Rubondo Island National Park has located in the southwest of Lake Victoria. An extraordinary example of wildlife conservation. It’s Africa’s largest island national park at 26km long and up to 10 km wide. More than 75 percent of the island is covered in pristine equatorial rainforest. Since the 1960s, the island has been a haven for wild chimpanzees, sitatunga antelope, elephant,s and giraffes.
ATTRACTIONS IN RUBONDO ISLAND NATIONAL PARK
The protected status of the park makes it a prime breeding ground for migratory birds and native fish like the Tilapia and Nile perch. 300 speckled species of birds are found on the island. Such as African Grey parrots, heron, stork, spoonbill, malachite kingfisher, paradise flycatcher, and many other avi-fauna.
Terrestrial fauna includes semi-aquatic sitatunga and dappled bushbuck that are found in the swamps, as well as vervet monkey, genet cat, hippo, and the largest prehistoric carnivore on the island — crocodile. Some animals that are found on the island were introduced for conservation reasons in 1966. Such as a group of rescued chimpanzees. Other non-native animals include giraffes, elephants, black and white colobus, suni-antelope, and many others.
TOURISM ACTIVITIES
Rubondo Island National Park sees fewer visitors than the larger, more well-known parks in Tanzania, giving Biko adventurers a private island destination for walking safaris, canoeing, fishing, birdwatching or just watching the distinct lake fauna from the shaded comfort of your hammock.
GETTING THERE
Rubondo can be accessed by plane from mainland Tanzania, affording spectacular views over Lake Victoria. Scheduled flights operate from many locations in Tanzania, including Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Arusha and also the Serengeti. It is also possible to fly here directly from Kigali in Rwanda if you wanted to combine Rubondo Island with a visit to the gorillas.
The best time to visit Rubondo is during the dry season, between June and October. December through to February sees a large number of migrant bird species visit the island so for keen birders this can also be a great time to visit.
