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Rubondo Island National Park

A forested 240 km² island in Lake Victoria and a genuine sanctuary — introduced chimpanzees, elephants and giraffe now thrive alongside sitatunga, African grey parrots and huge crocodiles.

Gazetted in 1977, Rubondo protects the largest island in Lake Victoria plus a scatter of smaller ones, about 240 square kilometres in all, most of it dense evergreen forest and papyrus. From the 1960s it was used as a refuge for animals under pressure elsewhere — chimpanzees rescued from the pet and zoo trade, elephants, giraffe, black-and-white colobus and grey parrots were all released here, and the chimp population is now being habituated for trekking.

The island's own wildlife includes the semi-aquatic sitatunga antelope, unusually large monitor lizards and some of the biggest crocodiles in the region. It is above all a birding destination — over 300 species — and a quiet one, with fishing, forest walks and boat trips as much a part of a visit as game viewing. Access is by charter flight or a long boat transfer from Mwanza.

Things to Do

  • Forest walks and chimpanzee habituation experiences
  • Birdwatching (300+ species)
  • Catch-and-release sport fishing for Nile perch
  • Boat trips and canoeing on Lake Victoria
  • Sitatunga and crocodile spotting

What You'll Experience

  • A working sanctuary for rescued and reintroduced species
  • Habituating chimpanzees for future trekking
  • Outstanding birding on a lake island
  • One of the least-visited parks in Tanzania

Location

Things To Do

Things to Do in Rubondo Island National Park

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Game Drives

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Birdwatching

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