Saanane Island National Park is located in Lake Victoria in the Mwanza Region of Tanzania, covering an area of 2.18 square kilometers. Saanane Island National Park derives its name from a local fisherman and farmer known as Mzee Saasane Chavandi. The park is a perfect weekend getaway or day trip destination from Mwanza town.
The park was first established as an animal garden in 1964. In 1991, it was later gazetted as a forest game reserve, and in 2013, it acquired national park status. During the air campaign of the Uganda-Tanzania war in 1978-1979, the sanctuary was accidentally bombed by Tupolev Tu-22 aircraft, which were aimed at bombing Mwanza. The bombing was ordered by the former Libyan president, Muammar Gaddafi, thinking it would intimidate the Tanzanian government into calling off its invasion of Uganda. Mwanza was missed, but the bombers hit Saanane Game Sanctuary, injuring one worker and causing harm to several animals and birds.
Wildlife
Saanane Island National Park is home to several species of animals, including De Brazza’s monkey, rock hyrax, wild cat, zebras, wild cats, swala pala, pofu, elephants, crocodiles, black rhinos, warthogs, bush bucks, elephants, impalas, buffalos, patas monkeys, vervet monkeys, and many others.
Birding
There are 137 species of birds in Saanane National Park, two of which were introduced. Some examples of birds you will spot while at the park include red-billed teal, white-faced whistling duck, African thrush, mocking cliff chat, spotted palm thrush, red-capped robin chat, white-browed robin chat, swamp flycatcher, red-winged starling, garden warbler, willow warbler, plain martin, common reed warbler, tawny flanked prinia, winding cisticola, yellow-fronted canary, African wagtail, house sparrow, parasitic weaver, village weaver, red-cheeked cordon bleu, African fire finch, red-headed weaver, golden-backed weaver, variable sunbird, scarlet-chested sunbird, African paradise flycatcher, white-necked raven, black-headed gonolek, slate-colored boubou, Eurasian golden oriole, common kestrel, African pygmy kingfisher, little bee eater, cinnamon-chested bee eater, yellow-rumped tinker bird, African fish eagle, black kite, palm nut vulture, African harrier hawk, long-crested eagle, wood sandpiper, long-tailed cormorant, African darter, Hadada ibis, black-headed heron, cattle egret, squacco heron, African open bill, African black coucal, common swift, little swift, African palm swift, freckled night jar, emerald-spotted wood dove, ring-necked dove, lemon dove, speckled pigeon, helmeted guinea fowl, mourning-collared dove, and lesser masked weaver, among the rest.
Guided Nature Walks
Taking a guided nature walk at Saanane National Park is one of the ways you can explore the park’s flora and fauna. An experienced ranger guide will take you through the white sand beaches or through the forests where tourists can come across several wildlife, birds, plants, insects, and butterfly species.
Hiking
Saanane Island National Park is adorned with beautiful rocks dotted across the park, some located within the shores. You can hike to the rocks for stunning views of Lake Victoria, and the rocks are also a perfect place for photography and picnics.
Sport Fishing
Saanane Island National Park is an ideal destination for anglers. The park provides an experienced guide who will take you to designated areas for fishing. The activity normally lasts from 1 to 2 hours, and fish caught are returned back to the lake. All anglers must come with their fishing gear and are also required to obtain permits before fishing at Saanane National Park.
Boat Cruises
One of the ways to explore the unique Saanane National Park is by taking a launch boat cruise. Tourists can luckily see some animals like crocodiles and hippos, not forgetting several species of aquatic birds like kingfishers.
Picnicking
There are several established picnic sites where tourists can enjoy their packed lunch while enjoying the cool breeze of Lake Victoria.
Lake Victoria
Saanane Island National Park is found on an island in Lake Victoria, which is one of Africa’s great lakes. It boasts as the world’s largest tropical lake, Africa’s largest lake by area, and the world’s largest freshwater lake. Lake Victoria is divided within three countries: Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. Lake Victoria is called different names by the locals living around the lake in each of these countries.
