Lake Victoria

As one of the African Great Lakes, Lake Victoria is divided among three countries: Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

You can visit the shores of Lake Victoria in many places, but Mwanza is the most famous city, at least on Tanzanian side. Mwanza is also called Rock City, because of, you can guess it, the many rocks you will see in the skyline of the city and in the lake.

Mwanza has many things to offer. It is a charming city to wander around, you can enjoy the beaches near the lake or you can visit local fish markets. It is even possible to have a boat trip on Lake Victoria with a local fisherman.

Inside the city, there is a huge high rock called Jiwe Kuu. You can climb these rocks after a short car drive and you will have the best view over the city and Lake Victoria.

Close to Mwanza is the Sukuma Museum. Sukuma is one of the biggest tribes in Tanzania, and the museum gives a good explanation about their culture. You can even witness a snake dance there!

In the lake are some smaller islands, among which Saanane Island is the most well known. Saanane is a small national park ideal for rock climbing, hiking and bird watching.

Two other islands close to Mwanza are Ukerewe and Ukara Island. These are not very known and thus less visited, but in our opinion definitely worth the trip if you have enough time. With 530km² Ukerewe is the biggest island in the lake. The islands are reachable by ferry.