An Honest In-Depth Review of Birdnest at Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda

Where is Birdnest located?

The hotel is located on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi near the town of Kabale. It’s right on the water with incredible views of the lake and its steep, terraced hills and islands.

If you need an ATM or other supplies, it’s a short drive to Kabale, but far enough to feel at peace with nature.

Check in

We arrived at Lake Bunyonyi after a long and exhausting day of gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The staff gave us refreshing watermelon juice while we got a short briefing on the lodge. To be honest, I was a little overwhelmed with everything they had to offer (and my brain was still reeling from seeing gorillas that morning). They offered everything from room service to kayaks on the lake!

The porter will bring your bags and show you to your room. They’ll also give you a quick walk-through of the room (how to use the phone, using the shower, and more). Be sure to tip for the bags, or use the communal tip box at reception.

Restaurant

You can eat inside, on the patio, or on the lakeside patio. The menu is literally huge with so many options, both local and touristy. But the highlight (at least for me) was the homemade chocolate ice cream! Talk about ending the day on a high note!

My appetizer was the Bunyonyi Sunrise Hawaii, which had crayfish, pineapple, and a delicious sauce. The crayfish were caught right in Lake Bunyonyi (talk about local!) A few of us had pizza as our main course, and while it’s not New York/New Jersey pizza, it hit the spot! Of course, the homemade ice cream for dessert. What can I say? I like to balance local and non-local foods.

They have reasonably priced cocktails, beers, wines, and sodas available. There are two bars – one inside and one outside! Don’t worry about mosquitos, you’re too high for them, so enjoy the fresh air and beautiful views!

The lodge also provides wifi throughout the resort so you can post those gorilla pictures!

Be sure to check out my packing list for Uganda!

Rooms

My roommate and I got a triple room, so we had three queen-size beds! Plenty of room to relax and spread out. There was a closet and a luggage stand for storage. A safe is provided in the closet. A mini fridge kept our bottled water nice and cool. There was a table with chairs for morning tea, and a few sitting chairs around the room as well.

The curtains were really nice. There is a sheer white one when you want privacy but natural light, and a heavy dark brown one for nighttime. I don’t know if every room had a balcony, but ours did. It had a small table and two chairs, which were perfect for sipping my morning tea while watching the sunrise.

Bathroom

Bathrooms in Uganda tend to be spacious, and Birdnest is spaciously spacious. Okay, it’s huge. There are his and her sinks with the basic essentials like toothpaste and lotion. The toilet is immediately to your right. The shower is a walk-in shower with a rainfall head. The water can get very hot. The water pressure was great, but be sure not to drink the water. Use the bottled water provided to brush your teeth.

Pool

The pool is down a set of stairs by the lake. The stairs are unevenly spaced, so take your time going up and down. I loved that the pool was designed to blend in with the natural surroundings.

The pool is a little green, which may be off-putting, but they use a plant filter instead of chemicals to keep the water clean. It’s a great way to relax at the end of the day!

Other Lodge Activities

This lodge has a ton of activities for its guests. If you haven’t gone gorilla trekking, they can organize that for you. They also have kayaks and canoes available to get out on the water. There is a pool table near the actual pool that you can use for UGX 500. The hotel can also organize a boat tour for 150.000 UGX for you to learn about the Lake & its history (highly recommend), or a visit to a local Pygmy tribe, the Batwa for 250.000 UGX. I did a Pygmy visit in other places in Uganda, so can recommend it for learning about their history and culture as well!

Tip: There are no crocodiles or hippopotamuses in the water. Lake Bunyonyi is at high elevation. You may see otters, though, as I did (they were too quick to get a picture, unfortunately).

Tipping

Tipping in Uganda can be a little confusing. Most lodges have moved toward a communal tip box at check-in or in a communal area. Birdnest has a communal tip box at the check-in area, but you are also welcome to tip the porter, hotel, and restaurant staff separately (or in addition).

Conclusion

I honestly wish we could have stayed another night or two at Birdnest. It’s such an incredibly relaxing and beautiful lodge. The activities available are also quite unique and a great way to learn about Uganda in more depth.

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