Rubondo Island Camp

The 175-square-mile Rubondo Island National Park in Lake Victoria is the largest island national park in Africa and home to an intriguing chimpanzee conservation project. In the 1960s a German professor rescued 16 chimpanzees from European zoos and released them on the island. The apes survived, and now their population has grown to over 40 individuals. Trained guides now lead treks into the forest to view them and rehabituate them to humans. Elephants, giraffes, hippos, and over 200 species of birds also live inside the park, and they can be seen on game drives or multi-day hikes. The waters of Lake Victoria also offer some of the best fishing in East Africa.

Rubondo Island Camp is the only accommodation on the island. Eight simple yet stylish chalets line a white sand beach on the lakefront. Rooms include a king-sized bed and en-suite bath, but there are fewer lavish amenities here than at a large resort. However, lounging on the verandah in a hammock and listening to the sounds of the lake is the best kind of luxury. 

Rubondo Island is both off the beaten path yet easily accessible by plane from Arusha, Dar es Salaam, and the Serengeti. With direct flights to Kigali, it makes a lovely stopover en route to Rwanda.