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Introduction to Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria is Africa’s world’s largest tropical and inland lake, covering 68,800 square kilometers of surface area.

It is renowned for its breathtaking beauty, beachside hotels, resorts, and lush tropical islands that offer great experiences!

Why visit Lake Victoria?

Interestingly, the lake is shared between three countries—Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Lake Victoria comprises three island shores worth visiting—Ukrewe, Rubondo, and Ukara islands.

The lake houses over 200 fish species, making it Africa’s sought-after destination for a fishing tour.

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Getting to Lake Victoria

By Road

With a distance of 480 km from Arusha, it will take around 12 hours to reach Lake Victoria from Arusha.

By Air

Unfortunately, there’s no direct flight from Arusha to Lake Victoria. But you can fly to Mwanza from Arusha or Dar es Salaam and drive from Mwanza to Lake Victoria for 2 hours.

Best Time to visit Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria boasts a tropical climate, making it a year-round destination.

However, if you want clear skies during your visit, visiting Lake Victoria from July through February is best.

These months offer good birding and other activities experiences with the lake’s clear skies and cooler days.

Let's plan your trip around Lake Victoria.

Enquire now, and our safari specialist will get back to you shortly.

Weather in Lake Victoria

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Things to do in Lake Victoria

The islands of Lake Victoria are the primary attractions of the great lake region with its combination of various activities like boat cruises and birdwatching.

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Wildlife in Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria houses a plethora of wildlife that will surely make your eyes busy.

Among the animals you'll encounter in Lake Victoria are the massive hippos. These animals usually stay in the waters during the day.

Hippos

Other species that reside in Lake Victoria are the Nile crocodiles. These animals often fight with hippos for a space in mud pools.

Crocodiles

Among the animals you'll likely encounter in Lake Victoria are the Marsh mongoose. This animal is known to attack venomous snakes but never humans.

Marsh Mongoose

Sitatungas are swamp-dwelling antelopes with elongated, wide-splayed hooves that help them to walk on soft grounds like marshes and swamps.

Sitatunga

Lake Victoria houses various antelope species, including the bohor reedbucks. Males have distinctive whistling sounds, while females have frog-like croaking sounds.

Bohor Reedbuck

Another interesting animal species in Lake Victoria is the Defassa waterbucks. These animals have long, fascinating horns, large bodies, long, shaggy hair, and brown-grey coats.

Defassa Waterbuck

Considered Africa's largest rodents, cane rats are surely huge among their peers, weighing up to 7 kilograms and growing up to 24 inches long.

Cane Rats

The Giant Otter Shrews have a physical resemblance to otters. Their muzzles are flat and broad, with stiff whiskers and skin flaps.

Giant Otter Shrew

The African clawless otters are famous for their fantastic, luxurious fur coat, cuteness, and playfulness. They are also well-known for their clawless webbed feet.

African Clawless Otter

Another distinctive otter species in Lake Victoria is the spotted-necked otter. The white markings can quickly identify them on their neck and chest.

Spotted-necked Otter

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Birds in Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria is an excellent birding destination with over 450 bird species. Use your binoculars and take a closer look at these stunning birds!

Large and chunky, red-necked francolins have bare red skin on their throat and around their eyes. They are wary and always hide in deep cover.

Red-necked Francolin

Usually silent with occasionally low croaking sounds, knob-billed ducks are among the bird species you'll encounter on your Lake Victoria trip.

Knob-billed Duck

Larger than regular pigeons, speckled pigeons or rock doves are distinctive with their light grey chest, tail, and belly.

Speckled Pigeon

Another bird species you'll likely encounter in Lake Victoria is the red-eyed dove. These are large, stocky pigeons with pale brown tails and wings.

Red-eyed Dove

Usually gathered in small groups, eastern plantain-eaters are grey turaco with bushy crests, long tails with white sides, and white bars on outer wings.

Eastern Plantain-eater

Typically found near water in swamps and marshes, the blue-headed coucal is a beautiful bird with a blue sheen and a black head.

Blue-headed Coucal

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Landscape in Lake Victoria

Boasting several stunning landscapes, your eyes will surely have a feast in Lake Victoria. So, make sure your camera has a lot of storage space!

Lake Victoria comprises many islands, including the beautiful Ssese islands. It's an incredible archipelago of 84 densely-forested islands, which form the Kalangala District.

Ssese Islands

High cliffs dominate most islands in Lake Victoria. The lake's southwestern coast is backed by steep rock cliffs containing swamps leading to the Kagera River.

Cliffs

Another fascinating landscape you'll find in Lake Victoria is the cultural imprint of humans from the past. This part remains vital to Aboriginal people today.

Cultural Imprint of Humans

Located on Lake Victoria's northern shore, the Mabamba swamp is Uganda's most important birding site. It houses over 300 bird species, like the enigmatic Shoebill.

Mabamba Swamp

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Where to stay in Lake Victoria

Staying at the campsite to Luxury Glamping with an amazing view of Ol Doinyo Lengai is available here.

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Top questions answered for Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria is unlike anywhere you’ve been before. So, you have questions. We’ve been visiting for decades. So, we have answers.

Why visit Lake Victoria?

Lake Victoria is deemed ‘The Pearl’ or ‘Pride of Africa.’ It is one of the world’s greatest lakes, renowned for its spectacular beauty, lush tropical islands, stunning resorts, and hotels.

On top of that, it has over 200 fish species, making it an excellent destination for a fishing tour in Africa.

Is Lake Victoria safe to visit?

Lake Victoria is a safe place to visit if you follow your guide’s instructions. For instance, you are keeping in mind the safe places to swim.

One of the pieces of evidence that Lake Victoria is safe for tourists is the volume of tourists that visit here annually, which is hundreds of thousands.

How to get around Lake Victoria?

Among the most popular means of transport for locals and tourists are ferries. Lake Victoria’s main ports are located at Bukoba and Mwanza in Tanzania.

We recommend booking your holiday to Lake Victoria through a reputable tour operator like Easy Travel. Our tour packages include transport arrangements in and out of Lake Victoria.

Is there malaria in Lake Victoria?

Yes. Lake Victoria is confirmed to be a malaria-risk region. This is due to its swampy shorelines, which are the ideal breeding ground for malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

Hence, it is recommended that you take anti-malaria tablets. It is also best to apply lotion with DEET content to repel mosquitoes from biting you.

Do I need a visa for Lake Victoria?

You will travel to Lake Victoria through Kenya, Uganda, or Tanzania. The same visa prerequisite for the East African Community (EAC) applies to Lake Victoria.

You can speak with your travel agent or consult the official websites for Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania visa and passport requirements information.

Is there bilharzia in Lake Victoria?

Yes, bilharzia exists in Lake Victoria. It is present in almost all of Africa’s large lakes and is strongly widespread in shallow reedy waters close to the villages.

What country is Lake Victoria in?

Lake Victoria is in eastern central Africa, across the boundaries of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. However, most of Lake Victoria lies in Uganda and Tanzania.

What are the cities connected to Lake Victoria?

Four cities are linked to Lake Victoria: Entebbe, Mwanza, Musoma, and Kisumo. These cities have a lot to offer to their visitors.

For instance, Mwanza is close to Rubondo Islands National Park and boasts an industrial harbor like coffee, tea, and cotton plantations.

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