A remote island in Tanzania’s Lake Victoria, Rubondo offers an incredibly unique adventure experience in a pristine sub-tropical ecosystem where elephants and chimpanzees roam wild.

About Rubondo Island Camp

Rubondo Island Camp overlooks the vast waters of Lake Victoria. As the only camp in the wild and virtually uninhabited Rubondo Island National Park, it is a truly special place to experience.

Open: June to March

Closed: April to May

Closest airstrip: Rubondo, 20-minute drive from camp

Families: children aged five and older

Accommodation

Rubondo Island Camp is the only camp on Rubondo, the largest island national park in Africa. Overlooking Lake Victoria, it’s surrounded by tropical forests and is home to chimpanzees, elephants, giraffes and 300 species of birds. Meals are served al fresco on the main deck overlooking the beach, where you can relax with your toes in the sand. Spend afternoons in a hammock, binoculars and bird guide in hand or cooling off in the pool. As the sun sets, watch hippos emerge from the water to graze on the grass around camp.

Rooms

Our eight waterfront, thatched-roofed cottages (including one larger family cottage) have been hand-built using traditional methods and local materials. The cottages have high ceilings and are decked out in natural colours that mirror the lake and forest. En suite bathrooms all have hot running water and flushing toilets. In front of each cottage, a terrace overlooking the lake is the perfect spot from which to watch the island life pass by.

Location

Located in the southwest of the massive Lake Victoria, Rubondo Island is 26 km long and 10 km at its widest point, mostly covered in pristine forest. Rubondo Island Camp is on the beach, overlooking the water. A stay on Rubondo is the experience of a lifetime. Besides a handful of park wardens, researchers and our camp staff, the island is uninhabited by humans and has been set aside as a refuge for endangered chimpanzees and other animals.

Tilapia and Nile perch fill the lake, elusive sitatungas hide in the papyrus swamps and along the forest edge, and bushbucks roam the forest. Between November and March, wild orchids bloom, attracting a dazzling array of butterflies. Birders can spot more than 300 species of endemic and migratory birds.

The pristine Rubondo Island is 75 percent forest, which guests can explore on drives and walkswhile learning about the animals and plants that make up this extraordinary protected ecosystem. Wake up to the serene lake views from your beachfront cottage before setting off to explore the island by vehicle, on foot, or from the waters of the lake in a boat.

A typical day on safari at Rubondo Island Camp

Head out to explore the forest on foot while the morning air is still cool, take to the water before the wind picks up, enjoy a morning game drive or simply bask in a leisurely morning with fresh coffee on your veranda, and a full breakfast enjoyed overlooking the lake.

If you’ve been on a morning outing, you’ll be back at camp in time to relax and freshen up before sitting down to enjoy lunch. Alternatively, you can devote the day to tracking chimpanzees in the dense forest.

The afternoon is time to take a siesta, read a book or cool off in the pool. After you’ve rested and refueled with afternoon tea and freshly baked cakes, opt to head out on a guided forest walk or a sundowner boat cruise. Round off a special day with drinks around the campfire on the beach and dinner under the stars.