The Scenic Ndere Island National Park in Lake Victoria, Kisumu

Ndere means “meeting place” in Dholuo. Sweet fragrances and beautiful colours of the African fauna coat Ndere Island National Park within Lake Victoria in Kisumu.

Ndere Island National Park has a unique ecosystem that supports the existence of butterflies and beautiful wildflowers giving life to the rather tranquil island park which is among other things, a hiking zone.

The park, which is a vast grassland was established in 1986 and measures 4 square kilometres and extends to the scenic Homa Hills.

From Kisumu city, a speedboat at Lake Victoria shuttles you to Ndere Island National Park. The sound of hippos fills the air once at the park and sights of Nile Crocodiles welcome you to the park.

Ndere Island National Park . [Photo by Safari bookings]

Zebras, warthogs, impalas, monkeys, baboons, waterbucks and gigantic pythons mark the wildlife register but this is not all; you can spot the rare aquatic Sitatunga antelope.

For bird lovers, Ndere Island National Park keeps your enthusiasm on another level with over 100 species of birds available at the park. African fish eagles, black-headed gonoleks, grey-headed kingfishers, Hamerkop and Goliath Heron are effortlessly seen on the papyrus reeds along the shoreline.

With woodlands stretching from the Lake Victoria’s shore to the park’s peak, hiking cannot get any better than this. The trails leading to the undulating Homa Hills coupled with a cool breeze from the lake makes hiking exciting.

Residents are charged between $3.5-$6 while non-residents $15-$25.