The top five popular lakes to visit on self drive safari in Uganda
The top five popular lakes in Uganda, The pearl of Africa is blessed with many stunning physical features such as lakes, rivers, mountains, hills, valleys, waterfalls, to mention but a few many individuals are paying a visit to these unique attractions that are so eye catching and darling. Below these are some of the most notable lakes in Uganda.
Lake Victoria#The top five popular lakes in Uganda
In the entire world Lake Victoria is ranked as the second largest flesh water lake, and the largest in Africa located in East Central Africa. The local people often refer it as “Nalubale” the haven to spirits. The lake covers an area of almost 68800 square kilometers with 1100 meters above the seal level.
This mighty physical feature is shared among the three countries namely Kenya occupying 6 percentage, Tanzania comprises of its big percentage of 49 and last Uganda occupying 45 percentage of is part.
Lake Victoria is gifted with lush ecological system a home to different fish species such as cat fish, lung fish, cichlids, Nile perch, tiger fish, silver fish among others, with approximately five thousand species and other three hundred fish species that were still un described.
This lake is a place of safety to reptile species such as toads, frogs, turtles and many more harbors mammal’s species like hippotamius spotted – necked, African clawless otter, crane cats, bohor reedbuck, marsh mongooses, sitatunga, giant otter shrew and many more.
This lake is a good spot for individuals who enjoy seeing butterflies some of the notable butterflies include African queen, blue turaco, green -banded swallow, Uganda gilder and many more most them are seen around Mabamba swamp.
Lake Victoria is surrounded by many resorts and beaches that are located on its shores such as Speke resort Munyonyo, Lake Victoria serena golf resort & spa, Munyonyo beach, Kaazi beach Resort, Nature’s green beach resort, Lido beach, Aero beach to mention but a few.
Many people visit the beaches and resorts to engage in to refreshing activities such as swimming, picnics, sunbathing, bird watching, fishing, boat cruise hence a rewarding opportunity to guests.
Lake bunyonyi#The top five popular lakes in Uganda
This beautiful lake is nestled in the south western part of Uganda between Kibale and Kisoro close to the Rwanda border famously known as “a place of many little birds” with over 200 bird species. The lake is surrounded by 29 islands the Bakiga and Batwa people are the common tribes near the lake.
Lake Bunyonyi covers an area of almost 60 kilometers squared is categorized as the third deepest lake in the world and the second deepest lake in Africa, gifted with flourishing fauna and flora species wetlands, permanent marshes surrounded by 
stunning hills that are raised above almost 2500 meters.
It is a home to numerous bird species such as African fish eagle, Grey crowned crane, Pied kingfisher, Guinea Congo, Great cormorant, malachite kingfisher, wood peckers, herons, weaver birds, egrets and many more, as well as a haven to different smaller mammal species such as African clawless otters, spotted-necked otter, bush bucks and primates these include Vervet monkeys, De Brazza’s to mention but a few.
Lake Bunyonyi is endowed with reptile and amphibian namely lizards, frogs, toads to mention but a few harboring fish species like red swampy cray fish, cat fish, Nile tilapia they are limited in numbers because of the cooler temperatures and its steep depth.
Many visitors visit this lake to engage in to different activities such as swimming birdwatching, nature walk, canoeing, community tours. Lake Bunyonyi is good place for swimming because the water are free from water borne diseases and free harmful mammals like crocodiles and hippopotamus.
Lake Bunyonyi its mostly visited by tourists before or after gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Lake kyoga
This hidden treasure is the largest shallow lake in Central Uganda nestled in the districts of Apac, Amulotar, Dokolo, Soroti situated in the north direction of Lake Victoria. Lake Kyoga covers an area of approximately 1720 kilometers squared (660) stands at an altitude of almost 1,033 meters above the sea level.
The lake is endowered with attractive ecological system a home to different fish species such as Mud fish, Tilapia fish, Nile perch, silver fish, Marbled lung fish among others harbors flourishing plant species such as water lettuce, Hyppo grass, Cattail, Cyperus papyrus, and many more.
Lake Kyoga is a haven to a variety of wildlife animals namely Zebra, Nile crocodile, elephants hippotamius to mention but a few, it is also a good spot for birdwatching because it is home to over 300 bird species such as parrot’s sunbirds, African fish eagle, herons, fox weaver, egrets, shoebill stock, blue turaco and many more
Many guests visit this place to engage in to different activities such as birdwatching, game viewing, fishing, canoeing, community tours come and have the best experience in the wilderness.
Lake Edward
This stunning physical feature is ranked as the smallest great lake in Uganda situated between Virunga Mountains and Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Lake Edward is a good spot for viewing hippotamius and crocodiles, Buffaloes as well as it offers boat safari which gives allowance to visitors to see a variety of bird species such as herons, pelicans, flamingo eagles among others.
Tourists also engage in to other activities such as nature walk, photography, game drives, community tours where they visit different fishing communities and engage in to the interaction where they learn various ways how local people spend their life style.
A visit to Lake Edward rewards guests with a chance to tour around Kyambura Gorge where they engage into the ultimate chimpanzee trekking activity hence unforgettable memories gained.
Lake Mutanda
This utmost lake is positioned in the southwestern Uganda at Kisoro District just between the Virunga Mountains. Lake Mutanda has flesh clean water situated at an altitude of 1,800meters (5,900 feet), latitude 1.2350 and longitude of 29.6700. It was formed as a result of eruption of volcanic highlands, hire your self drive car and reach lake mutanda, you can as well reach the Lake after a wonderful gorilla trekking experience in bwindi.
Lake Mutanda comprises of rich ecological system with many islands namely Toyo Island, Ruhingiro Island, Kabaya Island, Mutanda Island, Hampinzi Island, Rwangezi Island and Kagushu Island as well as haven to some amphibian species like frogs, chameleons, lizards, toads among others with many insects’ species.
Lake Mutanda is surrounded with a variety of lush trees, shrub, green vegetation plantations, terraces of crops along the slopes gifted with different bird species such as Uganda crane which is the national bird, weaver birds, whydah great cormorants, pied kingfisher, malachite’s, Lamme greyer, egrets, African harrier, White tailed monards grey crowned, Guinea Congo, Nahan’s francolins, black-eared ground thrush, long-tailed cormorants, grey crowned crane, wood peckers among others.
The lake is also gifted with some fish species namely cat fish, mud fish, red swampy cray fish and mammal’s species like African clawless otters.
It also harbors the different numerous species of butterflies namely the great blue turaco butterfly, African queen butterflies, citrus swallow tail, giant swallow tail, green-banded swallow tail Uganda gilder among others.
Many tourists visit this lake to engage in to various activities such as bird watching, swimming, community tours, canoeing among others come and have a great experience with unforgettable memories.