Lake Victoria

Overview

Introduction

Located 200 mi/320 km west of Nairobi, Lake Victoria is the world's second-largest lake and the main source of the Nile River. Perhaps because Kenya has such an abundance of natural beauty, it ranks fairly low as a tourist destination—the smaller lakes in the Rift Valley are generally more rewarding to visit. But if you're interested in fishing (for Nile perch, especially) or if you're in the area and time is not a problem, by all means visit its shores. We took a fun ride in dugout canoes and saw plenty of pelicans and herons.

Don't swim in the lake, however: Bilharzia, a liver-damaging parasite, is present in some areas. For serious (and wealthy) anglers there are wonderful luxury fishing camps on both Mfangano and Rusinga islands—both can be reached by private air charter from the Masai Mara after a safari.