
A popular cycling excursion is to Mutumbula swimming beach-reputedly free of bilharzias off the road towards Luku. Travelers tend to concentrate along Kalangala-Luku road, and justifiably so, since the road heading south from Kalangala is far more cultivated. One potentially interesting goal in this direction is the marshy southwestern shores which harbour small numbers of hippo as well as a population of sitatunga antelope with larger horns that the mainland equivalent, regarded by some authorities to represent an endemic Island race. Without a private vehicle, you would probably need to do an overnight walking or cycling trip to get to these swamps.
So take a honey moon trip to the Ssese islands or better yet take a Uganda safari and enjoy all these inredible activities and remarkable sights.
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