Off the Beaten Path: Mfangano Island Camp

An ideal retreat from the hustle and bustle of modern life, Mfangano Island Camp is an oasis of tranquility, lapped by the waters of Lake Victoria and shaded by giant fig trees. Lawns hug the waterline, flowerbeds and rock gardens surround the camp. Enormous boulders sit at the water’s edge, a perch for cormorants or giant monitor lizards to sun themselves. Each room features a private veranda and sun beds. The food is as fresh as can be, fished from the lake (hopefully by you!) or picked fresh from the island’s vegetable gardens and orchards. We are featuring excerpts from 'Life on the Lakes' from our friends at the Governor's Camp collection this week in the Safari Journal Blog.

Camp & Island Life

The Drought:

Mfangano Island experienced a very long dry season as from July 2010 up until the end of December. The anticipated rains of October never materialised and the island was only saved by a relatively small spattering of rainfall from the end of December to early January, where mists shrouded the horizons. Thankfully the Island's dependence on just one yearly crop and fishing meant that the Suba were not crippled by this localised drought, instead the residents are now cultivating the land ready for the rainy season (mid March - May).

Fishing:

January has seen bountiful catches of 'Omena' (the bitter East African whitebait), which is a Luo and Suba tribe staple. This is a good sign for the Lake's well being, as are the daily Otter sightings which have provided an entertaining sight for all our lucky guests!

Late 2010 saw good fishing from the Camp. We managed to record a 39kg Perch in October by Mr. Tim Mountfort from South Africa. In November Mr. John Delgado from the States caught a 20kg fish which also made it to our board of fame. The largest caught in December was 9kgs caught by Mr. Andrews from California. We look forward to some more good fishing in 2011 and anticipate getting more names on the record board!

Next post: birds, otters and monkeys

Photos courtesy Kaila Millar