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Kagera is considered to be one of the loveliest parts of Tanzania given its staggering scenic beauty, variety of nature, friendly inhabitants and strong cultural history. Bukoba is located in the heart of Africa just next to the equator on the Tanzania western shore of Lake Victoria. It is the major commercial center of Kagera Region.

To see a map of Bukoba, click here

Lake Victoria
The first foreigner to discover lake Victoria was explorer John Speke, after months of braving dense forests and tropical diseases in his search for the source of the Nile.

Lake Victoria, shared by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, was named after the Queen of England and is the world's largest tropical lake and the second largest freshwater lake. Covering a total of 69,000 square kilometers, the lake is as large as Ireland. Despite its huge size, the murky lake is not that deep - only 100 meters at its deepest. The lake lies in the Rift Valley of East Africa, a 3,500- mile system of deep cracks in the earth's crust running from the Red Sea south to Mozambique. Although this region of Africa is better known for its large cats and the herds of wildebeests, zebras and giraffes that roam the savanna plains, its most diverse and endangered ecosystems are to be found under water.

Lake Victoria’s vastness (400 km long and 280 km wide), blue waters and extensive white sand shores are awe-inspiring. It has a number of Islands, each with its unique beauty and enchantment.

Note that Lake Victoria is riddled with bilharzias at some places, so the swimming is only recommended far from any reeds. Avoid walking barefoot through the grass along its shores, as this is where the parasite hosting snails lurk.

National Parks
Kagera Region hosts Biharamulo, Burigi, Ibanda and Rumanyika and Orugundu Game Reserves, a National Park situated on Rubondo Island and a wildlife sanctuary based on Saa Nane Island.

Rubondo Island
Rubondo Island, in the southwest of Lake Victoria is Tanzania’s only island National Park. The 240 km2 island provides a unforgettable experience for visitors, combining the breathtaking natural beauty of a forest refuge with the relaxing tranquility of sandy lake-shore beaches.

Rubondo Island boasts a unique diversity of flora and fauna. Only here can the visitor be sure of seeing sitatunga and have the chance of observing chimpanzees (experimental stage). Other mammals frequently seen include hippo, otters, bushbuck, vervet monkeys. Rarer sightings are colobus, genet, marsh mongoose, suni antelope and elephant.

Rubondo is a paradise for bird-lovers with nearly 400 species documented on the island. The island has an abundance of herons, storks, ibises, egrets, cormorants, kingfishers, bee-eaters, flycatchers, hornbills and birds of prey, including the highest density of fish eagles anywhere in the world.

Visitors have the freedom to explore the forest and lake shores by foot or boat allowing each person to create his or her own magic of Rubondo and to leave with a uniquely personal experience of the island.