Main Info
Our Supposed Walking Safari: 3 Days, 2 Nights, 47 km
Introduction: Nyandwi trail is a walk through the heartland of the Bafumbira of Kisoro District. The trail lies at the base of the volcanic mountains of the Virunga range and on the escarpments of the Western Rift Valley. In the local language of the Bafumbira “indwi” means “seven” and the seventh born in a family is always called Nyandwi. Therefore, the name of the trail was derived from the first Mufumbira to do this walk, a man called Nyandwi, the seventh born in his family.
Key Activities:
- Mountain hiking
- Canoe excursion on lake Mutanda
- Bird identification
- Meeting the local communities
- Authentic cultural performance
- Enjoy scenic views of the Eastern Rift Valley and Virunga massif
Day 1: After your breakfast, we transfer to our starting point in Hakaboko at lake Mutanda. Meet our enthusiastic Instinct Safaris guides for briefing and preparation for this walking safari. We will start our journey by getting to experience the lake using the traditional dug-out canoes. We will paddle to Punishment island, Forest island, and others and learn about south western Uganda as well as the history of this beautiful lake. Our guide will show you his knowledge about the different islands. On Our way from island to island, we will be able to identify many bird species. Each island is its own specific ecosystem and isolated from outside influences.
We will reach the shore in the afternoon, just to start a community hike through Kirundo village. From the top of the hills, there are terrific views of the entire lake, lake Mulehe, the Virunga massif, and the Western Rift Valley flatlands. On the other side, even the view of Bwindi National Park can be enjoyed.
Enjoy the fresh breeze and listen to your guide’s traditional stories and informative facts about flora and fauna in this unique region. From the peak of the hill, we will be able to spot a small town. We will spend our night amidst this Bakiiga community called Rubuguri. The people of Rubuguri are mostly farmers and keep livestock on a small scale or harvest beans, maize, or matooke. After a delicous dinner, which is made using local ingredients from this remote region, your guide will introduce you to the next day’s program and you will prepare for a night in our lodge in the middle of this lovely community.
Day 2: We start the second day with a nutritious and healthy local breakfast in order to give us enough energy for today’s plans. You can choose from a variety of activities to do on day two. These include guided nature walks and community walks around the village as well as fishing trips, a waterfall walk in Bwindi rain forest or meeting the Batwa pygmy community near the impenetrable rain forest. After lunch, enjoy a town walk guided by yourself and get to know the people of the village. People will greet you “Agandi” and you will reply saying “Ndigye” and a smile, which translates to a warm “thank you”. If you love sports and especially football or volleyball, you will get the chance to join the kids but also grown-ups in games after school is over. We will enjoy an authentic cultural performance before going to sleep that night and our guide will inform you about the next day’s plans.
Day 3: In the morning, we will pack and take our breakfast. Afterwards, we will prepare for our walk through Bwindi National Park with your Instinct Safaris guide. Our goal is to reach Buhoma, our trip’s terminal destination. On our way, we will pass Kashasha river valley and the Kashasha swamp, the source of river Ivi. We will enter Bwindi on a narrow foot trail and have high chances of encountering various forest animals. These include monkeys, baboons, endemic bird species, butterflies, and many more. You will be inside the forest for 7 to 10 hours until we reach Buhoma where our tour ends.
Enhance your trip: Inform us if you would like to include this itinerary in your planned trip to Uganda or if you need assistance when planning your arrival and departure to lake Bunyonyi or from Buhoma. In case you would like to trek the mountain gorilla groups of Nkuringo or Rushaga entry points of Bwindi or in Mgahinga National Park on the slopes of the Virungas, we would be happy to fit this activity in this safari and provide you with transport to the respective headquarters.
