Saanane Island National Park
“The Magestic Isle”
Saanane island national park is located on an island in the Lake Victoria covering an area of 2.18 Km2. It’s the only National Park within the city limits.The island was named after Mzee Saanane Chawandi, a local farmer and fisherman.
We are honored to have you with us always and your presence is our motivation to do better. Enjoy your stay.
The park, at the time known as “Saa Nane Island Game Sanctuary”, was accidentally bombed during the air campaign of the Uganda–Tanzania War of 1978–1979. On 29 March 1979, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi ordered one of his Tupolev Tu-22 bombers to attack Mwanza, hoping to thereby intimidate the Tanzanian government into calling off its invasion of Uganda. The Tu-22 completely missed the city, however, and its five anti-personnel rockets instead hit the game sanctuary, slightly injuring one worker and killing several animals. According to journalists Tony Avirgan and Martha Honey, six antelopes as well as many birds were killed. In contrast, intelligence analyst Kenneth M. Pollack stated that “a large number of antelope” was killed.
How to get there
The Park can be reached by rail, ship, air or by road followed by a boat trip to Saanane.
Road and boat: One can drive to Mwanza from Dar-es-salaam, Kigoma, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Tabora or by ferry from Uganda, Kenya, Bukoba and nearby islands. It takes short boat ride about 10m from Mwanza to Saanane
Air: A flight from dar-es-salaam or Kilimanjaro International Airport to Mwanza
The Island is a home to free roaming mammals such as zebra, impala, rock hyrax, velvet monkey different bird species and wild cat. It’s the only place in Tanzania where you might encounter the De-brazza’s monkey.
Saanane Island is an ideal place for game viewing, bird watching, rock hiking, boat cruise, walking, picnics, bush lunch, photographing/ filming, meditation and sport fishing, special occasions like wedding, engagement, team building, family day and birthdays can also be organized.