Ssese Islands voted among the top ten of the World’s best secret Islands are very quiet and quite beautiful to see and are must to visit for lovers’ natural beauty. The 84 beautiful islands with a population of about 35,000 are lying off the north western shores of Lake. They are about 55km from Entebbe International Airport by water. The islands are in two groups namely the Bugala Group including Bubeke, Bufumira, Bugaba, Bukasa, Buyova, Funve and Serinya and the Koome Group including Damba, Koome and Luwaji.
Kalangala Town is the main urban centre with the main economic activity being fishing and palm oil plantations. The vegetation of the islands includes grassland and natural forests. The natural forests are however being cut down to create room for palm oil trees and 15,000 acres of palm oil plantation have been planted by BIDCO on the islands. Controlled logging is another economic activity that is practiced on the Ssese Islands.
The local people who are quite friendly live in villages along the shoreline and depend on fishing as their main occupation.
The islands have livestock which include about 3,000 cattle, 250,000 poultry (chicken and ducks) and 1,235 goats.
Transport
Boats, ferries and vehicles are available to enable one move between and around the 84 islands. A ferry is in place to improve transport to and from Kalangala District via Masaka Town and also from Entebbe Town.
The islands provide a home to many species of birds including hornbills, turacos, barbets, flycatchers, robin-chats among others. The wild animals on the islands include the vervet monkey, bushbuck and black and white colobus and hippos. A sanctuary of chimpanzees is found on one of the islands.
Communication
The islands are served by all the mobile telecommunication networks in Uganda including Uganda Telecom, MTN and Airtel Uganda.
Accommodation in Sesse Islands
Andronicos Lodge
Located in Kalangala Town
Tel: +256 772 375529
Hornbill Camp
The camp is set on the beach in a clump of remnant forest with a bar and meals available
Tel: +256 775 880200
Islands Clubs
The accommodation in bungalows and tents
Tel: +256 772 504027
Kingfisher Camping Site
The site offers a grassed camping area with small dining room and volleyball court on the beach
Tel: +256 753 231531
Pearl Gardens Beach
Located between Hornbill Campsite and the fishing village
Tel: +256 772 372164
Ssese Islands Beach Hotel
Located on the lake shore with rooms, bar, pool table, table tennis and satellite TV
Tel: +256 414 220065
Ssese Habitat Resort
The place has an open air bar and restaurant serves a variety of wines, beers and soft drinks
Tel +256 312 278318
Activities for visitors:
- Fishing
- Birds and monkey seeing
- Boat cruising
- Camping
- Swimming
- Nature walks
- Bonfire dinner