Rusinga Island Lodge - a Jewel in Lake Victoria

Rusinga Island Lodge is an exclusive retreat on Rusinga Island. Surrounded by lush green vegetation and beautiful lake views, one gets a sense of peace and contentment. It sits right next to Lake Victoria, the second largest freshwater lake in the world, and the source of the Nile.

The lodge has six self-contained cottages with thatched roofs, beautiful stonework, and local decorations. All the cottages are built using local materials. The oversize bathroom is beautiful, with a tub that is surrounded by stone. The canopy beds are inviting, and might tempt you to linger a little longer than you need to.

You can opt to dine in the cottage, but you might want to venture outside and enjoy the crisp, fresh air while you eat their organically grown fare. The eggs are laid on site, and they get their vegetables from a garden on the premises. Fish comes fresh from the lake, so you are guaranteed a wonderfully fresh experience each time. In the evening, you can opt to dine on the pier while you watch the sun set, and listen to the waves gently lapping onto the shore. You can also opt to enjoy your barbeque meal in front of the floodlit pool, or sit in the gazebo and listen to the nightlife. The choice is entirely yours.

For those who want a little extra attention, the spa offers a coffee scrub, a head massage, deep tissue massage, and body exfoliation, to name a few. They use local ingredients that have proven healing and soothing abilities. The more active folk can go fishing, birding, biking or hiking. Bird Island is a short boat trip from the lodge and offers an opportunity to view several water birds' nesting areas. You can catch a glimpse of the fish eagle, the elusive double-toothed barbets, the tiny iridescent sunbirds, the arrow-fast kingfishers, or the comorants as their catch their meals of the day. Biking is available around the island, and there are many archaeological sites nearby. If you just have to get wet, try your hand at waterskiing, knee boarding, riding the donut, or swimming in the pool.

For those who feel that visiting Africa isn't complete without viewing big game, the Ruma National Park offers sightings of leopards, the rare Roan antelope, hartbeeste, Rothschild giraffes, ribi, bohor reedbuck, impala, topi, waterbuck and buffalo.

The lodge reinvests in the community and utilizes many of the items that the local people produce. To learn more about this fascinating place, visit their website.