Dolwe Island is the captivating jewel of Lake Victoria
The island’s rock paintings- etched into seven shrines depict enigmatic figures and symbols that remain a mystery to local inhabitants, many of whom are from Kenya’s Luo community.
Nestled on the eastern shores of Lake Victoria in Namayingo District, Dolwe Island is a captivating destination known for its mysterious rock paintings and awe-inspiring rock formations.
With a history spanning over 300 years, the island can be reached after a serene 3-4 hour boat ride from Bwondha Landing Site in Mayuge District.
Though located in the Busoga region, the Basoga people never established permanent settlements on the island, as fishing was not part of their culture.
Oral history suggests that the Bavuma people from Buvuma Island were the first to inhabit Dolwe in 1904, following a devastating outbreak of sleeping sickness in the region.
Today, Dolwe is home to diverse communities from Uganda and neighboring countries.
The island of Dolwe has various cultural products including rocking paintings and engraving, rock gongs, ground hollows, stone stools and pottery. It is possible that Dolwe hunters-gatherers and agriculturalists perceived this island’s landscape as enshrining knowledge of what happened in the past and recorded in the rock art.
There is also another mysterious and remarkable artistic heritage from the past in the form of what archaeologists call ground (carved) depressions/hollows in the granite which abound here in their thousands.
The island is much too remote for most tourists to reach by vehicle and boat which takes a long time and can entail rough crossings. Much of the island is still wild and undeveloped and therefore beautiful.
The island’s rock paintings- etched into seven shrines depict enigmatic figures and symbols that remain a mystery to local inhabitants, many of whom are from Kenya’s Luo community.
Known for their resilience, the paintings defy rain and scrubbing, sparking intrigue about the ancient techniques used to create them.
Locals also revere Dolwe’s natural wonders, such as a massive boulder balancing impossibly atop a smaller one, inspiring myths and spiritual practices.
Dolwe Island is rich in tourism potential, offering breathtaking landscapes, unique cultural heritage, and rare rock art.
This eco-friendly marvel preserves the island’s natural beauty, with accommodations featuring handcrafted décor inspired by various African traditions.
Guests are greeted with serene lake views and fresh breezes, ensuring a tranquil escape from city life.
There is also another mysterious and remarkable artistic heritage from the past in the
form of what archaeologists call ground (carved) depressions/hollows in the granite
which abound here in their thousands.
Typically these are found carved into large granite slabs or flattish boulders where the sculptors of long ago have sometimes managed to squeeze in as many as a hundred of these “scoops” as we like to call
them into a slab that might only measure 5 meters by 6 meters, and each scoop
might typically measure about 35 cm long by 25 cm wide and maybe 15 cm deep,
and looking at them you reflect on the fact that carving any one of these might have taken an ancient artist, because this is art, months to create one of them, and there must be at least 20,000 of them on this small island! Nowhere in Africa, and probably in the world, is there such an extraordinary concentration of these hollows/scoops.
Their very numbers, as well as the fact that they are often found 15 meters up on the top of huge boulders almost impossible to reach, suggest a ritual/spiritual origin (motivation), rather than a functional one such as for grinding maize.
Whether exploring ancient shrines, marveling at the rock formations, or simply soaking in the island’s serenity, Dolwe promises an unforgettable journey into history and nature.
The population of the island numbers around 10,000, at least half of which live in the town of Golofa facing onto a natural rocky harbour where one of the most important rock painting sites is also located.
Meanwhile the rest of the inhabitants are scattered over a large area but are mainly in the northern part of the island.
Most of the island is still wild and undeveloped and there are no roads or 4 wheel vehicles, the only motorized transport being Boda bodas (motor cycle taxis) who skillfully manoeuvre the network of sandy paths that crisscross the island.
Apart from subsistence farming the main local industry is fishing of which the main products are Nile perch and tilapia. Nile perch on this lake can exceed 80 kg and can measure up to two meters.
Fishing is what this island is all about, which is hardly surprising, and the fish means birds which are there in their thousands standing on the southern shores of the islands you look out over Africa’s biggest lake its blue
waters punctuated here and there by little white sails and it’s as if you were at the edge of an ocean.
