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Mwanza Tourism Tanzania

Karibu Tanzania

Rubondo Island National Park

Rubondo Island National Park includes Rubondo Island and several other small islands of Lake Victoria. About 80% of the park is covered by a dense forest thus providing a variety of habitats to wildlife ranging from Savannah, open woodland, papyrus swamps to dense forest. These habitats form a home for various wild creatures such as sitatunga, bushbucks, vervet monkeys, genet cats, spotted necked otters, hippopotamus and crocodiles which share the ecological niches with introduced species such as chimpanzees, elephants, giraffes, black and white colubus monkeys, suni and African grey parrots.

Birds (more than 200 species) at Rubondo Island Park - Wildlife Tourism
The park boasts for its rich and diverse variety of butterflies and bird life, more than 200 bird species easily viewable from the lake shore. The rare Sitatunga, an extremely endangered amphibious antelope, can sometimes be viewed escaping from the charging predators by hiding and camouflaging itself in the lake shore marshes.

Location and Size
The park is located on the south-western corner of Lake Victoria in Geita region about 150 km (95 miles) west of Mwanza. The Lake (Victoria) is the second largest lake in the world. The lake is also the sources of the longest river in the world, River Nile. The park has 456.8 Km2 of which 236.8 km2 is dry land and 220 km2 is water comprising of 11 small islets of varying sizes.

Python at Rubondo Island Park Safari Tour

Tourist Attractions
• A variety of water birds, Eurasian migrants and introduced African grey parrots
• High density of African fish eagles distinctly seen
• Animal species including sitatunga, elephants, giraffes, hippos, bushbucks, pythons, crocodiles, chimpanzees (not fully habituated), bush pig and suni
• The lake Victoria forming a spectacular sight for the visitors with the deepest point in the lake (Irumo) forming part of the park
• Magnificent view of the one of the last remaining representatives of evergreen dense primary lowland Congolese forest with a unique habitat mosaic in the midst of high biodiversity value
• Beautiful and attracting beaches such as Fly catcher, Mchangani and Michicoco
• Important gulfs of Irumo and Kamea
• Clear sighting of both sun rise and sun set
• Cultural sites such as “Ntungamire”, “Maji Matakatifu”, “Altare” and “Solo” which explain the life of natives who once stayed in the park
• “Birds Islands”, breeding sit for water birds
• Crocodile Island

Boat excursion at Rubondo Island Park Tourism

Tourist Activities
• Sport Fishing – This is the main activity in the park done at specified areas. It is the most exciting recreational activity in which there is great possibly of getting a big catch to make a wonderful and challenging record of catches among others. This activity is done throughout the year.
• Boat excursions – one can view a spectacular beauty of the Island, beaches, terrestrial bird species, water birds / shore birds e.g. malachite kingfishers, paradise flycatchers, herons, storks, egrets spoonbills, fish eagles and African Grey Parrots. You can visit the crocodile island, the deepest point in the lake “Irumo”, also while on the boat, you can see hippos, otters, plants species along the shores as well as enjoying the cool lake breeze.
• Walking safari (guided) in the natural forest / along the beach. There is both short and long walks (2 – 7 hours). While hiking, one can enjoy by viewing mammals like Sitatunga, bushbucks, Suni, Mangoose, bush pigs, genet cats and primates like Black and white colubus monkeys vervet monkeys; reptile such as monitor lizards, snakes, tortoises and pythons. Also, one can see forest birds species, grey parrots and water birds; colourful butterflies and viewing the lake and its shores.
• Game drive - in which there are responsibilities of watching big game such as elephants and giraffes; other mammals, reptiles, amphibious and bird species can also be seen.
• Bird watching in the forest and along the shore in the evening and morning time

fishing for fun at Rubondo Island Park Tourism

Best Time To Visit The Park
Dry season (June – September) and wet season (November – March) when wild flowers are flourish and plentiful of butterflies. For birds watchers, December – February is the best time as most migratory birds are nesting in the Park.

Accessibility
Rubondo Island National Park can be reached by charter, air and road. Visitors who prefer to travel by air should check in advance with us for flight schedules to the island.
The park can be accessed by road in approximately 4 hours drive on tarmac road from Mwanza to Geita and a morum road from Geita to Nkome. Visitors travelling through this route can be picked up by the park boat at Nkome, and will take maximum of one hour and half hours cruising to Rubondo Island (Kageye, The Park HQ). Another route is from Mwanza/Bukoba to Muganza/Kasenda village where it takes a maximum of 5 hours from Mwanza to Muganza/Kasenda and only two hours from Bukoba to Muganza/Kasenda (this route also connects Tanzania with neighbouring countries of Rwanda, Burundi, DRC, Uganda and Kenya). Visitor travelling through this route can be picked by the park boat at Kasenda village, and will take about 20 – 25 minutes to Rubondo National Park.

“Conservation for Sustainable Development”