Edirisa means a window in Rukiga, the main language of southwestern Uganda. This Gorilla Highlands Experts location strives to give our guests and volunteers an authentic local perspective on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi — since 2002.
ACCOMMODATION DETAILS
Edirisa includes a colourful family house, a spacious family apartment, two cosy grass-thatched huts and a lovely campsite, all hidden in a forest close to Bufuka Primary School, on a peninsula that combines accessibility with the special feeling of being surrounded by a lake.
The Family Apartment at USD 40 offers a double bed and a bunk bed. It includes a room for bathing while toilets are outside of the building.
Our Family House has three spaces: a living room, a twin room that can be converted into a triple and a double room. There is a toilet nearby.
The price is USD 20 for the twin room or USD 30 for the double room. You get the cute little living room as part of the package too.
If you book both the twin room and the double room, the price for the entire Family House will be USD 40.
The Double Cottage has a double bed and a writing table. It is priced at USD 25.
The small Dorm contains two sets of bunk beds equipped with bedding and mosquito nets; a dorm bed costs USD 10 per person.
No building is self-contained; all rooms share a range of sitting and squatting (ecosan) toilets. The showers are open-air and hot water is fire-heated.
There are two social places offered: the canteen with a nice veranda and a tree house.
Pitching your own tent costs USD 7 per person.
Guests have free access to our canoe.
Finally, the most unusual feature of Edirisa is the swimming platform — basically a submerged swimming pool that allows local children safe learning … and our visitors great sunbathing!
All accommodation prices are for bed only; add USD 3 per person for a tasty set breakfast. The Edirisa team also serves delicious meals and snacks from our à la carte menu (available for download here). Alternatively, you’re welcome to join them for a simple staff meal at USh 10,000 only. … Is the eating part of life quite important to you? There’s an article about the excellent cuisine at Edirisa you may want to check out!
The USD rate generally ranges from 3,500 to 3,600 Ugandan shillings per American dollar.
GETTING ACTIVE
Our international team runs trips around Lake Bunyonyi, SW Uganda and beyond: hiking and canoeing trips taking from 2 hours to 2 weeks, motorboat tours, respectful visits to Batwa ‘Pygmies’ and much more, all over the Gorilla Highlands region of Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo.
HOW TO BOOK
Please WhatsApp or call +256 761 365 593 or email us (just click on the link).
HOW TO GET TO EDIRISA
The easiest way to reach Edirisa is by special hire taxi (USh 45,000) or a boda-boda motorcycle (USh 10,000) from Kabale Town. There is cheap public transport available on market days (Monday and Friday). Alternatively you can walk to Lake Bunyonyi; it will take you about two and a half hours and provide some fantastic views.
We are in Bufuka village on the eastern shore of Bunyonyi. When coming from Kampala by car, you turn left just after Kabale Town — there will be numerous Bunyonyi signposts. Once you reach the lake you can follow our white signposts. Edirisa comes after Bunyonyi Safaris Resort, the most hotel-like building on the lakeshore. It’s about 30 minutes from Kabale to us; the last 5 minutes the road is rough.
photo: Marcus Westberg, Miha Logar & Edirisa archives
Our Stories from Edirisa:
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Elie’s Offline Anguish at Lake Bunyonyi
On 20/12/2025 Elie Cirhuza set foot on Ugandan soil again, four months after his first stay on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi. Passionate about tourism and cultural diversity in the region, this Congolese Friendship Camper returned as a volunteer with us. Elie was driven by the desire to improve his English and sharpen his multimedia…
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Happy 2026! (Better Late Than Never, Right?)
Guilty as charged! We’re sharing these wishes a little late, our team of course meaning “this year” when they say “next year” 😜 — but straight from The Heart, the historical name of Edirisa on Lake Bunyonyi. Created by Elie Cirhuza from Congo, our volunteer who has plenty more brewing. Can’t wait to show you!…
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Milan vs. Bunyonyi: Not A Bad Start!
