Accommodation

Rubondo Island Camp

“The only lodge on Rubondo Island, the largest island national park in Africa”

Budget level: Mid-Range

Country

Tanzania

When to Go

Jun to Mar

Property Type

Lodge

Location

Northern Tanzania

Kids Min Age

Why we like it

Unique opportunity to be part of a pioneering chimpanzee habituation experience
A one-of-a-kind island experience in pristine subtropical forest
A birder’s paradise with many endemic birds
Fish for the iconic Nile perch on a catch-and-release basis

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.

View on Google Earth

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.

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.

Have a once-in-a-lifetime experience helping habituate the island’s chimpanzee population. As you walk through the forest tracking their progress with a knowledgeable guide, you’ll likely hear them calling to each other and they’ll hear you. The more they grow accustomed to the presence of humans, the easier it will be for researchers to spend time studying them.

Forest walks : There is so much to see in this unspoilt forest that our guided nature walks can last anywhere from one hour to a full day. Guests can even opt to spend several days amid nature with an overnight stop at our treehouse or fly camp.

Boat trips: Explore Lake Victoria and the shores of Rubondo on a boat trip. Keep an eye out for hippos, elephants, crocodiles, otters and monitor lizards. The waters around Rubondo are full of tilapia and huge Nile perch, one of the most sought-after freshwater fish. Take a boat excursion or cast a line from shore to catch and release them.