A new luxury resort has opened on a private island in Lake Victoria, adding another high-end facility to Uganda’s growing hospitality and tourism industry.
Paradise Island Resort, developed by businessman Sudhir Ruparelia’s Ruparelia Group, is located on a 19-acre island and is accessible by boat from Speke Resort Munyonyo.
The facility offers a range of accommodation options, including executive villas, deluxe cottages, cliffside cottages and standard cottages, with several units overlooking the lake.
The resort also has a white-sand beach, swimming pool, restaurants, bars, spa and wellness facilities, a gym, conference spaces and private lounges.
Guests can take part in activities including kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing, boat cruises, bird watching and nature walks.
The development comes as Uganda seeks to broaden its tourism products beyond wildlife and traditional safari experiences by investing in leisure, hospitality and other forms of tourism.
Lake Victoria, which Uganda shares with Kenya and Tanzania, provides opportunities for water-based tourism, while the country’s growing hospitality sector has attracted investment in hotels, resorts and conference facilities.
Paradise Island is expected to cater for both domestic and international visitors, including holidaymakers, honeymooners, corporate groups and people seeking venues for private functions.
Its proximity to Kampala also gives it access to the city’s growing business and leisure market, while its location on the lake provides an alternative to conventional urban hotels.
The resort has also been designed to retain much of the island’s vegetation, with landscaped gardens, walking trails and other features incorporated into the development.
The Ruparelia Group already has interests in Uganda’s hospitality industry, including Speke Resort Munyonyo, Kabira Country Club, Dolphin Suites and Forest Cottages.
Speke Resort Munyonyo has hosted several international and regional meetings, conferences and government functions, strengthening the group’s presence in Uganda’s hospitality and events industry.
The opening of the island resort is also expected to create opportunities across the hospitality value chain, including accommodation, catering, transport, security, landscaping and marine services.
Local suppliers could also benefit through the provision of food, agricultural produce, crafts and other goods required by the facility.
Tourism remains an important source of employment, foreign exchange and investment for Uganda, with the government seeking to increase earnings by diversifying the country’s tourism products and encouraging visitors to spend more time in the country.
The resort’s development therefore adds another option to Uganda’s growing portfolio of leisure destinations, particularly in the Lake Victoria tourism circuit.
For visitors, access to the resort begins at Speke Resort Munyonyo, from where guests take a boat across the lake to the island.
The opening marks the latest addition to Uganda’s private-sector hospitality investments and comes at a time when the country is seeking to position itself as a competitive destination for leisure, business and conference tourism.