Visit West Kenya!

Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria is the second largest sweet water lake in the world (only Lake Superior in Canada and the US is larger). It is shallow: deepest point is around 80 meters but most of the main Lake doesn't reach depths over 50 meters. The Winam Gulf is not more than 25 meters deep. More important for the present day us of the Lake is that it is getting shallower: the Lake water levels have been dropping since 1997 and are as low as they where in the 1940's. This is a problem for the large shipping vessels as they are at a higher risk of grounding. They carry less cargo to reduce their draft, but this of course increases the cost of transport. Much has been said about the cause for this, but it seems likely that a combination of evaporation and increased output at the source of the Nile at Jinja play a role.

Another issue that sometimes comes up (literally) is the Water Hyacint (Eichhornia crassipes). This introduced water plant can form sizable floating mats that support secondary growth. Whole trees have been seen! Those mats are a problem for the small-scale fishermen as well as the commercial shipping.

What is there to see?

Sunsets - One of the most popular late-afternoon passtimes in Kisumu town is sundowners on the Lake. The Kisumu sunsets vary from legendary, stunning, awesome to just plain beautiful. Watching these sunsets can from several places. Kiboko Bay Resort is a great restaurant with a waterfront, Hippo Point is a public place without facilities, so bring your own sundowner! Then there is the Kisumu Yacht Club, a very nice place but a private members club so they might charge you a day membership. Of course Kisumu doesn't have the sole rights to these sunsets! Elsewhere on the Winam Gulf and in South Nyanza the sunsets are equally unforgettable. Try Asembo Bay, or Homa Bay, or Mbita!
Shipping - As described elsewhere, the shipping on the Lake is almost exclusively transporting cargo, no passengers. However, for the interested there is a lot of older equipment to see, including a century-old steam ship that is still ready to go. Be quick, it might be converted to diesel soon!
Sailing - The main sailors on the Lake are the fishermen. Go to any of the beaches and you will find somebody ready to take you around in his boat at a reasonable fee (as always, negotiate before departure and pay afterwards). For more Western style sailing see here.
Fishing - Sports fishing has its own page.
Water sports - Water sports like kayaking, water ski-ing or competition sailing are more rare because of the investments in equipment. But still they happen, although most often by individuals in a private or closed club setting. A few of the hotels / lodges described in here are offering any of these sports, so it is worth asking. Water sports have theirown page.

Where can I stay?

See the entries for Kisumu, Kendu Bay, Homa Bay, Mbita, Rusinga, Mfangano.

Where do we go for food and drinks?

See the entries for Kisumu, Kendu Bay, Homa Bay, Mbita, Rusinga, Mfangano.

How do we get there?

The part of Kenya that borders Lake Victoria is big, so the question "how do we get there?" should be answered with "that depends on where you want to go". In most cases it is practical to go to Kisumu first, see here. From Kisumu, many options exist to travel to places like Homa Bay, Mbita, Asembo etc.

What else is there to see nearby?

Sights described elsewhere on this site that are on or close to the Lake are numerous:

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