The place is a quiet paradise and it is so close to the lake. Very beautiful especially in the morning. We were a party of 6 and generally had a good time. We took some amazing pictures. My wife had Biryani for dinner and it was great but my chips (and cray fish masala) were dried out. The costs are pocket friendly but we had a fall in with the manager because some of the people we travelled with wanted to spend the second night somewhere else. When we informed the manager (Mr Sirus I believe his name was) he threw a fit! He demanded that the whole party pay for the second night. We came to an understanding when he accepted for two of us to pay for the second night, as a fine (even if we didn't plan to sleep there). Otherwise, it is a great place. I plan to return next year.
We were well aware of the types of accommodation before going by looking at previous reviews/photos. I loved the traditional huts with open doors, they are beautifully built and it was lovely to go to sleep (and wake up) hearing the sounds of Africa, the birds, frogs and other wildlife. If you don’t like the open door feature there are plenty of other options on the island where you can stay with a door. The bird life and lake are spectacular, but what makes the island best is the people who run it. Wilson, Joy, Silas, Moses and all the staff are all kind and friendly and they are doing great work in supporting and empowering local communities. Silas arranged for us to be picked up in Kabala and then we had a nice 30 minute ride in the boat to the island, there is a shorter crossing to the island if you want. My partner and I had great trips out from the island, one around the lake where we learnt a lot of the history of the area, another day to a local market and another day to a local Pygmy tribe. The food was lovely, local cray fish, juices, fresh vegetables and there was plenty of it. We had lovely evenings chatting with the staff and signing the odd song on the guitar, swimming in the lake. I liked the compost toilets and showers, the compost from the toilets goes back onto the land to grow vegetables, the island is trying to become self sufficient in food. I don’t understand the reasons other reviewers recently have said it was the worst experience ever, sure it’s not the Ritz but come with an open mind, it’s not that bad, the staff will always try and accommodate your needs :). In summary I think they are doing good community work on the island and the mainland, the nature and lake are spectacular, the staff are very friendly. Some of the mosquitoe nets do need to be checked over for holes.…
After doing the gorilla trekking we went to Bunyonyi lake aiming to stay for a couple of nights. We decided to book the Kings Nest, as it is promoted as the best and most expensive 'room' of the Paradise Eco Hub hotel. This is where the nightmare begins... The room did not have a door, which I understand that is part of the 'experience', however, it was not communicated to us. Needless to say, it was full of all kind of insects and generally it looked abandoned and wear-out. Nevertheless we decided to stay there and live the experience. The next day was raining and through-out the room there was water leaking all around. The furniture became wet, including the beds. Until the rain calms down, we decided to go to the common area (restaurant). Unfortunately for us, there were construction works going on for all the days that we staid, making a lot of noise through out the whole day. They changed as to another room, the Queens Nest, which didn't had the same problems, however I believe it was still expensive for what it is. We decided to leave a day earlier. During the check out we payed the whole amount of money for every night. Sincerely, it was like a prank. I believe that the hotel has a conflict of identity. It's a low budget accommodation, that they try to sell some rooms, like the Kings Nest, as kind of luxury. Practically, we paid a tone of money for a tent... Moreover, the food was bad. They had already prepared a specific sauce, and they were putting it on top of anything that you order (pizza, pasta, rice etc.). To conclude, we had a bad and expensive experience.…
We booked two double rooms with sea view for 4 people (pictures on booking: bungalows, normal water toilets) and what we got when we arrived was just disgusting! An open "nest" (no door, quite windy and only around 15°C at night), mosquito nets with big holes and the "bathroom" (eco toilet) 10 steps down the "nest" looked like there was nobody there for months! There is no sink or soap to wash hands, only a shower with very slippery wood underneath. I am wondering if anyone would ever pay 72$/night/2 persons for such an untended place. At least Silas understood our concerns and managed to bring us to another accomodation on the same island (Seeds of hope - I can absolutely reccomend this place!). I am sure he is aware about this shame to sell rooms they do not have which makes the whole thing even worse (he told us that there are things under construction, but we couldn't see anything that should be under construction). Worst experience in Uganda!…
Spectacular location, a remote island of paradise with endless views and unique cottages/nests. Our nest had its own private balcony looking out onto the lake, such a beautiful outlook. Moses and Silas were excellent hosts and pride themselves on sustainability and community project driven ethos of the island. The restaurant/bar is a a first floor wooden structure with 360 views around the lake, a real feature of the resort, ideal for bird watching (keep an eye out for the crested cranes), reading and sundowners. There is also a private hotel jetty with deck chairs and diving platform. Other less interesting bits: WiFi is good, showers were hot. This resort is a little more basic than expected, but if you come with that in mind it wouldn't be a negative.
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