Explore the hidden gem of Saanane Island National Park with Licaon Safaris, where every moment is a journey into the extraordinary. Located on Lake Victoria, near the bustling city of Mwanza in Tanzania, Saanane Island offers a peaceful retreat amidst stunning landscapes and abundant wildlife.
Saanane Island National Park offers a one-of-a-kind safari experience, with its convenient location and diverse wildlife. This tranquil island is home to a variety of animals, including hippos, crocodiles, and a wide array of bird species. Choose Saanane Island if you’re looking for an authentic African safari adventure close to civilization.
Your adventure on Saanane Island begins with a short boat ride from Mwanza, where you’ll be greeted by the sight of lush forests and rocky shores. The island is home to a variety of wildlife, including giraffes, zebras, and antelopes, which were introduced to the island to enhance its ecological diversity. Keep an eye out for the island’s resident hippos and crocodiles, which can often be seen lounging in the sun along the shores of Lake Victoria. As you explore further, you’ll come across the diverse habitats that make up the island, including grassy plains, woodlands, and wetlands. Walking safaris around the island offer a unique perspective of its wildlife, with the opportunity to see animals up close in their natural habitat.
Saanane is a short boat ride from Mwanza city on the shore of Lake Victoria.
Mwanza has regular flights from Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro.
Explore popular animals that easy found on this world-class destinations
Procavia capensis
Aepyceros melampus
Equus quagga
Crocodylus niloticus
Well-marked trails wind among giant granite boulders, where rock hyraxes, monitor lizards, impala and zebra can be seen up close.
The short boat ride to the island offers views of Mwanza's famous Bismarck Rock and the busy shores of Lake Victoria.
The island is home to a variety of waterbirds and forest birds, with fish eagles, kingfishers and cormorants along the shore.
End the day with a picnic or sundowner on the rocks, watching the sun set over Africa's largest lake.
Sunny weather makes this the most comfortable time for walks and boat trips from Mwanza.
The island is green and birdlife is plentiful, though showers can interrupt walks. It can be visited year-round.
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Saanane Island lies in Lake Victoria, just off the shore of Mwanza city in north-western Tanzania. It is one of the smallest national parks in Tanzania and the most accessible from a major town, making it an easy and rewarding half-day or full-day excursion.
A half-day visit is enough to walk the trails, see the wildlife among the granite boulders and enjoy the views over Lake Victoria. A full day allows time for a picnic, birdwatching and a relaxed sunset before returning to Mwanza.
The island is home to rock hyraxes, impalas, zebras, monitor lizards, vervet monkeys and a variety of birds, including fish eagles, kingfishers and cormorants along the shore. The animals are used to visitors, so you can often see them up close on the walking trails.
Take a short boat ride of a few minutes from Mwanza. Mwanza itself has regular flights from Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro, and it is also the gateway to the western Serengeti, so Saanane is easy to include in a longer itinerary.
Yes. Saanane combines well with the western Serengeti and Rubondo Island, and is a good way to spend a day in Mwanza before or after a safari in north-western Tanzania.
