Lagoon Resort Kampala

It’s the weekend and you need to get away but you don’t want to spend hours in the car and you’ve been to Entebbe and Jinja more times than you can count. Why not try Kampala’s closest luxury lake shore resort?

A mere 25 minutes by speedboat across the lake from Munyonyo, Lagoon Resort is perfect for a short break from the hustle and bustle of downtown Kampala. The journey is hassle free as the boat collects you from the secure car park at Munyonyo and before you know it, you’re sipping a glass of cold juice in the well-manicured gardens overlooking the bay. If you book accommodation in advance, there is no charge for the boat transfer. Alternatively, there is a public boat which can be taken from Ggaba landing site for 5,000 UGX. It is then a short boda ride from the landing site to the resort.

Arriving at the landing site in a secluded bay, it instantly feels a million miles away from traffic jams and dust, but still close enough to justify a day trip. For 100,000 UGX (including boat transfer), day guests can make the most of the resort’s amenities and relax in the gardens. (Note: there is a 10,000 UGX per person surcharge for use of the swimming pool. Lunch is available for $15, which while comparatively expensive, does guarantee you an excellent three course meal of decent proportions prepared with fresh local ingredients. Any creation served with locally-caught tilapia is bound to be a winner.

For those keen on more serious relaxation than just a day trip, accommodation is deliberately limited to five bandas and one ‘family banda’ in their ‘African Village’. Each banda is named after animals indigenous to Uganda. The bandas are well designed and constructed thatched roof tents. With so few rooms on the 10-acre plot, it never feels like you are sharing the place with anyone other than the resident red-tailed monkeys. The bandas are built on stilts to give you the feeling of sleeping in the tree canopy, and all have a private balcony for bird and monkey watching. Unfortunately, there is no view of the lake from the bandas, but this doesn’t feel like a big drawback. There is a ‘sunset platform’ which has been constructed to do exactly that. The platform allows you to watch the sunset, cold drink in hand, and provides a spectacular view. There is also an uninterrupted view of the lake from the sun-loungers on the sandy beach and from the gardens.

Accommodation does not come cheap at $120 per person based on two sharing. However, the rooms can only be described as luxurious with a self-contained bathroom and a beautiful four-poster bed. After a long week of Kampala jams, it feels worth it for the opportunity to really relax in the resort’s tranquil surroundings without having to spend more hours in the car getting there. If you’re looking for a more active weekend than sprawling on the comfortable sofas in the communal area or lingering over a decadent lunch, then there are plenty of activities available. Lagoon Resort can legitimately claim to have the most scenic volleyball court in the whole of Uganda. Flanked on one side by the lush gardens and on the other by the lake, it is difficult to play and not be distracted by array of aquatic birds paddling on the shore. Fishing equipment can be hired for $5 for use on the jetty, or for serious fishers, a half day excursion is possible for $150.

To really make a weekend of it, why not combine lunch and a relaxing afternoon with a trip to the Lakeside Adventure Park which is conveniently located next door to Lagoon Resort.