I associate an island holiday with beaches, boat rides and unique foods and a recent visit to the Victoria Forest Resort on Uganda’s Ssese Islands lived up to my expectations.
Although the island has a lot to offer from historical sites, culture, food and bird watching experiences, it has not attracted a lot of investment from both the government and the private sector.
There are several hotels lined up the island’s beaches, offering pocket-friendly packages to local and foreign visitors, and they do their best to give visitors an unforgettable experience.
Victoria Forest Resort is tucked away at the edge of the main island of Lugala, which has a dense rain forest in the backdrop. There are also several bird species for those interested in bird watching.
The staff are friendly and the food is delicious.
My days were spent walking along the beach and bird watching, while the evenings were spent by the fireplace feasting on barbecue fish.
On Saturday evening, we went on a boat cruise to a smaller island called Virgin Island, which is a wildlife sanctuary and conservation centre. The island has animals like monitor lizards, birds, and crocodiles.
There are boat rides to tourist islands of Banda and Ssese. You can view the legendary Ddamula forest where the Kabaka of Buganda gets his ddamula (royal cane), a symbol of power, which he gives to his appointed prime minister.
Also, the few remaining Basese, have an interesting language and culture for those interested in anthropology. It is said that many of these people were moved to the mainland by explorer John Speke when tsetste flies became a menace and sleeping sickness was wiping them out.
A beach walk will take you past the John Speke Fort, constructed more than 100 years ago atop a hill and only accessible by trekking through a dense forest, rich in flora and fauna.
The island has at least 12 bird species that attract tourists from all over the world. The highlight of the island drive was visiting the island’s famous Kalaya cave, although we weren’t able to get in. Locals and tourists pray for blessings in this cave.
Away from the largest island, Bugala, the Nanziri falls on Bukasa Island are believed to have magical powers.
Away from the mesmerising sites, birds, ridges and caves, there is a range of fun activities one can do, which are offered by the hotels. Brovad beach hotel, for example, offers quad biking, nature walks, boat rides, canoeing, local fishing and bicycle riding, among others.
There are different explanations about the naming of the island, depending on who you talk to. Some say it was named by the early inhabitants of the islands called the Basese, who were descendants of a famous man called Ssese who came to the island centuries ago.
Others say the name was derived from a famous Ssese tree believed to have supernatural powers and was worshipped by the Basese.
Another version is that the name comes from the tsetse flies that infested the place in the 1980s.
In 1989, the islands were given district status of Kalangala. Thirty-four of the islands have no human settlements.
Ssese is filled with interesting tales about warrior princes of the Basese, Baganda and Banyoro to ancient, invincible gods.
It is a cultural taboo to bring sheep to Ssese as legend has it that your animal will be struck by lightning.
Credit: Source link