Rubondo Island National Park Tanzania

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Rubondo Island National Park

This national park was gazetted in 1977 and it’s also an important breeding ground for both the fish species and the migratory birds. This is the only area in the waters of Lake Victoria which is well protected and preserved. About 80% of the park is covered by the dense forest which provides variety of habitants to the wildlife ranging from savannah, papyrus swamps, the open woodland, and dense forest. The habitants are home to many animals including; the sitatunga, velvet monkeys, bushbucks, spotted necked otters, genet cats, hippos, crocodiles. The introduced species here include; chimpanzees, giraffes, elephants, black and white colobus monkey, the African grey parrots and the suni. The national park is also famous the migratory

Birds from different parts of the world as well as the native birds to the Area.

 

This national park is located on the south western corner of the great Lake Victoria in the Geita region, it’s also about 150 km west of Mwanza city. Lake Victoria is the second largest lake in the world and is also the source of the longest river, which is River Nile. This national park has 456.8 km2 and of which 236.8km is a dry land and the 220km is water and comprises of 1 small islets of the varying sizes. The main attractions in this national park include;

  • Water birds including the Eurasian migrants and the introduced African grey parrots
  • Heavy density of African Fish eagles
  • The animal species including; Elephants, Sitatungas, hippos, giraffes, Bush bucks, crocodiles, Pythons
  • Chimpanzees, suni and the bush pigs
  • Lake Victoria forming a spectacular sight for the visitors.
  • Beautiful views of one of the remaining evergreen dense primary lowland
  • The Congolese forest with a unique habitant mosaic.
  • Beautiful beaches like the fly catcher, Michicoco, and Mchangani
  • Gulfs of Kamea and Irumo
  • Sightings of both sun set and sun rise
  • The cultural sites like the Maji Matakatifu, Ntungamirwe, Altare and Solo which explains the life of natives who used to stay in the park
  • Bird Islands
  • The Crocodiles.

Rubondo Island National park can be accessed both by air and road. The park can be reached by road and the drive is approximately 4 hours on a tarmac road from Mwanza to the geita and the Morum road from Geita to Nkome. The guests travelling through this route can be picked up by a boat owned by the park and take one oand half hours to cruise to Rubondo Main Island. The other route is from Mwanza/ Bukoba to Muganza/ Kasenda village where it will take 2 hours from Bukoba to Muganza/ kasenda . The route connects Tanzania with the neighbouring countries of Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Burundi. The visitors that travel through this route can be picked by the park boat at Kasenda village and will take 20-25 minutes to Robondo National park.

The park can also be reached by air and the visitors who prefer to use air should check in advance with the tour operators in Bukoba, Arusha, Dar es salam and Mwanza for the flight schedules to this Island. On a current note, Auric air flights have routes via Rubondo from Either Mwanza ro Bokoba. The landing fees are Tshs 1,5000 per one plane at the Rubonda Air strip , this national park has got well maintained waitng lounges with toilet facilities where the visitors can wait for the appropriate services on arrival.

This park also opens and operates the whole year through with both the high season from July to February and the low season that starts from March through June. The park opens at 6:00amand closes at 1800hours and it’s the main time when all visitors are to their hotels, lodges, bandas or at the campsites