Location : Masaka district is Located in Central Uganda. It borders
Lake Victoria to the East, Sembabule and Rakai to the
West, Mpigi to the North and Rakai to the South.
Population : The District has a population of about 767,800 people
Main Town : Masaka is the main town of the district and has a
population of about 61,300 people.
Area : 7010.6 Sq. Kms
Land and Vegetation : 16.4 percent of the district is open water, 6.4 Percent is
wetland and 34822 hectares is forest.
The following are the key tourist attractions of the district:
1. Lake Nabugabo Holiday and Conference Centre
The centre is located at the shores of Lake Nabugabo in Masaka district, about 21 kms from Masaka town. The estate was originally sponsored by missionaries and later handed over to the Church of Uganda for use as a holiday resort and conference centre. There are a number of activities carried out and these include; canoeing, Sport Fishing and recreation on the sand beaches, Bird watching, swimming and camping. Besides camping they also have holiday resort accommodation facilities.
The resort has enormous potential for development of modern water sports.
2. Sand Beach Nabugabo
This is located about 23 kilometers from Masaka town, at the shores of Lake Nabugabo. It is popular for annual canoeing competitions. It is also popular for motor rallying events, fishing, camping, beautiful bandas/cottages. Other activities include recreational activities like beach volleyball and beach football. It is an excellent place for family outings. Bird watching is one of the activities that were recently launched and this is done either around the lake area on the side of the beach. One can also take a canoe to an Island in the lake or on the other side of the lake across the beach.
The Sand Beach, like Lake Nabugabo Resort, also offers chance for development of water sports on Lake Nabugabo.
3. Agro-Tourism
This activity has significant potential in the District, as a tourist attraction. Its market ranges from domestic to international tourism. The products include experiences regarding improved banana growing methods, cattle zero-grazing and other forms of sustainable agriculture.
4. Community Tourism
Community tourism opportunities available in Masaka District include community trail walks, market visits and short-stays with communities. The gentle hilly terrain coupled with green cover offer good opportunity for nature walk.
5. Cultural Performances
The district is home to rich Ganda cultural performances. Already, many organised groups commercially conduct performances. Cultural performances, including story telling, may be developed to enhance the menu of the over-night tourist package.
6. Bukakata Landing Site
This area is the tourist gateway to the tourist hub of Kalangala and areas of Lake Victoria. Development of tourist related service infrastructure such as crafts shops and lodges would enhance tourism activity within Masaka District.
7. Crafts and Souvenirs Industry
There were no dedicated crafts/souvenirs shops found in Masaka district during the Survey.
However, Masaka district is endowed with a number of wetlands whose materials can be utilised for production of crafts for domestic market and export. Some tree plants, commonly grown in the district, such as the banana and back-cloth trees, provide raw materials that can be used by the crafts industry.
Training is required in simple crafts that are convenient to carry as souvenirs to build capacity for the Crafts and Souvenirs Industry.
Meetings with the district officials indicated plans to provide for a crafts and souvenirs shopping centre at the Kampala – Masaka – Mbarara junction.
8. Hotel and Catering Industry
The sector had 55 accommodation establishments with a total capacity of 953 beds. The sector employed 267 people.
The main accommodation establishments in the district were: Hotel Lanova, Lastone Hotel, Nabugabo Holiday/Conference Resort and Nabugabo Sand Beach.