This is Milan, a student of UC Leuven-Limburg, who arrived at Edirisa on Lake Bunyonyi last month. Like others before him, he’s doing a 6-month internship that’s part of the “Global Citizenship and Development” course. We first sent Milan to a 2-day canoe tour with a friendly group of World Insight travellers from Austria and…
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Pedalling Uganda: From Lakes and Gorillas to Lions in Trees (Part 1)
We’re up to something special today, folks, a proper double whammy. This cycling caper through Uganda’s national parks kicks off in our Lake Bunyonyi territory and continues on the Gorilla National Parks side of life! The hero: Ralph, a member of the British diplomatic corps in Kampala who’s far happier on two wheels than behind…
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Edirisa Treasures: Our Cute Little Museum by the Big Gorgeous Lake
For over 20 years we’ve poured our hearts into projects, adventures and memories at Lake Bunyonyi — and for almost as long we’ve dreamed of a little museum to hold it all. This week that dream finally came to life. Andrea, an old friend and a true expert in the field, arrived with another cherished…
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Comfort Is Comfortable & Shall Make You Comfy
Heard of Comfort Kansiime? She’s our freshest face and started in July, bright-eyed and ready for adventure. (You might’ve noticed we’re now officially called just “Lake Bunyonyi” on socials, but this profile will prove that Edirisa’s spirit is still beating strong underneath.) For Comfort, the gig at Edirisa on Lake Bunyonyi is her first proper…
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Checking on Our Neighbours: Kyahugye Is Madly Special
Life at Lake Bunyonyi Eco Resort hits different, trust us. You don’t usually wake up on an island to find a zebra and a donkey having a chilled breakfast outside your window — unless you’re here, of course. That’s assuming the crested cranes haven’t already shrieked you into consciousness. Cradled by the waters of Lake…
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The Flavours of Lake Bunyonyi: From Garden to Treehouse
How about this for a lunch spot … or up in a treehouse, legs swinging, lake views for days? Yep, that’s Edirisa on Lake Bunyonyi for you. Whether you’re a meat-lover, veggie, vegan, or have one of those “my tummy says no” diets, we’ve got your back. And if choosing from a menu sounds like…
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Can an Alarm Clock Be a Symbol of Love?
Most guests at Edirisa on Lake Bunyonyi wake up grinning, blinking at the sunlight and thinking, “Oi, what is that racket?” It’s not your alarm. It’s a cheeky dawn chorus, courtesy of the Cinnamon-chested bee-eaters. These feathered show-offs have taken up residence in the eucalyptus forest around Bunyonyi, and they’re not exactly shy about it.…
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The Quiet Revolution Under the Rusty Tin Roof
Our pupils had never seen mushrooms so massive! All because of the most hands-dirty Wheeling2help project ever … This big-hearted bunch of volunteers from Cyprus and Greece have truly found their home on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi! Their organisation backs Bufuka Primary School with scholarships, hot meals, learning materials and a good dose of…
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Lift the “Pygmies” Up, Don’t Knock Them Down!
Look who’s back at Edirisa on Lake Bunyonyi! The Wheeling2help volunteer crew have returned. Two of their teams helped us whip up the Batwa Feast last year, bravely stepping in as our taste-testers so the first lot of 2025 could savour the real deal yesterday … Fancy giving it a go yourself? You’ll get to…
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Lake Bunyonyi’s Best Street Food (on Water!)
Ever found yourself wondering, “What do fishermen eat before heading out to catch fish?” Turns out … more fish. At least if you’re hanging around Lake Bunyonyi. Meet Jimmy Betubiza — the local celebrity who’s been slipping into the lake at dawn for over 40 years. He’s 53, but looks like he’s been preserved in…
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When Spirits Say ‘Meow’
One of the first faces you’ll meet at Edirisa on Lake Bunyonyi isn’t human — it’s Sammy the Cat. Ever since the tragic demise of PK the Bird, she’s stepped up as our one and only Official Pet. Curious how she joined the crew? Well, once upon a not-so-charming time, our kitchen had a serious…
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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…
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The Batwa Patient
There are few places where you desperately want to see a familiar face — like a hospital. Unless you work in one, all that antiseptic sparkle and military-level order is enough to make anyone feel a bit twitchy. That’s exactly where our Batwa “Pygmy” partners from Lake Bunyonyi ended up: first at the health centre…
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Eggs! Eggs!! Eggs!!!
