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You are here > City > towns > Mwanza Rock formations adorn Lake Victoria near the town of Mwanza on the lake’s southeast shore. At 69,490 square kilometres (26,830 square miles), Lake Victoria is the world’s second largest body of fresh water. The lake is adjacent to the semi-arid plains of northwest Tanzania and extends north into Uganda and Kenya. Ferries travel from Mwanza, Tanzania’s most important port on Lake Victoria, to the Tanzanian ports of Bukoba and Musoma, occasionally venturing further north to Uganda.
We found Tanzania's largest town on Lake Victoria (pop. 225,000) to be a rather unpleasant place. Currently, accommodations are difficult to find because most are taken up by U.N. officials (Mwanza is the headquarters of the U.N.'s relief efforts for Rwandan refugees). The city is on the shores of Lake Victoria, and you can relax on the beach (but don't even step in the water). The most interesting sight in the area is the 95-acre/38-hectare outdoor zoo on Saa Nane Island, which, if you aren't seeing the game parks, will give you a decent sampling of what you've missed. 530 mi/850 km northwest of Dar es Salaam. Airport Information: Restaurants:
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The Nile leaves Lake Victoria at Owen Falls Dam. The British-built Owen Falls Dam supplies an important portion of Uganda’s electrical power. The river, called the Victoria Nile at this point, then widens to form Lake Kyoga, collects the Kafu River flowing from the west, and proceeds north into Lake Albert. On its continuing route to the Sudan border, the river is called the Albert Nile.
