Things to do
- Canoeing: paddle a dugout canoe among the islands with a local guide, often with the volcanoes as a backdrop.
- Village and nature walks: visit fishing communities and farms along the shore.
- Birding: look for kingfishers, cormorants, herons and the papyrus birds of the lake edges.
- Rest: after a hard gorilla trek, a day by the lake is the perfect way to recover.
A base for gorilla trekking
Lake Mutanda sits between Bwindi’s southern sectors and Mgahinga. Rushaga and Nkuringo are about 1–1.5 hours away, and Mgahinga’s headquarters about 45 minutes, so you can trek gorillas in Bwindi and golden monkeys in Mgahinga from the same lodge. Read gorillas in Mgahinga and learn about Bwindi’s four gorilla sectors.
Go out in a canoe early in the morning, when the lake is calm and the volcanoes are free of cloud.
Lake Mutanda or Lake Bunyonyi?
Both are beautiful highland lakes, and both work as rest stops. Lake Bunyonyi, near Kabale, has more lodges and more activities, and it is closer to Kabale and the main road. Lake Mutanda is quieter and closer to Rushaga, Nkuringo and Mgahinga, and its volcano views are unmatched. Many travellers visit one on the way in and the other on the way out.
Getting there
Lake Mutanda is about 30 minutes from Kisoro town. From Kigali, it is about 3–4 hours via the Cyanika border, so it fits well into gorilla trips that start in Rwanda. From Kampala, allow 9–10 hours by road, or fly to Kisoro airstrip.
Combining Lake Mutanda with your safari
Pair a night or two at Lake Mutanda with gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park or Bwindi’s southern sectors, and with volcano hikes in Mgahinga. Our 3-day Bwindi gorilla safari from Kigali can easily include a night by the lake.
A sample day at Lake Mutanda
Wake to mist lifting off the water and the volcanoes appearing one by one. After breakfast, paddle out in a dugout canoe with a local guide, visiting islands and fishing villages. In the afternoon, walk through farmland on the shore, where children wave from the terraces and farmers tend beans and sorghum, before returning to your lodge for sunset over the lake.
What to expect
Lake Mutanda sits at about 1,800 m, so days are mild and evenings cool, and you will want a fleece after dark. The area is rural, with simple roads and few shops; your driver-guide handles transfers and timings for gorilla treks. Mornings tend to be clearer than afternoons, when clouds often build over the volcanoes.
Gorilla trekking from Lake Mutanda
On trekking day, you leave the lake early to reach the briefing point by about 7:30am. Rushaga and Nkuringo are about 1–1.5 hours away on mountain roads, so departures are around 6:00am. Your lodge prepares an early breakfast and a packed lunch. Read book gorilla permits first before you plan your dates.
Where to stay
Lodges around the lake range from simple community-run guesthouses to comfortable lodges with private verandas facing the volcanoes. Choose one on the southern or eastern shore for the best views. We match the lodge to your gorilla permit sector, so trekking-day drives stay as short as possible.
