Size: Lake Victoria's surface area is about 70,000 km2 surface.
Location: Northwest Tanzania also bordering Western Kenya and Southern Uganda.

Located in East Africa, Lake Victoria (locally known as Lake Nyanza) is the second largest fresh water lake in the world and is the source of the longest branch of the Nile RIver, the White Nile. Despite its huge size, the murky lake is quite shallow - only 100 metres at its deepest. As the world's largest tropical lake, Lake Victoria lies within an elevated plateau in the western part of Africa's Great Rift Valley. Lake Victoria facts are the lake has a shoreline of 3,440 km (2138 miles), and has more than 3,000 islets, many of which are inhabited. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are the countries border lake victoria.

The ecosystem of Lake Victoria and its surroundings have been badly affected by human influence. In 1954, the Nile Perch was introduced in an attempt to improve fishery yields of Lake Victoria fish stocks. By the mid-1980s, the prech underwent a massive population expansion and came to dominate the fish community and ecology of the lake. The Nile Perch proved ecologically and socioeconomically devastating. Together with pollution born of deforestation and overpopulation, it has brought about a massive transformation in the lake's ecosystem and to the disappearance of hundreds of endemic cichlid species.

Wildlife
The lake is a biological hotspot with great biodiversity of Lake Victoria fish. There many different marine species such as turtles, crocodiles, hippos and eels. A number of indigenous mammal species - vervet monkey, genet and mongoose - share their protected habitat with introduced species such as chimpanzee, black-and-white colobus, elephant and giraffe, all of which benefit from the lake's ecosystem. Lake Victoria is also ideal for birdwatching as it attracts a variety of large water birds. Flocks of African grey parrots, zure brilliance of a malachite kingfisher, herons, storks and spoonbills proliferate in the swampy lake fringes, supplemented by thousands of Eurasian migrants during the northern winter.

How To Get There
Scheduled flights from Arusha, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Dar year round and by charter flights. It can also be reached by road from these destinations, ideally from Arusha and the Serengeti.

What To Do (Activities)
Walking safaris, boat excursions, sport fishing, and canoe trips. You might find that lodges in the Serengetioffer day trips or fishing expeditions to Lake Victoria but it has never really featured on the Tanzanian tourism circuit. Rubondo Island - located in the southern part of the lake - is the only major highlight of a visit to this area.

When To Go
Lake Victoria is accessible year round during the Dry season, June-August and the Wet season November-March.

Accommodation
Standard and luxury tented camps in the Serengeti, park bandas and campsite.