Dolwe Rock Art site is part of the six serial rock art sites in Eastern Uganda to be nominated to the World Heritage List.
Submission was made to the World Heritage committee in 2015 but the file was referred due to lack of proper conservation/management of sites, a danger to a World Heritage Site.
For Dolwe in particular, UNESCO recommended a systematic documentation of the island, recording
of all rock art (paintings, engravings, cupules, hollows and gongs) including all archaeological sites that could be on the island and need protection.
In November 2015, a senior conservator (Jackline N. Besigye) was invited by the Trust for African Rock Art (TARA) to present a paper in Morocco-Agadir on rock art at risk in Uganda . The workshop in Agadir was aimed at safeguarding African rock art at risk.
The presentations made by the Senior Conservator attracted members of the Prince Claus Fund (PCF) who then asked for collaboration towards the conservation of rock art sites in Dolwe. A project was then proposed and this was to be spear headed by TARA.
The project was intended to extensively document all cultural heritage sites at Dolwe island for development of a tourism product that suits international standards. An extensive survey and documentation on Dolwe island was therefore conducted and a number of rock paintings (12), gongs (13) including audio sounds, and
engravings (8) were recorded through digital photography, sketching as well as coordinates of site locations.
Some of the sites documented had been earlier recorded by previous scholars and researchers; however a number of new cultural heritage resources were also reported.
Records from the documented sites indicate 4 new rock paintings, 10 rock gong sites and 6 rock engravings.
To ensure proper management and conservation, the existing management plan was reviewed and is currently under implementation.
Community sensitizations were conducted to ensure that the available cultural heritage
resources with their values are known to the local community.
Sensitization included workshops, production of awareness materials such, t-shirts, banners, stickers, and fliers were distributed to people around the island.
This booklet is as a result of the Dolwe rock art project. It is anticipated that results from this project will market Dolwe island for both domestic and international visitors.
The project is ongoing though constrained by inadequate resources due to the size of the island and the high concentration of heritage sites.
Dolwe island is generally rich with cultural and natural heritage resources including rock art. A number of rock art sites have been documented at various
Dolwe hosts the greatest concentration of ground hollows, large carved depressions in the granite, also called grinding hollows, and erroneously called cupules, which are small cup-shaped depressions in the rock. TARA has recorded these hollows in several countries including Kenya and Tanganyika as well as in the Sahara.
TARA also has images and information on other quite large concentrations of hollows in Cameroon
and South Sudan, but nowhere are there as many as what has been recorded on Dolwe Island.
Much more research is needed to determine the possible purpose of these mysterious depressions. In TARA’s opinion they were probably made for spiritual reasons. This is the most likely explanation.
How To Get To Dolwe Island
- You will board a ferry from Jinja City to captivating Dolwe Island.
- You may board a ferry from Namayingo to magnificent Dolwe Island.
On the north-eastern side of Lake Victoria, lies Dolwe island also sometimes known as Lolwe
or Lolui island. A lush rocky landscape with spectacular scenery, it is a unique place that is worth visiting.
Altogether Dolwe island is approximately 5 hours away from the capital city of Kampala by road, and via an efficient speed boat from the main landing site of Bwondha.
From the region’s main City of Jinja you drive 25 kilometers east towards Iganga town then turn off the highway from Musita trading centre on your right. Drive about 54 kilometers to Mayuge district, then 42
kilometers to Bwondha landing site in Namayingo district.
From Bwondha landing site, Dolwe island can be reached by boat or canoe depending on
availability and affordability.
A private speed boat will take approximately 1½ hours and a little longer on a public boat that transports commuters to different islands on the lake.
Motorcycle taxis’ known as boda boda, will take you wherever you need to go within the island at a minimum fee of 1000 Ugshs to 10,000 Ugshs (approx. 3 US dollars). For travellers who speak the local language, communication on the island is easy because it is a uniquely multilingual community who speak English, Swahili, Luganda, Lusoga, Luo, Samia and many others.
@HappyToursAfrica