Lake Victoria is geologically young, about 400,000 years old. It was formed when westward-flowing rivers were dammed by an upthrown crustal block. The lake was named after Queen Victoria by John Hanning Speke in 1858. He and Richard Francis Burton were the first British explorers to document the lake. Lake Victoria has dried completely at least three times since its formation, and these drying cycles should have been due to past ice ages.
80% of Lake Victoria’s water comes from direct rainfall, and the only outflow from the lake is the Nile River, which is the world’s longest river, with its source found in Uganda. Lake Victoria’s maximum depth is 80 meters, with an average depth of 40 meters.
Several mammalian and reptile species inhabit Lake Victoria, and while on boat rides or tours, tourists can come across animals like the African clawless otter, African helmeted turtles, marsh mongoose, Nile crocodiles, bohor reedbucks, hippos, giant otter shrew, spotted-necked otter, variable mud turtles, cane rats, William’s mud turtle, and defassa waterbucks.
Lake Victoria was home to numerous species of fish, but some became extinct in the 1940s. There are about 300 species of fish undescribed in the lake and 500 species recorded, most of which are endemics.
Sukuma Museum
Tourists visiting Saanane Island National Park can also visit the Sukuma Museum in Mwanza town. The community-based museum was established in 1968 to preserve and display artifacts of the Sukuma culture.
Bismarck Rock
The unique Bismarck Rock is one of the places you can see while in Mwanza town. The rock derived its name from the late German Chancellor Otto Van Bismarck, whose statue was erected at the same place during German colonial rule. However, the statue was later pulled down by British colonialists when they took over Tanzania from the Germans during World War I.
Where to Sleep
There is limited accommodation at Saanane Island National Park, but tourists can also stay at hotels in Mwanza town. Some of the accommodations include Rocky Bay Resort, Leaser Garden Hotels, Dreezy Hotel, Adden Palace Hotel, Royal Sunset Beach Hotel, Pentagon Hotel, Gold Crest Hotel, Isamilo Lodge and Spa, Hotel Tilapia, The Lahe Hotels, Mango Village, and Wag Hill Lodge, to mention a few.
How to Get There
Saanane National Park can be reached by a boat from Mwanza town. Tourists can fly to Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam and then drive to Mwanza. Alternatively, they can fly directly to Kilimanjaro International Airport and drive to Mwanza town.
Best Time to Visit
Saanane Island National Park is a year-round destination, but some months might be slightly better than others. The best time to visit is during the dry seasons of June to September and December to February, making it easier to spot wildlife due to thinner vegetation. The best time for bird enthusiasts to visit the park is from November to April to spot migratory birds.
Entry Fee
The entry fee to Saanane National Park is $30 for non-resident adults, $10 for non-resident children. Resident citizen adults will be charged $15, and resident children $5. East African citizen adults pay 5000 Tanzanian shillings, and East African citizen children pay 2000 Tanzanian shillings. Note that park entry fees are subject to change, so tourists should check current tariffs before visiting the park.
Rubondo Island National Park
Rubondo Island National Park is one of the two island national parks located in Lake Victoria, Tanzania. Rubondo Island was first gazetted as a game reserve in 1965, and in 1977, the reserve was upgraded to national park status. The Zinza tribe used to inhabit the island at its formation, but they were resettled to the mainland and other islands around Lake Victoria.
Chimpanzees from European zoos were released to Rubondo Island from 1966-1969. These chimpanzees were initially from West African countries, and today, chimpanzees thrive in Rubondo Island and are being habituated so that tourists can track them in the near future.
Rubondo Island is Africa’s largest island national park, covering an area of 26 square kilometers long and up to 10 kilometers wide. Seventy-five percent of the island is covered in pristine tropical forest, supporting wildlife such as elephants, chimpanzees, hippos, sitatunga antelopes, giraffes, crocodiles, black and white colobus monkeys, bushbucks, and many others. The park is also a birder’s paradise, supporting several species of birds.
Tourists visiting Saanane Island National Park can also explore other tourist attractions in Tanzania like Lake Manyara National Park, renowned for its tree-climbing lions, Serengeti National Park, famous for one of the greatest wildlife shows on earth, the Great Wildebeests migration, Tarangire National Park, Kilimanjaro National Park, and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, to mention a few.
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