Lake Mutanda lies near Kisoro in south west Uganda, a quiet lake of small islands and inlets with the Virunga volcanoes, Muhavura, Mgahinga and Sabinyo, standing across the southern sky. It is close to both southern Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Mutanda is a good base for gorilla trekking in the Rushaga sector or at Mgahinga, and a lovely place to rest afterwards. Days are for canoeing, short walks along the shore and watching the volcanoes come in and out of the clouds.
This is a lake for birds rather than big animals: kingfishers, cormorants, herons, fish eagles and weavers are common around the shore and islands.
Look out for
A lake of many arms and bays, fringed with papyrus and eucalyptus, surrounded by cultivated hills and overlooked by the cones of the Virunga volcanoes.
Activities here
At around 1,800 m, days are mild at about 18 to 24°C, and evenings are cool. The rainy seasons are March to May and September to November.
| Month | Day °C | Night °C | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23 | 11 | 90 |
| Feb | 23 | 11 | 100 |
| Mar | 23 | 11 | 130 |
| Apr | 22 | 12 | 150 |
| May | 22 | 11 | 110 |
| Jun | 22 | 10 | 40 |
| Jul | 22 | 9 | 30 |
| Aug | 23 | 10 | 50 |
| Sep | 23 | 11 | 90 |
| Oct | 23 | 11 | 120 |
| Nov | 22 | 11 | 140 |
| Dec | 22 | 11 | 100 |
Approximate long-term averages. Higher ground is cooler, and forests can rain in any month.
June to September and December to February give the clearest volcano views and drier trekking. Mutanda is peaceful at any time of year.
Best time to visit Jan to Feb, Jun to Sep
Mutanda is about 20 to 30 minutes from Kisoro, where there is an airstrip with scheduled and charter flights from Entebbe. From Kigali it is about 3 hours via the Cyanika border. By road from Kampala, allow about 9 to 10 hours.
No permit is needed to visit the lake. Gorilla permits for Bwindi and Mgahinga are booked in advance, and we arrange them for you. Please see the Uganda page for visa details.
Mutanda lies at around 1,800 metres, so evenings are cool. Drink bottled or filtered water. A yellow fever certificate is needed to enter Uganda. Do not swim in the lake unless your lodge advises it.
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“Watch for the volcanoes”
The Virungas are shy: they are often hidden in cloud all day and appear only at dawn or just before sunset. We time canoe trips for those hours whenever we can. It is also a good place to meet local communities, including the Batwa, in a gentle, well-run way.
Plan your time in Lake Mutanda
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Made to measure
Tell us how you like to travel and we will build a private journey around it: the right lodges, the right pace and the permits already in hand.
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