A place where nature meets urban life

On the last Friday of 2015 the temperature in Jinja was up the scale. And as such, I felt like dipping my body in a pool of water. Together with two friends, we chose Kingfisher Safaris Resort on the shores of Lake Victoria. It is located in Bukaya Parish 8km from Jinja Town and about 80km from Kampala city by road.
The cool lake breeze welcomes visitors and smiling staff make the place irresistible. On the well-manicured gardens strewn with a variety of tall trees, one can take shelter from the scorching sun and relax. The many grass thatched structures add to the comfortable to chill.
There is an all-age beehive of activity. While the children are attended to in their swimming pool that is approximately 20 metres from the main entrance, the adults are not left out.
When you move to the gardens that extend to the lake shore and occupy approximately six acres of land, they are spacious enough to allow any sport activity to go on. While most Ugandans play cards, others yearn for boat rides which go for between Shs10,000 to Shs20,000. Here you will meet Asians trying out their talent at football.

At the gardens
On the other side of the gardens is a mini-golf course that is not yearned for my many, apart from children walking in the grass and playing on the cemented sculptures. Here, you find sculptures of different animals with small holes drilled in them. When you stand facing the sculpture and hit a golf ball , it has to go through the small hole that was drilled in the sculpture and fall in the hole on the opposite side. It is only then that you count a win against your competitor. It is refreshing.

The bites
As the sun sets in the evening, huge charcoal stoves are lit to roast mchomo. A stick of roasted goat’s or beef mchomo costs Shs15,000 and it comes with roast bananas or boiled cassava and salads on the side plate.
Unlike some places, at King Fisher one can carry through their food basket at will. You can carry as much food especially if you intend to stay for the bigger part of the day or even hold meetings on the neatly manicured lawn.
Camp fires in the night will scare away the mosquitoes. And, if you are a camping fanatic, carry your own beddings and a tent, at Shs22,000 for adults and Shs11,000 for children. Security is assured as a number of armed guards patrol 24/7 as you unwind.

Accommodation
Camping services are also available. For a family unit of two adults and two children to spend a night at the resort, they are required to pay Shs235,000 a night, inclusive of breakfast.
Single self-contained rooms go for between Shs150,000 to Shs180,000 for residents. For non- residents, they pay between Shs379,500 for a single self-contained double room and Shs429,000 for a double self-contained room.