The nearby Bird Islands, a short boat ride from Rusinga Island Lodge, are one of the most important breeding sites for water birds on Lake Victoria. Giant monitor lizards and spotted-necked otters are often seen on the rocks around the island. Magnificent fish eagles soar overhead and swoop down low giving excellent photographic opportunities. Also a short boat ride away is the Ruma National Park, home to a variety of Savannah birds and where the endangered Blue Swallow can be seen.

Equipment is available for all age groups for water-skiing, mono-skiing, knee-boarding, tubing and mountain biking. There are many walks available around the island or, for the more adventurous, take a short boat ride to Mfangano Island and then hike uphill to explore ancient rock art.

Alternatively why not take a walk around the beautiful Rusinga Island Lodge grounds with their exotic trees, flowers and birds, many of which are unique to the area. A wide stretch of velvet green lawn grows to the water's edge, dotted with huge ancient wild fig trees on the shores of Lake Victoria.

The friendly Luo community fish along the shores in their colourful canoes and sailing dhows. The Lodge's guests are welcome to visit their villages where the night's catch is set out to dry in the sun and larger fish are smoked.

You can also take a boat trip to Bird Islands where thousands of water birds roost. Giant monitor lizards and spotted neck otters can often be seen in family groups around the island.

Ruma National Park:
Ruma National Park is one of Kenya's most unusual and beautiful national parks. The last surviving group of roan antelope in Kenya can be seen here - a large antelope with magnificent black and white facial markings and swept-back horns. Other special animals include the Jacksons Hartebeest and Rothschild giraffe. Also seen in abundance are oribi, bohor reedbuck, impala, topi, waterbuck and buffalo. Leopards may also be sighted. Due to the remoteness of the park, it is unlikely that guests from Rusinga Island Lodge will see another visitor. A bush breakfast in Ruma is something very special.

A short walk behind Rusinga Island Lodge brings you to the site where Mary Leakey found Proconsul Heseloni in 1948 - the last common ancestor of the great apes and man. This find caused a sensation at the time and made worldwide headlines. Fossil remains dating back 18 million years can be seen scattered about on the surface.

LAKE VICTORIA:
Lake Victoria is the second largest freshwater lake in the world and covers 67,483 sq km. The lake is not part of the rift valley system and, at only 100 meter deep, is very wide and shallow compared to other bodies of water. Lake Victoria acts as a boundary between Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya, yet international water travel between the countries is no longer possible. The only lake excursions available occur between Kisumu and ports farther south. Kenya actually owns only a tiny 3,785 sq km corner of the lake.

The lake attracted great interest from Europeans after its discovery. In 1858, John Hanning Speke was the first European to cite the vast lake as the source of the White Nile. The assertion was ridiculed until H.M. Stanley eventually proved him right in 1875. The colonial powers had hoped to open a navigable route along the Nile to the Mediterranean. Their attempts to reach Uganda across the lake were also responsible for the creation of the East African Railway and the colonization of the Kenyan Highlands.

Kisumu is the third largest town in Kenya with a population of approximately 160,000. The town was originally founded as the inland railhead of the East African Railway in 1901. Kisumu had been a busy port town since its early days, but the break up of the East African Community in 1977 coupled with the cessation of international ferry services on the lake substantially slowed the town's once bustling pace.

Kisumu boasts some interesting sites in addition to Lake Victoria. Impala Park is a game sanctuary and animal orphanage and home to the rare sitatunga antelope. Hippo Point is famed as an exceptional vantage point for viewing hippo, not to mention Lake Victoria's spectacular sunsets. Also of interest is the Kisumu Museum which features a display of local traditional customs and crafts. Outside there is a Luo homestead consisting of the husband's mud and thatch home and separate houses for each wife. The Kisumu market, one of the busiest and largest in Kenya, provides a fascinating glimpse into the day to day existence of the peoples of Western Kenya. Kisumu is probably the best place to buy Kisii soapstone carvings and the Wanachi Craft Shop near town, a local cooperative, features crafts made by local women.

There are numerous small villages around Lake Victoria of interest to the traveler. Ndunga Beach, a fishing village near Kisumu, is a wonderful place to experience the traditional lifestyle of the lake fishermen. Local villagers can be hired to provide canoe tours through the papyrus reed beds to see hippos and birds. Mfangano Island has some obscure rock paintings and a small fishing village. Ndere National Park, a 4.2 km island game park features snakes, hippos, crocodiles, sitatunga and numerous species of water bird.

Near the small town of Homa Bay is the volcano shaped Mt. Homa and Ruma National Park. This 120 sq km park encloses the Lambwe Valley. Most of the animals found here have been imported, including Kenya's only herd of roan antelope. Rusinga Island is home to an exclusive fishing camp and the tomb of Tom Mboya (1930-1969), the nationalist leader assassinated in Nairobi during the political unrest of the late 60's. Mary Leakey first put this tiny island on the map with her discovery of a 3 million year old skull belonging to Proconsul Africanus. Additional fossils were also found dating back 17 million years.