Why Lake Victoria in Kenya is now a top tourist destination in East Africa

By Gerro Rading

When you talk about going for a holiday, most Kenyans think of the Coastal region while Tanzanians will either go for Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam, because of the Indian Ocean but no one thinks of the Lake Victoria.

Also known as “Victoria Nyanza,” Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa. It has an area of 26,828 square miles, making it the second-largest freshwater lake in the world. It is also the largest tropical lake in the world. It is commonly referred to as The Pearl and Pride of Africa—which makes sense since it borders not one, but three countries: Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.

The lake is the heart of the African continent, the source of its mightiest river, the Nile. This mighty body of water is rich in fish life, with shimmering shoals of colourful cichlids and large Nile Perch. Fishing brings many visitors to this lake, mainly in search of the Nile Perch, considered a world-class game fish.

Tourism activities in Lake Victoria have recently increased due to the improvement of infrastructure around the lake basins and especially the revival of the port of Kisumu.

There are good roads and increased investment in the hospitality industry have seen the number of tourists visiting Lake Victoria safari region shoot upwards.

The number of world-class resorts being set up in the Lake region has made the Lake transform from a traditional fishing point where most of the Islands surrounding the Lake are now dotted with private resorts, game lodges and beautiful hotels that offer tourists an atmosphere to die for!

Different hotels, lodges and resorts organize game drives for their clients. Alternatively, tourists can liaise with local tour companies and hire a guide to take them around the Lake Victoria region and benefit from seeing some of the wildlife in the area and how they co-exist with human life.

The Lake Victoria region is now one of the most popular destinations in East Africa due to its untapped island fossil sites and the generally quiet and private atmosphere that offers peace and tranquillity.

Lake Victoria. [Photo by Earthlife Expeditions]

The number of picnic sites that are coming up such as the Bridge Island and Rusinga fossil sites, in Kenya where the oldest skull was found by renowned archaeologist, Dr. Leakey and indeed the beautiful Lake itself, which is a great game fishing point.

Lake Victoria, Africa, as of now has more than 170 tourist sites and quite a substantial number of heritage sites that outnumber other tourism circuits thanks to the 50 world-class resorts set up along the Lake and the many islands dotting Lake Victoria.