Rusinga Island Lodge

Lake Victoria, Kenya Accommodation

(Rusinga Island Lodge was formerly a family home, now a delightful Lodge with a collection of charming en-suite cottages made from stone, wood and grass thatch, decorated in African fabrics, each with a private veranda. Rusinga Island Lodge is 80 miles due west of the famous Masai Mara Game Reserve and is located on the shores of Lake Victoria - the world’s second largest freshwater lake (Lake Superior being the largest). Kisumu Town is 350 kilometers north of Nairobi on the shores of Lake Victoria and 53 km from Kakamega, 83 km from Kericho, 121 km from Kisii and 142 km from Homa Bay. By air: the trip by air to Nairobi takes around one hour by water: Kisumu is linked by ferry with Kendu Bay, Homa Bay and Mbita (as well as to neighboring countries).

Rusinga Island Lodge Lake Victoria, Kenya

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Rusinga Island Lodge Lake Victoria; Rusinga Island Lodge boasts an ideal setting on the shores of Lake Victoria with beautiful lawns stretching down to the water's edge.

Rusinga Island Lodge is on Rusinga Island by the shores of Lake Victoria in Western Kenya. Lake Victoria is the world’s second largest freshwater lake (Lake Superior being the largest).

Rusinga Island Lodge is 80 miles due west of the famous Masai Mara Game Reserve. The most convenient way to reach Rusinga is by private air charter directly to Rusinga’s airstrip which is adjacent to the lodge’s impressive entrance and where you are greeted with ice-cold towels and refreshing, homemade lemonade.

Alternatively you can take the daily scheduled flights from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Kisumu where African Spice can meet you and drive to the lodge. Journey takes 3 hours and a 45-minute ferry ride across the lake Victoria. En route you’ll see impressive Cambrian rock formations.

Rusinga Island Lodge is renowned for hospitality; delicious home-grown, home cooked food and indulgent accommodation combine to offer an ideal home from which to explore other areas of East Africa. Rusinga Island Lodge with its luxurious accommodation is a great place to relax before, during or at the end of a rigorous and exciting East African Safari.

Rusinga’s spacious grounds offer a safe environment for children to release energy and the more active to catch up on exercise. For those wishing to relax, Rusinga’s Wellness Spa offers a nurturing retreat in which to unwind and relax.

On the lake, guests may enjoy invigorating water sports and, for the keen fisherman, Lake Victoria’s shallow waters are home to legendary Nile perch growing up to 300lbs. Even the most reluctant fisherman can reap gratification casting off the jetty at sunset for abundant tilapia.

Rusinga Island Lodge charm lies in her gracious hospitality, personalized service and fine cuisine. Each guest’s stay is tailored specifically to their individual needs.

A place of infinite beauty to calm the mind and rejuvenate the body, Rusinga provides a welcome break before, during or after a rigorous and exciting East African safari.

Rusinga Island Lodge accommodation comprises six self-contained cottages plus a family cottage with twin room and double room and an interconnecting door. Bedrooms are either double (with a king size bed) or twin (with two

queen size beds) with a living area and dressing area.

Oversized, en-suite bathrooms have double basins and walk-in, soup-plate showers. Combining intimate charm and privacy with the highest level of personal comfort, the cottages are crafted from local materials. (Electricity is provided by both generator and inverter power offering a 24-hour electrical supply).

Rusinga Island Lodge Dining

Rusinga Island Lodge mealtimes are flexible and wherever possible, ingredients are home-grown – an extensive vegetable garden provides fresh, organically grown vegetables and the grounds are dotted with fruit trees.

Breakfast is usually served al fresco on the lawns – fresh tropical fruits, homemade mueseli, home-made pastries and eggs cooked to order accompanied by bacon, sausages and tomato.

Lunch is also served al fresco – chilled soups, a selection of salads and delicious Nile perch cooked in a variety of ways to Rusinga’s secret recipes and accompanied by mouth-watering home-made breads. Dinner can be served in the Mess, candlelit on the jetty (wind permitting!), at the gazebo in the grounds or BBQ-style around the floodlit pool.