Let’s rewind to Christmas 2024 for a sec — remember what you were doing? Eating too much and dodging awkward family convos? Meanwhile, at Edirisa on Lake Bunyonyi we were on the edge of our seats. Because on 23 December, drumroll please, 300 fluffy little layer chicks landed — all alive (imagine that!!!), all peeping,…
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Self-Declared Nomad With a Cam
Guess who’s been camping at Edirisa on Lake Bunyonyi for a week? Jonathan Fontaine – winner of a 2023 World Press award for documentary photography! He popped by for “just a couple of nights” (famous last words), and ended up sticking around much longer, bewitched by the calm charm of our village haven. Have a…
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Crazy Weather of Lake Bunyonyi
So, summer’s just about to pop its sunny little head round the corner. You’d think that’s all sunshine and hammocks, right? Well, not quite. Around Lake Bunyonyi the weather has been strange for almost a year, to put it mildly. First, there was too little rain and the farmers were worried. The locals were pointing…
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No Land, No Problem: Lake Bunyonyi’s House Boat
Tourism round Lake Bunyonyi? Still pretty fresh, buddy! Before Dr Sharp opened his guesthouse in the 1920s, hardly anyone beyond the town of Kabale had a clue this slice of paradise even existed — land was dirt cheap ’cos it was all just farmland. You could spot the locals who wandered into Kabale from a…
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Rest in Peace, Pleasure Katusiime (June 2024 – April 2025)
Before we all dive headfirst into the craziness of a new week, we want to take a moment and raise a feathered toast to a tiny legend who somehow stole all our hearts — our cheeky little Pleasure Katusiime (or just PK, if you were lucky enough to know her). She wasn’t just flapping about…
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Mondays Used to Suck
Can we be real for a sec? Mondays used to suck! Like, the actual worst! The weekend would vanish in a puff of regret and suddenly you were catapulted back into that other life — the one with alarm clocks and responsibilities. But guess what? Those bleak Mondays? Over. We’re flipping the script, my dears.…
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White Widow’s Loyalty
Pleasure Katusiime could fly away if she wanted. But she doesn’t. She’s perfectly content at Edirisa on Lake Bunyonyi, where she reigns as the one and only resident pet. Forget guesthouses with dogs. While they may be loyal companions, they can be intimidating to local people. Edirisa, as a cross-cultural space, has chosen a gentler…
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Pizzzzzzzzzza News
Pizza?! Cheese??? That’s disgusting! — such would be the reaction of any traditional dweller of Lake Bunyonyi, including our storied Tom Karemire. But for foreign taste buds it doesn’t take long before the craving for something beyond beans, cabbage, potatoes, and groundnuts sets in. We’re happy to report that we’ve just tested the brand-new pizza…
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Serene Pleasure & Cherry Trees
It’s been a while since we last heard from our team at Edirisa on Lake Bunyonyi, so here is a dispatch by volunteer Michele, enriched with recent photos … As we felt the seasons change and the sun lower its course, the cooler and breezier days were upon us. The team were rejuvenating from a busy…
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Omushomesa’s Inspiration
There’s Polona from Slovenia who likely doesn’t even know she has a namesake in Uganda! This volunteer stayed with us at Lake Bunyonyi from December 2007 to March 2008 … and in addition to all the good work she did, she also happened to inspire an omushomesa! Omushomesa? A literal translation is “teacher”, but in…
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Edirisa, a GHE Location on Lake Bunyonyi
It’s official: Edirisa on Lake Bunyonyi (Uganda) is now run from Musanze (Rwanda), placed under the Gorilla Highlands Experts (GHE) umbrella. We still have Levi managing the site and cooking, we still have Arthur assisting him in every possible way, but they are in daily contact with our office team. On the one hand, this…
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Three Bunyonyi Love Stories (Gorilla Highlands 2016-2017)
This is the thirteenth instalment of a weekly series that marks 20 years of Edirisa and 10 years of the Gorilla Highlands Initiative. Click here for Part I. By 2016 the Gorilla Highlands idea had matured enough to call for a professional team in Kigali, and I was part of that group. I wasn’t just…
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The Split (Kabale, Nkozi & Bunyonyi 2011)
This is the eleventh instalment of a weekly series that marks 20 years of Edirisa and 10 years of the Gorilla Highlands Initiative. Click here for Part I. When I woke up in a small room at Backpackers in Kampala one morning in 2006 I panicked. For the first time in my life I was…
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How Edirisa Changed My Life, and Theirs (Kitanga 2009)
This is the ninth instalment of a weekly series that marks 20 years of Edirisa and 10 years of the Gorilla Highlands Initiative. Click here for Part I. 2009 was a pivotal year for me and Edirisa UK as it was the summer that I first visited the Special Needs Education Centre (SNEC) in Kitanga…
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Thank You, Thank You, Thank You (Bunyonyi & Kabale 2008)
This is the eighth instalment of a weekly series that marks 20 years of Edirisa and 10 years of the Gorilla Highlands Initiative. Click here for Part I. My Edirisa story begins with Learn From Africa (see Danger Dave’s story about 2006), the volunteer orientation that brought interesting visitors to my village.I would call the…