Lake Matunda

Lake Mutanda is located in Kisoro District in southwestern Uganda, approximately 12 miles north of the town of Kisoro, where the district headquarters are located. This location is approximately 282 miles, by road, southwest of Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city. It is nestled in the foothills of the Virunga Mountain Range, at an altitude of 5,900 ft. The three volcanoes within the range, that are partly located in Uganda, namely: Mount Muhabura, Mount Sabinyo and Mount Gahinga, can be viewed from Lake Mutanda. There are several islands in the lake. The lake is drained by the Rutshuru River, which flows northward to Lake Edward. The environment on the islands within the lake and the surrounding countryside includes lakeside forests and wetland habitats that provide a haven for the endangered mountain gorilla. In addition to the mountain gorilla and golden monkey in the nearby Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, the lakeside environment accommodates a variety of animal and plant species, unique to this area.