It was rush-hour in Rutinda as heavily laden canoes plied the channels of Lake Bunyonyi in south-western Uganda, known as the Pearl of Africa. The early morning fog lifting off terraced hillsides, reminiscent of a landscape described by JR Tolkien in Lord of the Rings, was yet to burn off by equatorial sunshine.

In search of cooler climes, this was the place to be. At 1 950m the temperature is moderate, the water enticing and said to be free of bilharzia, crocodiles and hippos, making swimming safe.

Olivia welcomed me to Kalebas Campsite and Bandas (rondavels), set in immaculate grounds. I relaxed on the verandah - noisy with weaver birds and waves - with a Nile Special, brewed in Uganda by SA Breweries, and the best pizza outside Cape Town. Books, beer and banter rounded off the evening as the temperature dropped. No wonder I was in no hurry to leave.

Lake Bunyonyi is a flooded valley system formed by a lava flow from one of the Virunga Mountains which blocked off a river. The 61-square-kilometre lake extends north from the Rwandan border for 25km and forms the core of a wetland ecosystem, which includes the Ruvuma Swamp and other marshes.

The following day after filter coffee, a rarity in Uganda, I followed the shore to Rutinda Village and the bi-weekly market. Dots on the horizon grew as a flotilla of dugout canoes drifted towards the shore laden with cabbages, eucalyptus, potatoes, eggplants and other produce. A wriggling plastic bag turned out to be the local delicacy of freshwater crayfish. People haggled over prices and tucked into sliced pineapple and eggfruit.

I was pleasantly surprised to find few tourists, although tourism is growing. Almost every resort is attached to a programme including school sponsorship, orphan care centres, agro-forestry, give-a-goat project, hospitality training, HIV and Aids workshops, arts and crafts courses and sewing lessons.

Lake Bunyonyi is dotted with 32 islands and is thought to have formed 8 000 years ago. Reports of the depth vary wildly from 44m to 900m and it is said to be the second deepest lake in Africa.

I came in search of kayaking and mountain biking. I hired a canoe taking a zigzag course between the islands. Along the way, I saw lots of birds which I couldn't identify. The serpentine shaped Bunyonyi translates as Place of Little Birds, possibly because of the prolific weaver colonies. Over 200 bird species have been recorded, including grey-crowned cranes and herons and egrets. I was hoping to see the elusive spotted-necked otter. Lake Bunyonyi is the best place in Africa to see this diurnal otter, possibly because there are no crocodiles.

Few islands have settlements but some have an interesting history. Starting at Akampene or Punishment Island, my guide said the local Bakiga people used to leave unmarried pregnant girls there "to die of hunger or try to swim to the mainland to educate others so they should not do the same".

Apparently men without cows - the price to purchase a wife - could go to the island and pick up a girl. The practice was abandoned in the first half of the 20th century, although it is still possible to find women who were picked up from Punishment Island today.

Bwama and Njuyeera or Sharp's islands are famous as leprosy treatment centres. Doctor Leonard Sharp, an English missionary, came here in 1921 and 0 years later established a leprosy colony. The underlying principle was that of voluntary segregation with the happy community living in a good environment and attracting leprosy sufferers, thereby removing them from communities where they might infect others. The hospital buildings are now a boarding school attracting students from the region.

It is claimed that many people were killed on Bucuranuka or Upside Down Island. The legend goes that an old woman was passing by and asked for some beer. The people thought that she was a beggar and refused her. "So you will not even give me a sip. Can I at least get someone to take me to the mainland?" she asked. They were fed up with her and chose a young man to take her. On his return, the island turned upside down. Everyone died and only a chicken survived.

During the afternoon, the songs of schoolchildren floated from Bushara Island where there are luxury tents, chalets and campsites. The island is covered in eucalyptus trees and at its centre is the original Place of Little Birds.

Back at Kalebas, William told me the fish in the lake were introduced at the beginning of the 20th century and by the 1930s fishing was profitable. Thirty years later, the fish died due to a violent shallow mixing, probably caused by wind. In 2002, thousands of Nile tilapias and clarias were released. There are also mud fish, crayfish and mirrowcarp, "and plenty of their predators … otters".

As the sun set over terraced hillsides rising 2 478m and covered with crops, from Irish potatoes to cassava, it was time for a swim.

My thoughts were focused on tomorrow's journey to Kampala and my return home when a grey mass emerged from the surface. It was an otter, and he frolicked unperturbed by my presence.

Nearby, a pied kingfisher emerged from the water with a beak full of fish. Burdened by its prey, it flew low before settling on the bank to enjoy its feast.

Looking around, there was no one else to share this magic.

Feasting on freshwater crayfish while helping the community is pretty easy to stomach. And sharing the water with an otter and a kingfisher is unique and a highlight of a visit to the Pearl of Africa.

No wonder Bunyonyi is becoming a popular travel destination.

Details

Flights: SAA fly to Entebbe daily, from Johannesburg R6 573 and from Durban R8 621, inclusive subject to change.

Visa: $50 (R516) available at the airport.

Health: Uganda is a malaria area and there is bilharzia in most of the rivers and lakes. A Yellow Fever vaccination is compulsory.

Getting there: Lake Bunyonyi is 7km west of Kabale. To reach Kabale take the Post Bus from Kampala. From Kabale it is a short ride on a tro tros.