Rubondo Island Camp, Rubondo Island National Park

Rubondo Island Camp — Africa's Only Island National Park Safari

Rubondo Island Camp is the sole accommodation on Rubondo Island, a 250 km² national park in the southwestern corner of Lake Victoria — and Africa's largest island national park. This is one of the most unusual safari destinations in East Africa: a subtropical island covered in dense equatorial rainforest, home to reintroduced chimpanzees, elephant, giraffe, sitatunga antelope, colobus monkeys, over 300 bird species, and some of the best Nile perch fishing on the continent.

The island was designated a national park in 1977 after decades of conservation work that included the reintroduction of chimpanzees, elephants and other species. Today, no permanent human population lives on Rubondo — the camp and its staff are the only residents. The result is a level of wildness and solitude that no mainland safari destination can match.

Camp and Accommodation

Eight thatched cottages sit under tall fig trees, just 60 metres from the sandy Lake Victoria shoreline. Each has high ceilings, a private terrace overlooking the lake, a king-size bed with mosquito netting, and an en-suite bathroom with indoor shower, basins and flush toilet. The family cottage adds a mezzanine-level second bedroom with two single beds and its own bathroom. Interiors celebrate Tanzanian craftsmanship — handmade wooden furniture, natural textiles, and wildlife artwork.

The communal area is an open-sided lodge with comfortable seating, a bar, and both indoor and outdoor dining areas overlooking the beach. A swimming pool with sun loungers sits above a sandy bay. In the evenings, drinks are served around a beach fire pit as hippo emerge from the lake to graze on the camp's fringes. Meals are freshly prepared on-site, including homemade bread, cakes and sorbets.

Activities

The headline experience is chimpanzee trekking — guided walks into the island's rainforest to find and observe the reintroduced chimp population. This is one of only a handful of places in East Africa where chimpanzees can be tracked, and the habituation experience allows guests to participate alongside researchers (minimum age 12). Forest walks reveal colobus monkeys, sitatunga, bushbuck, elephant and extraordinary birdlife including African grey parrots and fish eagles. Game drives on the island's southern plains add a vehicle-based perspective. Boat safaris along the shoreline offer birding and scenic exploration of the lake. Catch-and-release fishing for Nile perch (some exceeding 100 kg) is a major draw. A treehouse sleep-out and fly camping in the forest are available for the adventurous.

Who Is Rubondo Island Best For?

Rubondo is for travellers who want something no other safari can provide. It is not a big-game destination in the Serengeti sense — there are no lion prides or migration herds. Instead, it offers chimpanzees, tropical forest, world-class fishing, and the profound solitude of being the only guests on an entire island. It combines beautifully with the Serengeti (Asilia offers complimentary flights between the two on stays of three nights or more) and works as a unique extension to a classic Northern Circuit safari.