Travel Guide Îles Ssese

To the northwest of Lake Victoria, the Ssese Islands are an archipelago of 84 forest-covered islands, only the largest of which are inhabited by fishermen, farmers and herders. For the mainlanders, the Ssese Islands are "the islands of the gods," and the island named Bubembe is considered the home of Masaka, the spirit of Lake Victoria. During the 1990s, until the suspension of the ferry in 1997, the Ssese were one of the favorite havens for backpackers in Uganda. Today, they are experiencing a tourist renaissance with the introduction a few years ago of a daily ferry service between Entebbe and Bugala Island. The latter, which covers 200 km², is the largest and best equipped to receive visitors. However, you should know that unless you have a vehicle, the use of a boda-boda is essential to travel there. The island is a little less quiet than before: beach resorts are developing along its white beaches and the forest has been quite destroyed (mainly due to the development of oil palm plantations), while the archipelago was supposed to be classified as a national park in the 1990s, but the atmosphere is still as warm and the places conducive to relaxation. To be quiet, avoid weekends.