“Far From the Madding Crowd” is indeed a befitting name for this wonderful tented refuge on Lake Bunyonyi. A picture paints a thousand words they say, but the photographs I had seen of Habuharo fell far short of preparing me for the angelic weekend I was to spend at this enchanting “island of bird song”. The journey from Kampala was six hours, and so I got to Kabale town at 1 pm having left Kampala at seven in the morning. I found my way to the awaiting Ha’buharo motorboat docked at the landing called ‘Harutindo’, literally translated from the local language as “at the bridge”.
The lake is refreshingly unspoiled, with magnificently still, clear water, free of bilharzia and crocs. Dick, the charming boatman-come-tour guide brought the captivating history of the lake to life as he graphically narrated the historical tales of the different islands on our way to Habuharo.
The most interesting of the tales is the story of ‘Akampene Island’, where it is said that many years ago, girls in the community that became pregnant out of wedlock were taken, abandoned, and left to starve to death! However, Dick was quick to add, that it is also said that poor men who could not afford bride price would go to the island at night and take the banished pregnant girls as their wives.
Then there is the story of Bwama Island, to which lepers were deposited and left to live in isolation under the care of the missionary Dr. Sharp. Bwama is now a thriving community, not a leper colony. So, the boat ride in itself is a sweet and sour combination of the therapeutic effect of crystal clear serene waters and the emotional journey into an almost surreal history of Lake Bunyonyi.
Ha’buharo grabs you from the instant you set eyes on it. Its circular shape and lush green foliage and trees are spell-binding. The water around the landing pier is covered with water lilies. Joseph, the manager, in the same boisterous welcoming manner as Dick, helped me out of the boat, and within a few minutes, I had walked up a winding cobbled pathway to the Club House. The smell of freshly baked bread and a hot face towel was a wonderful welcome as I settled into the lounge to check-in. The lounge décor is simple and tasteful, very much in keeping with the surrounding environment.
After a speedy check-in, I was escorted to the ‘Shamaza Tent’ magically hidden among the trees. That evening, after a hot shower in an en-suite bathroom with flush toilet, I sat on the tent deck drinking wine, the orange rays of the setting sun shone through the trees creating a spectacular sight; perfect silence is broken only by the chorus of birds. I was intrigued by the modern amenities such as the hot showers and the electric lighting; until I was informed the entire place is powered by a solar plant. I had the most comfortable night’s sleep in crisp cotton linen, and awoke the next morning to the angelic melody of Birdsong! I could see the lake through the trees, invitingly fresh, and I could hear a paddle striking the water like a canoe quietly passed by.
After a good old-fashioned English breakfast, my friend Tara, an avid bird watcher, went to a nearby Nyombe swamp where one can watch as many as 200 species. I spent the first part of the morning playing golf at the island’s four-hole mini-golf range, along the lakeshore, quite an experience! That evening, we dined around a campfire and later burned off the calories as we danced the vigorous ‘kikiga’ dance with the Habuharo local troupe.
My final day was spent off the island with the ‘Batwa’, the Pygmies, about one hour’s boat ride away. Fascinating people, living in a world of their own, but that’s a story for another day.
The Habuharo experience is indeed therapy for the soul and is fast becoming a favorite stopover for gorilla trackers headed for the Bwindi impenetrable forest.
