Relaxing at Bulago Island’s getaway

The Pineapple Bay is a vibrant themed resort geared at providing relaxation programmes, including culinary extravaganzas. Photo by Edgar R. Batte.

What you need to know:

The economy may be just about on the road to recovery, but you do not have to wait for things to get better before you take a well-deserved holiday retreat.

Close your eyes and imagine a cool ambience away from the hustle and bustle that characterise Kampala. You can live this dream with good planning and 90 minutes of travel you can be sure to get yourself that desired treat for a perfect getaway. Pineapple Bay is a stone throw-away from Kampala. You take a boat at the Speke Resort Munyonyo to Pineapple Bay and this will take about 45 minutes to get you to Bulago Island on Lake Victoria.

Your imagination will be fed with a fusion of greenery, a variety of birds clapping on the waters, swinging under the trees and walking on the white sands. Your eyes will be treated to nature in its most natural state; doves enjoying a romantic moment as they care for one another on tree branches while the ducks take a swim on the shorelines of Lake Victoria.

Ambience
And as you take all this in, you will be kicking some white sand under your bare feet as agile palm trees sway about. This will probably be after a peaceful night of sleep, with the sounds of singing birds tucking you in. This resort is a vast beauty that accommodates large cottages, a swimming pool, lounge, dining area, and a beach line for you to relax as you sunbathe or sit around a fireplace at night to chat and keep the chill away.

Lara Bell, one of the managers, says it’s a haven for the romantics and children alike. The resort is owned and managed by Wildplaces. Tamara Segal, Wildplaces’ group marketing and business development manager, explains that their target clientele are international tourists looking for post-safari rest and relaxation as well as Kampala residents seeking a chilled weekend getaway.

Corporates may need to explore Pineapple Bay for meetings.

Incentives
The place is ideal for family get-away and the resort’s management is currently working on a children’s programme that will keep them entertained whilst the parents are able to sit back and unwind. Tamara says they are teaming up with Tots ‘n Art Uganda to develop a fun but educational programme for the young ones. Bell adds, “Those people who work through the week may come on Friday evening until Sunday. We can pick them from Munyonyo at 7am, bring them over, and they stay for two or three nights, then drop them back at Marina, Speke Resort, which is very secure and safe, close to Kampala yet makes you feel you are miles away.”