Rusinga Island Lodge Services & Activities

Rusinga Island Lodge Nile Perch Fishing in Lake Victoria

Rusinga Island Lodge Bird Watching

Rusinga Island Lodge grounds are home to more than 369 species of local and migratory birds, many not found elsewhere in Kenya.   From stately fish eagles (which nest within the grounds) and elusive double-toothed barbets to tiny iridescent sun birds and arrow-fast kingfishers, Rusinga truly is a bird-lover’s paradise. Throughout the day, from dawn to dusk, the air is filled with an enchanting chorus of bird calls and songs.

Nearby Bird Islands – a short board ride from the lodge – is one of the most important breeding sites for water birds on Lake Victoria. Vast flocks of cormorants can be seen – wingsoutspanned to catch the sun's rays in the early morning, or keenly watching the water for fish during the day.

Magnificent fish eagles soar overhead and swoop low giving excellent photographic opportunities. Bird Islands are also host to spotted-necked otters and huge, prehistoric-looking monitor lizards. Around the lodge genet cats are often seen at night as well as hippo grazing on the lawns. If lucky, you may also catch a glimpse of the nocturnal Egyptian mongoose.

Rusinga Island Lodge Bikes & Hikes

Rusinga offers some exhilarating activities for the active, as well as a variety of water sports– water skiing, donutting, knee-boarding – there are also mountain bikes.   A circumnavigation around Rusinga Island by mountain bike not only affords welcome exercise, but also an opportunity to meet the local community and watch life go by on this small island.

Rusinga Island Lodge Relaxation & Revitalizing

Rusinga Island Lodge visits to the Local Communities & Family Activities

Rusinga Island Lodge swimming pool is designed with both children and adults in mind – the shallow end slopes gently towards the deeper end offering safe waters for young children to play.   On the lake, water sports provide great entertainment for children and adults alike and on land, children are free to explore the lodge grounds in safety, searching for monitor lizards and mongoose.

The friendly Luo community fish along the shores of the lake in their colorful canoes and sailing dhows. Rusinga Island Lodge guests are welcomed with open arms at their villages where the night’s catch is set out to dry in the sun and larger fish are smoked.

It is also possible to visit local schools and community projects whilst staying at Rusinga.

Ruma National Park Game drives from Rusinga Island Lodge

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 Jackson's 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.

Rusinga Island Lodge guests wishing to visit Ruma National Park leave the lodge by speedboat at 6.30am. After a 40-minute boat ride on the lake (early mornings are usually calm on the lake), an African Spice Safari Land cruiser meets you at the lakeshore for the short 30-minute drive to the park.

En route you'll see typical Luo homesteads. After exploring the park and its inhabitants enjoy a hearty bush breakfast before heading back to the lakeshore for the return boat ride to the lodge, arriving around lunchtime.

Ruma National Park was first gazetted in 1966 as Lambwe Valley Game Reserve, and acquired National Park status in 1983.

It is situated 10 km east of Lake Victoria in Western Kenya, southwest of Homa Bay and east of Gembe and Gwasi Hills. It lies on the flat floor of the Lambwe Valley, bordered by the Kanyamaa escarpment and includes a section of Lambwe Hills Forest Reserve to the southeast.

The terrain is mainly rolling grassland, with tracts of open woodland and thickets dominated by species of Acacia and Balanites.

The soils are largely “black cotton” clays. The surrounding area is settled, with a mix of small-scale cultivation and grassy pasture land. Click Here For Day Tours to Ruma National Park

Rusinga Island Lodge Information
Rusinga Island Lodge is open all year round. The climate at Rusinga Island at 3,718 feet above sea level is mild making activities pleasurable and viable year round. Typical daily temperatures range between 20-28 degrees C. Lake Victoria provides some humidity for the air, even during drying spells, making it hard to imagine a more favorable climate.

During the months of April and May the long rains – usually falling during the night – may prohibit some activities. The days are generally sunny and hot and evenings clear and warm. In the afternoon a welcome on-shore breeze stirs up, carrying on into the early evening.

What to Bring
Sun protection (hats, sun cream, glasses), ankle-length walking boots for hikes, light windproof jackets, swim wear, binoculars, cameras and film. The atmosphere is informal and relaxed. Long sleeve shirts and traditional sarongs are often worn in the evenings.