Rubondo Island National Park

Rubondo Island National Park is a protected area on Rubondo Island and nearby islets in Lake Victoria, Tanzania, noted for its mix of forest and freshwater shoreline habitats. The park was established to protect the island’s wildlife and to provide conservation and tourism opportunities in Lake Victoria.

The park is notable for its population of chimpanzees, which were introduced to the island as part of a mid-20th-century translocation and rehabilitation program, creating an unusual island-dwelling chimp community. The park also supports birdlife and other forest mammals and is accessed by boat from the lake shore.

The island was designated a national park in the 20th century to formalize protection and park management; since then it has been managed for conservation and research as well as for limited tourism activity. Its insular setting makes it distinct from mainland national parks in Tanzania.

Rubondo Island National Park occupies parts of Lake Victoria in northwestern Tanzania within Kagera Region waters, with the island reachable by boat from nearby lakeshore towns.

• Chimpanzee program: The island was the site of an early chimpanzee translocation program, and the park is known for its land-based chimp population in a lake-island setting.

What to See#

• Rubondo Island (main island): Rubondo Island itself is the park’s main landmass in the westernmost part of Lake Victoria and contains mixed woodland and freshwater shoreline habitats where introduced chimpanzees live.

• Book accommodation and all boat or flight transfers well in advance-Rubondo is remote and lodges/camps organize the only practical access, so last-minute plans often fail.
• Reserve chimpanzee-tracking and boat-safari slots through the park or your camp: chimp tracking is one of the island's main draws and spaces are limited, so plan these activities into your itinerary.
• Stay overnight on the island to maximize wildlife-viewing windows (early morning and late afternoon) and include guided boat trips; many day-trippers miss the richer animal activity that appears after dusk and before dawn.