Lake Mutanda

Lake Mutanda is a little known jewel, hidden in the mountainous landscape of south western Uganda, in Kisoro district. It is one of the most scenic lakes in Africa, located in a dramatic land scape of lush and verdant sprawling high lands.

Its fresh clean water is dotted by at least 15 islands, lush trees and shrubs, and the lake is ringed by beautiful scenery of sprawling highlands clad with green vegetation, plantations and terraces of crops along the slopes. This amazing scenery is set against a stunning backdrop of cloudy peaks of the Virunga mountain volcanoes. The chain of volcanoes of Virunga mountain range spans the boarders of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC). Uganda shares 3 (three) of its prominent 8 (eight) Volcanoes. The 3 are the Mt. muhabura, Mt. Gahinnga and Mt. Sabyinyo which make up Mgahinga Gorilla National park. These are very visible, rising in the back ground over lake mutanda and sprawling highlands with white fluffy clouds floating across their peaks. In the morning, thick clouds of mist shroud the lush highlands and create mystic scenery over lake Mutanda and such an awe-inspiring view.

This 15 islands of lake mutanda are barely touched, with only one inhabited by a local community and a few have been tiled to grow crops and tree plantations. A number of other islands are virgin with only overgrown vegetation that is rich with wildlife.

The biggest island, named after the lake is Mutanda island. This is inhabited by a local community of the “Abagesera” clan. These grow crops, such as peas, bananas and sugar canes. A good portion of this island is covered by trees and shrubs. There is a church built on top of the island and local worshipers from the mainland canoe to this island to attend services at this church.

There are two islands that earned the name Punishment islands for being the places where criminals and misfits of the society were taken and dumped as a punishment. Un married pregnant girls, the elderly with no one to care for them, criminals such as thieves and unwanted people from the region would be tied and taken to the island and left to die there. Others would be killed and dumped at these islands. Caves with skeletal remains are found at the islands. These two islands are feared by the locals and actually no one walks on them because of the belief that they are haunted by the dead.

Another intriguing island is the python island, which is home to pythons. The pythons are however, rarely seen.