Lake Victoria

Tanzania’s second-largest city, and the lake region’s economic heart, Mwanza is set on Lake Victoria’s shore, surrounded by hills strewn with enormous boulders. It is notable for its strong Indian influences, as well as for being a major industrial centre and a busy port. Yet despite its rapidly rising skyline, Mwanza manages to retain a casual feel. In addition to being a stop on the way to Rubondo Island National Park, Mwanza is a great starting or finishing point for safaris through Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, ideally as a loop by adding in Lake Natron.

One of the more interesting rock formations around Mwanza is Jiwe Kuu (Big Rock), which some people call the Dancing Rocks. Many round boulders sit atop this rocky outcrop north of town and have managed to last for aeons without rolling off. Dalla-dallas to Bwiru run west down Nyerere Rd; their final stop leaves you within a 1.5km walk of the rocks.

With its simple lifestyle and rocky terrain broken up by lake vistas and tiny patches of forest, Ukerewe Island, 50km north of Mwanza, makes an intriguing, offbeat diversion. Ikulu (‘White House’) is the modest 1928 European-style palace of the island’s former king, signposted just behind the market in Bukindo. The real attraction, however, is the deeply rural life of the island. Ukerewe is unusual in its highly successful farming techniques, centuries of stable population, and the fact that every patch of land and every tree is individually owned. There's a fascinating account of how this all works in John Reader's brilliant book Africa: A Biography of the Continent.

Nansio, the main town, has internet access (when the island’s electricity is working) and only one internationally linked ATM. Shared taxis and dalla-dallas connect Ukerewe’s few sizeable villages.

The Sukuma Museum in Bujora village is an open-air museum where, among other things, you’ll see traditional Sukuma dwellings, the grass house of a traditional healer, blacksmith’s tools and a rotating cylinder illustrating different Sukuma words for counting from one to 10. It is the site of the well-known Bulabo Dance Festival in June, where dancers compete using a variety of animals as props.

Bukoba Tours is the new venture of William 'Willy' Rutta, a guide with years of experience in the Bukoba area. Offering wisdom, wit and expertise, Rutta operates from an office at the Lake Hotel and his business offers a wide variety of cultural and island tours, and can arrange safaris on Rubondo Island, in the Serengeti and beyond.

Little Musoma, capital of the Mara region, sits serenely on a Lake Victoria peninsula with both sunrise and sunset views over the water. It’s one of those African towns with nothing special on offer other than an addictive appeal.

There are banks and internet cafes along and just off Mukendo Rd.

Rubondo Island National Park, alluring for its tranquillity and sublime lakeshore scenery, is one of Tanzania’s best-kept secrets and there may be days when you’re the only guests on the 240-sq-km island. Birdwatching, particularly for shore birds (there are many migrants in November and December), brings the most visitors, but walking safaris (half-day walks US$11.80 per group), bush camping (adult/child US$59/6) and sport fishing (per day US$59) can also be rewarding.