For a relaxing, pleasurable lake vacation in East Africa, we recommend a visit to Lake Victoria, the largest of the Great African Lakes and the second largest freshwater lake in the world. Located on the western frontier of Kenya, the lake is only a one-hour flight from Nairobi to Kisumu and a 40-minute flight from Masai Mara, making it a convenient option for your safari plans with Twendeni Safaris.

Virtually an off-beat wilderness, the setting offers one of the finest birding destinations in the world. Lining the shores of Lake Victoria are the enchanting fishing villages of the Luo tribe who spend their days sailing their traditional boats, fishing, raising their children and taking care of their homes and villages, seemingly unaware of guests. Visits to their villages demonstrate the unmatched hospitality of these native people. Being on the small Kenyan section of Lake Victoria is unlike any other experience on the Tanzanian and Ugandan part of the lake. Whether you are a birder, angler, cultural explorer, rock art and paleontology lover or an easy-going traveler at Lake Victoria, there is something for everyone!

The most popular activity is birdwatching, and rightfully so! More than 350 resident and migratory avi-fauna species have been recorded at the lake, some of which are hardly ever found elsewhere in Kenya. Birdwatching on foot is a discerning activity in Kenya, but being lakeside means that you can also view these colorful creatures by boat, getting up close to them as they feed and nest.

If you are ready to catch your own world class lake game fish and take home some serious bragging rights, Lake Victoria is the place for you! Imagine describing to your friends and family back home how a local fisherman took you to the most prized and coveted fishing spots! Your story will continue with the challenge of hooking a colossal and eventually reeling in a 300-pound, six-foot Nile perch! These fish, along with tilapia, make Lake Victoria a discerning angler’s paradise.

Learn about the human inhabitants of Lake Victoria, both past and present. Visit local villages and schools, trek to hidden caves where the walls are etched with rock art, tour archeological sites in search for the enigmas of the lake’s earliest inhabitants and much, much more. The Luo culture is unique among Kenyan tribes, and you may learn about their awe-inspiring way of life during a village tour. You can also see the township schools that were restored with support from the surrounding tourist accommodations where lodgers stay.

Mfangano Island is home to the 1,000-year-old rock paintings of the Batwa people that are believed to have been used later by the local Suba tribe. Similar paintings have been recorded in Congo, Zambia, Gabon and other sites by the Trust for African Rock Art. The paleontology work of Louis and Mary Leakey is evident on Rusinga Island, which is untainted, globally-recognized site for primate and other fossils.