Rubondo Island Website & Travel

Rubondo Island National Park, one of Tanzania’s two island parks, is located on Lake Victoria and offers a variety of activities for exploring its unique flora and fauna. Visitors can enjoy game drives, chimpanzee trekking, sport fishing, bird watching, canoeing, boat trips, and cultural tours on your Tanzania safaris.

Rubondo National Park Video

Top Things to Do in Rubondo Island National Park (Activities)

Rubondo Island National Park is one of the only two island parks in Tanzania, located on Lake Victoria in the northwest of the country. The small park offers various interesting activities for visitors to explore its unique flora and fauna.

Game Drives: Embark on a game drive through the open woodlands, savannah, and lush green forests of Rubondo Island. Look out for black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, buffalos, giraffes, elephants, antelopes like bushbucks, suni, sitatunga, crocodiles, warthogs, and hyrax, among others.

Chimpanzee Trekking: Venture into the dense forests of Rubondo Island National Park to trek and observe the playful chimpanzees in their natural environment. These chimpanzees were rescued from captivity and brought to the island years ago, where they have since thrived.

Sport Fishing: Rubondo Island National Park is located on Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa. The lake is home to various fish species, including the famous Nile perch, catfish, and tilapia. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced angler, you can enjoy a catch-and-release fishing adventure on Lake Victoria, the source of the River Nile. Fishing techniques include fly fishing, spinning, dead bait, and trolling.

Bird Watching: For bird lovers, Rubondo Island National Park is home to over 200 bird species, including both resident and migratory species. Notable birds to spot include African fish eagles, kingfishers, egrets, herons, African grey parrots, cormorants, storks, and ibises.

Canoeing and Boat Trips: Explore the waters of Lake Victoria by joining a guided boating safari or paddling yourself on a guided canoe trip. You’ll have the chance to see various water birds and other wildlife like crocodiles and hippos, while also enjoying the scenic views of the island’s diverse vegetation.

Cultural Tours: Visitors to Rubondo Island National Park can also engage in cultural tours to various cultural sites, such as Altare and Ntungamirwe.

Guided Forest/Nature Walks: The most intimate way to connect with the wild and nature is by taking a guided forest or nature walk. These walks allow you to immerse yourself in the natural beauty and tranquility of the island.

Top Things to See in Rubondo Island (Attractions)

Rubondo Island National Park, located in the southwest of Lake Victoria in Tanzania, boasts numerous attractions that draw visitors eager to explore this small and beautiful park. Its diverse habitats are home to a wide variety of wildlife and plant life.

What to See in Rubondo Island National Park

Animal Life: Rubondo Island is home to a range of animals, including the rare sitatunga antelope, suni antelope, bushbucks, giraffes, buffalos, hyrax, warthogs, elephants, hippos, crocodiles, otters, bush pigs, genet cats, civets, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and chimpanzees.

Birdlife: The park is rich in birdlife, featuring African fish eagles, which are a common sight, as well as African grey parrots, herons, egrets, common cormorants, storks such as the marabou and open-billed storks, ibises, and kingfishers, including the malachite and pied kingfishers.

Lake Victoria: Rubondo Island lies within Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second-largest in the world.

Irumo Gulf: The Irumo Gulf, the deepest point of Lake Victoria, offers breathtaking scenic views.

Cultural Sites: Several cultural sites on the island are open to visitors, including Altare, Maji Matakatifu, Solo, and Ntungamirwe.

Beaches on the Island: The island features beautiful beaches, such as Mchangani, Michicoco, and Fly Catcher.

Chimpanzee Trekking in Rubondo Island National Park

There are 2 habituated troops of chimpanzees that visitors can trek on Rubondo island, with the group in the North having more than 30 individuals in its troop and are well habituated.

There are 2 chimpanzee trekking areas in the Rubondo Island national park.

A group of not more than 8 visitors is allowed to trek the primates per trek. Escorted by experienced ranger guides and trackers.

Chimpanzee trekking in Rubondo is available to only visitors of 12 years and above.

Best time to go chimpanzee trekking in Rubondo island forests is during the dry season. It runs from June through to October.

During the trek, you will most likely hear the chimpanzees before you see them as they are very vocal animals.

Chimpanzees are so playful and rarely stay still. So be ready to follow them around once you track them and watch them play, swing from one tree to another, groom each other and more.

Chimpanzee trekking is an adventurous action-packed activity.

Chimpanzee sightings in Rubondo Island national park are not guaranteed. But visiting the park during the dry season (June to October) gives you high chances of spotting the playful apes.

Park Entry Fees

Below are the park entry fees, popular activity fees and transfer fees to Rubondo Island National Park.

Activity Fees: Sport Fishing (July-June)

Sport fishing takes place between 07:00 am and 05:00 pm. Fees are per person per session.

Guided Walking Safaris (July-June)

Other Services

Animals & Wildlife

Primates like Chimpanzees, Black and white colobus monkeys and Vervet monkeys.

Antelopes like the Sitatunga antelopes, Suni antelopes, Roan antelopes, Bushbucks,

Reptiles; pythons and crocodiles among others.

Other animals include the Elephants, Giraffes, Spot-necked otters, Bush pigs, hippos, genet cats, civets, mongoose, hyrax, buffalos and more.

Elephants, chimpanzees, giraffes and the African grey parrots are success relocation stories of Rubondo Island national park. These wildlife species adapted to their new wild Island home so well and are flourishing.

Rubondo Island national park boats of a rich birdlife of over 300 bird species, a rich butterfly life and beautiful orchid species, over 40 different species.

