Saanane Island National Park

Why visit Saanane Island

Saanane Island National Park is Tanzania's smallest national park, a group of islands in Lake Victoria just off the city of Mwanza. A boat ride of only a few minutes takes you from the city to a quiet world of huge granite boulders, scrub forest and lake views — the rocky scenery that makes the Mwanza area so distinctive.

Saanane is not a big-game park. Its wildlife includes impala, rock hyrax, vervet monkeys, monitor lizards, crocodiles along the shore and a good variety of water and forest birds. Short walking trails, viewpoints over the lake and the city, picnics and birdwatching make it an easy half-day outing. It is especially useful for travellers spending a night in Mwanza on the way to or from the western Serengeti or Rubondo Island, for business visitors, and for families looking for a gentle nature break.

When to go

Saanane can be visited all year. The drier months make walking more comfortable, and mornings and late afternoons offer the best light and the most active wildlife.

Boats leave from the Mwanza waterfront. Saanane combines naturally with Rubondo Island and the western side of the Serengeti, which is a few hours' drive from Mwanza. Ask us to add it to your Tanzania itinerary.