The 30th Island of Lake Bunyonyi?
Right, so officially Lake Bunyonyi has 29 islands … but who’s keeping track, really? (No one actually knows how they came up with that number.) With the water creeping up bit by bit, a brand-new island looks like it might be joining the gang soon. One of the longest ones, Habukomi, seems to be slowly tearing itself in two — bit of an identity crisis, maybe?
Why? It’s not magic, sadly. It’s down to a combination of iffy farming on the surrounding hills and not much of an escape route for the water. Eroded soil keeps tumbling into the lake, pushing the level higher, and with only a tiny river up north to drain it, the poor lake has nowhere to put it all.
So don’t act surprised when you wade through the middle bit of Habukomi and your foot disappears into the muck. We know it well — we take guests there all the time to visit Tom’s Homestay. Now Tom Karemire is a bit of a legend. He used to be the nightwatchman at Edirisa on Lake Bunyonyi for ages, and now he runs a lovely little campsite with us, his pride and joy (and pension plan).
He’s not just serving up top-notch crayfish — he’s also quietly guarding the island. Tom owns some plots of land around the edge, which conveniently blocks access to the middle, stopping rich folks from buying up bits of it. While other islands have gone the way of private retreats, Habukomi’s still, mostly, in the hands of locals. Respect.
If you ask Tom, he’ll tell you Habukomi means “to tie.” Back in the day, if you weren’t brave enough to fight in a clan war, they’d tie you up and leave you on the island to think about your life choices. Tough love, Bunyonyi-style.
Here’s the juicy bit — our guides started calling it Pelican Island because every time the great white pelicans visit Bunyonyi, they make a beeline for the fig trees here. And with the way Habukomi’s splitting, we’re thinking: why not give each half its own name? Habukomi on one side, Pelican Island on the other. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
photos by Jonathan Fontaine, Miha Logar and Marcus Westberg