Take flight or a boat to Rubondo island national park and explore this pristine less explored island for a private Island safari feel.

10 Facts about Rubondo Island National Park

Below are the ten facts about Rubondo Island National Park that you should know.

1. Rubondo Island was first gazetted as a game reserve in the year 1965. First a sanctuary for endangered animals. The following 4 years from 1966, endangered chimpanzees were transferred to the island from European zoos and circuses.
2. Other animal species that were brough to the island park include….. The elephants, giraffes, black and white colobus monkeys, suni antelopes, grey parrots, the black rhinos and roan antelopes. The latter 2 are now extinct from the park.
3. Native animals of Rubondo island include: Hippos, the sitatunga antelope, vervet monkeys, crocodiles, bushbucks, genet cats. Different bird species (over 300) including the African fish eagles.
4. The park covers an area of 456.8 square kilometers. Measuring 28km in length from North to South and 3 to 10km in width. Giving it the status of the largest island national park in Tanzania and in the whole of Africa.
5. The Zinza tribe originally inhabited the island.
6. The Island has one airstrip.  Fly from Mwanza, Serengeti, Arusha, Dar es Salaam and neighboring major cities. Like Kigali, Rwanda using the services of Coastal Aviation and or Auric Air.
7. Rubondo Island camp is the only safari lodge on the islands established in 2013. Other accommodation options include the park bandas, campsite and student hostels.
8. Tourist activities on the island park include game drives, forest walks, fishing (catch and release), savannah nature walks, boating and canoeing, chimpanzee trekking / habituation, bird watching and community visits.
9. Tourist attraction in Rubondo include animals, birds, dense forests, butterflies, wildflowers and Lake Victoria.
10. Best time to visit Rubondo Island national park is during the dry months. July to September and January to March.

Park Rules and Regulations

Below are the park rules and regulations of Rubondo Island National Park.

• Rubondo Island National Park opens at 7:00am and closes by 7:00pm.
• Purchase a park entry permit before accessing the park. It is valid for 24 hours.
• The recommended driving speed while on game drives in the park is 25km/hour and the maximum driving speed limit is 50km/hour.
• While in the park, always remember that the animals have a right of way.
• Stay on the designated tracks and trails while in the park especially during forest walks and game drives, do not drive off track.
• Keep a safe distance from the animals while in the park.
• During game drives, you are required to stay within your tour car at all times.
• Do not feed the animals in the park or attempt to feed them at any one time.
• Do not throw rubbish in the park, keep it as clean and litter free as possible to prevent animals from chocking on any kind of plastics.
• Do not light any kind of fire while out in the park. Smoking during game drives is no allowed.
• Respect other visitors in park so that you all have a wonderful safari in Rubondo Island national park.
• Fire arms and pets are prohibited from the park.
• Avoid making any unnecessary noises while in the park like hooting, clapping or making animals sounds as a way of attracting the animal’s attention.
• Taking anything from the national park is not allowed, that is bones, rocks or any part of the plant.
• For your own safety and that of the animals. Do adhere to the set rules and regulations of the national park.

Climate & Weather

Rubondo Island National Park has pleasant climate & weather conditions all year round with minimum temperatures ranging between 15°C – 20°C and maximum temperatures ranging between 25°C – 32°C.

The park experiences high humidity levels especially during the wet season.

Best time to go

Rubondo Island National Park can be visited year-round, with its tropical climate offering consistent temperatures.

The best time to visit is during the dry season from June to September, when animal sightings are easier, trails are drier for activities like hiking and chimpanzee trekking, and there are fewer mosquitoes.

The short dry period in January and February is also favorable. The island is lush and vibrant from November and December rains, attracting migratory birds and wildflowers.

April and May, the peak of the rainy season, see low tourist activity, and the island’s only lodge is closed during this time.

Location & Getting There

Rubondo Island National Park in located in North Western Tanzania, approximately 150km West of Mwanza on the Southern shores of the largest lake in Africa, Lake Victoria in Geita District.

The park covers an area of 240 square kilometers, 26km in length and about 10km in width. It is Africa’s biggest Island national park.

Rubondo Island national park is one of the 2 only island parks in Tanzania. Located on Lake Victoria in the North West of Tanzania.

The small park has different interesting activities that visitors to the pristine island can take part in.

To explore its unique and beautiful flora and fauna.

Map of Rubondo Island National Park

Getting There:

By air: Rubondo airstrip serves the Rubondo Island national park. Flying is the best and more convenient way to get to Rubondo Island national park.

Visitors can take on chattered flights and or scheduled flights from Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, Kigali, Serengeti, other parks and major cities via Mwanza or fly directly to Rubondo Island National Park at the airstrip.

By road and boat: Drive to Mwanza, Nkome or Muganza and from these different points, you take the ferry (from Mwanza) or a speed boat to Rubondo Island.

Stay at Rubondo Island Camp

Rubondo Island camp is the only established accommodation facility located in Rubondo Island national park that is located in the South West of Lake Victoria, in the North Western part of Tanzania. The camp gives the visitors to the park the best safari getaway experience with utmost privacy and great adventure. It caters to families too with children 5 years and above.

Accommodation

This Island camp has 8 spacious lakeside cottages inclusive of a honeymoon suite and a family cottage which sleeps 4. The cottages are en-suite with full bathrooms with hot running water, large comfortable beds, well-furnished rooms, sitting area, bedside lamps, in-room safes, private verandas and charging stations.