Rusinga Island

Last weekend Josh and I decided to get out of town and enjoy some quiet time on Rusinga Island.  Rusinga Island is a small island on the southern side of Lake Victoria.  To get there you can drive about an hour and a half north and take the ferry across to the town of Mbita.  From Mbita its a short 30 minute to the hotel over a man-made causeway. 

Our beautiful room

The Rusinga Island Lodge is a beautiful compound with 8 bandas sitting right on the lake.  We were immediately welcomed with a beautiful lunch of nile perch.  After lunch we headed to the tallest point on the island to get a bird's eye view of the area.  We could see across the lake to Mfangano Island and the beautiful Gwasi Hills to the left.  After taking a few pictures we headed back down for a boat ride to Mfangano.

On top of the look out point

Josh has been to Mfangano many times but I had never see the rock art the island is so famous for.  After a very bumpy and windy boat ride we landed on the island.  The trail was a little steep and there were a few downed trees along the way but we made it to the site even in our flip flops!  The rock art is said to have been used by the Suba people to bring rain and drought to the other tribes living on the island.  They would travel to a neighboring island to sacrifice an animal and worship their ancestors.  Afterwards they would travel back to Mfangano to make the appropriate circles in the cave: red for rain, white for drought.  It was interesting to learn about the history of the island but the cave art wasn't very impressive.

Rock art on Mfangano Island

The boat ride back to the lodge was beautiful as we timed it to coincide with the sunset.  I've seen a lot of sunsets here in Kenya, especially on Lake Victoria, but this one was just breathtaking.  The clouds mixed with the colors made for a breathtaking site. 

The beautiful sunset

Dinner was delicious lamb chops and we spent the rest of the night relaxing and chatting.  The next day we got up a little early in hopes of doing some fishing.  Unfortunately fishing was not included in the price of the room so we decided to do some water sports instead.  Not a bad deal if I say so myself!  I didn't get into the water as I was still recovering from being sick but Josh had a great time water skiing, knee boarding, and slaloming.  I got some great pictures and even a few videos. 


After another amazing meal, we headed back to Kisumu about mid-afternoon.  It was a short trip but definitely worth it.  The lodge was amazing and I hope we will be able to get back there.  Next time I'd like to try my hand at water skiing!