Saanane Island
National Park · TANAPA
Tanzania's smallest national park, a short boat ride from Mwanza city.
Edited by Kabeer Dalvi
- Area
- 2.18 km²
- Established
- 2013
- Region
- Mwanza Region, Lake Victoria
- Best time
- Year-round; driest June–September
Wildlife
- Zebra
- Impala
- Klipspringer
- Rock hyrax
- Vervet monkey
- Crocodile
- Waterbirds
At 2.18 square kilometres, Saanane is the smallest national park in Tanzania: a granite island in Lake Victoria, a few minutes by boat from Mwanza. It is named after Mzee Saanane Chawandi, the farmer and fisherman who lived on it. In 1964 the government opened Tanzania's first zoo here, and in 2013 it became a national park.
It is not a wilderness. What it offers is an hour or two on foot among the huge balancing granite boulders of the Mwanza shore, with zebra, impala, klipspringer, rock hyrax and vervet monkeys living free, more than 100 recorded bird species, and a view back across the water to the city.
It is one of the easiest national parks in the country to visit: a short boat ride and no vehicle. There is a public campsite and permanent tents overlooking the lake.
The granite boulders
The balancing rocks that give Mwanza its character.
Walkable in an afternoon
No vehicle needed; trails cover the island.
A short boat from the city
Five to ten minutes from Capri Point.
Sunset over Lake Victoria
Looking back at Mwanza from the water.
A short boat ride from TANAPA's park headquarters at Capri Point, 15 minutes' walk from Mwanza city centre. No vehicle required.
Saanane lies in Lake Victoria just off Mwanza, in Ilemela District. TANAPA calls it the only national park inside a city. The main island is covered in granite boulders, grass, thorny thicket and woodland, with reed beds and large trees along the shore. TANAPA's map puts two smaller islands inside the park too, Chankende Kubwa and Chankende Ndogo, and draws the boundary out across the water around all three.
A walking trail goes around the island. TANAPA's map marks a lake view point, the island's highest point, the Jumping Stone (a flat rock where visitors photograph each other in mid-jump, with the lake behind), and a grassy area it calls Small Serengeti.
The island is named after Mzee Saanane Chawandi, who farmed and fished here. In 1964, three years after independence, the government set up Tanzania's first zoo on the island, to teach people about wildlife and to give the people of Mwanza somewhere to relax. Traces of the zoo are still here: TANAPA's map shows a lion cage and an old elephant cage.
In 1979, during the war between Tanzania and Idi Amin's Uganda, Libya sent Amin military help. On 29 March 1979 a Libyan Tu-22 bomber was sent to attack Mwanza. It missed the city completely, and its five rockets hit the island, then the Saa Nane Island Game Sanctuary. One worker was slightly hurt. The journalists Tony Avirgan and Martha Honey reported six antelopes and many birds killed.
The island became a national park in 2013.
Free-roaming animals. TANAPA lists impala, zebra, wildebeest, klipspringer, rock hyrax, vervet monkeys, dik-dik, wild cats, otters and crocodiles. It says the island has a mixture of native animals and animals brought here.
In enclosures. TANAPA's brochure says a lion and a lioness live in an enclosed den among the boulders, and peacocks in another enclosure.
Birds. TANAPA says more than 100 species have been recorded, some resident and some migrants that stop here on their way. Among them are yellow-billed egrets, cattle egrets, ibises and fish eagles.
De Brazza's monkey. Several tour and guide sites say De Brazza's monkeys live on the island, the only place in Tanzania. TANAPA's current website and brochure do not mention them, and we could not confirm it.
Walking the trails over the rocks, birdwatching, and watching the animals on foot. There are boat trips around the islands, with views of the Mwanza houses built on the rocks, and catch-and-release fishing; the park headquarters hires out rods. The island is also popular for sunrise and sunset.
Events. TANAPA hires out the park for weddings, team-building days, birthdays and family days. The lawn costs USD 500 for the day.
Staying. There is a public campsite overlooking the lake and permanent tents, which should be booked ahead. Otherwise you stay in Mwanza, which has hotels, lodges and guest houses of every kind.
Getting there. The park headquarters is at Capri Point in Mwanza, about 15 minutes' walk from the city centre. TANAPA runs the boat from there to the landing jetty on the island. Its brochure says the ride takes 5 minutes in one place and 10 in another. Mwanza has an airport with flights from across Tanzania, and is on the railway and the main roads.
Fees. Saanane is in TANAPA's lower band, with one rate all year: USD 30 per non-East African adult per day, USD 10 for children aged 5 to 15 and TZS 5,000 for East African citizens, all before 18 per cent VAT, so USD 35.40 in practice. The return boat trip is USD 35. A 30-minute boat excursion is USD 50 and an hour USD 100. Fishing is USD 20 a day (USD 10 for ages 12 to 15), plus USD 20 a day to hire a rod. Camping is USD 30 per person per night, and a park tent for two USD 20 a day.
When to go. Any time; it is an easy half-day. TANAPA gives short rains from October to January and long rains from February to May, with the dry season from June to September.
Fees are from TANAPA's own 2023/24 tariff schedule, the most recent it has published, and are quoted before 18 per cent VAT. They may have gone up since, so check them before you budget.
- What is the smallest national park in Tanzania?
- Saanane Island, at 2.18 km². It is an island in Lake Victoria, a short boat ride from Mwanza.
- How do you get to Saanane Island?
- Walk about 15 minutes from Mwanza city centre to the park headquarters at Capri Point, and take TANAPA's boat to the island. The ride takes 5 to 10 minutes. The return boat trip costs USD 35.
- How much does it cost to visit Saanane Island?
- TANAPA's 2023/24 schedule sets USD 30 per non-East African adult per day, before 18 per cent VAT, so USD 35.40 in practice, plus USD 35 for the return boat. Children aged 5 to 15 pay USD 10.
- What animals are on Saanane Island?
- Impala, zebra, wildebeest, klipspringer, rock hyrax, vervet monkeys, dik-dik, otters and crocodiles live free on the island. A lion and a lioness live in an enclosure. TANAPA counts more than 100 bird species.
- Was Saanane Island a zoo?
- Yes. In 1964 the government opened Tanzania's first zoo there. It later became a game sanctuary, and in 2013 a national park.
- Was Saanane Island bombed?
- Yes, by mistake. On 29 March 1979, during the Uganda–Tanzania War, a Libyan bomber sent to attack Mwanza missed the city and its rockets hit the island's game sanctuary instead, killing several antelopes and birds.
- How long do you need on Saanane Island?
- Two or three hours is enough to walk the trails. You can also camp overnight.
Edited by Kabeer Dalvi