Lake Victoria

The second largest fresh water lake in the world, Lake Victoria dominates the area with its 70,000 km² surface.

The area is ideal for birdwatching as the lake attracts a variety of large water birds. The area is very pretty and as the lake virtually borders the western Serengeti.

You might find that lodges in the Masai Mara or Serengeti National Park offer day trips or fishing expeditions to Lake Victoria but it has never really featured on the Tanzanian or Kenyan tourism circuit. The Rubondo Island National Park - located in the southern portion of the lake - is the only major highlight of a visit to this area.

Despite its huge size, the murky lake is quite shallow - only 100 metres at its deepest. The giant lake borders three African countries - Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Travelling between these countries via the lake is, sadly, a luxury of the past.

It is important to note that Lake Victoria is riddled with bilharzia, so avoid swimming or walking barefoot through the grass along its shores, as this is where the parasite-hosting snails lurk.

The basin is home to the Luo people, who moved into the area from Sudan in the 15th century and are now Kenya's third largest ethnic group. Although Western Kenya does not attract many tourists and is blissfully free of safari minibuses, it is the most densely populated area in the country and the most productive.

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