Overview
** KISUMU TOURS, KENYA **
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We stayed at the Sovereign Hotel… gorgeous property with a decent-sized pool with wonderfully friendly staff. Kisumu is a smaller city that will provide more relaxation than the busy city of Nairobi. It is also about a 6 hour drive from the Masai Mara Reserve where you can meet the people of the Masai tribe and stay at any of the few safari campsites.
So Kisumu is awesome. You can decide to fly there from Nairobi but what is the adventure in that. With that said we are making it a day trip. It’s a 7 – 8 hour drive from Nairobi to avoid the traffic it’s better if you start your trip at the wee hours of the day. With this you get to make stops at different towns and take pics or just for a pit stop. We have Naivasha and Nakuru home of flamingos(you wont see them on the road but you will probably see giraffes and zebras along the road), kericho- home of the famous rich Kenyan tea … then Kisumu. You can stay at Kiboko bay , impala hotel and many other Airbnbs.
In Kisumu you pick ferry to Ndere National Park – this is an island that you can only do during the day. No human life just you and the wild. This will be about 1000kes ( 10usd ) for the ferry and about 500(5usd) for entrance to the park.
Then you can take a boat again to Rusinga Island. Rusinga Island is not only romantic but has beautiful sunsets and a chill place perfect for lunch with friends. They also have accommodation there. However, you will need to make advanced reservations as they don’t take walk ins. Yes, you can just reserve for a meal.
While in Kisumu you should definitely experience the white sandy beach of Takawiri. Takawiri is a man made island ( the sand and trees) a family business that has been growing for over 30years. They also offer accommodation and are extremely friendly. Here you can swim in the lake, go fishing, just for a boat ride( I highly recommend) and kayaking. For this you will also need to reserve in advance. Yep, you can just reserve for meals most preferable time for this mean is in the afternoon.Food goes for about 2,500kes(25usd).
The definitely visit Dunga Hill camp for drinks and there fish. The sunset is perfect with the lake view.
Food Prices: 800kes – 2500kes( 8usd – 25usd)
Transport : for the ferry it varies from place to place hence between 400kes – 1000kes( 4usd – 10usd)
People are generally helpful and are willing to help.
Tip: make sure you eat the Lake Victoria fish while its fresh.
I was able to experience both sides of Kisumu. Being that my girlfriend spent time growing up there and still has family we were able to stay within a compound with one of her relatives. We probably had our most exciting day exploring Kisumu by starting with a pretty chill restaurant at a resort that sits on Lake Victoria called Kiboko Bay resort . The food was great and had a lot of traditional meals for a reasonable price. Being located on the lake there is also availiblity to take a boat ride out to enjoy the views. The area is a Hippo landmark and just a sundown they actually make their way up on shore which is pretty dope ! Next we left and checked out a local park called Impala Park . Another great place to see animals up close and personal and get some great pics off. While walking we ran into a few Impalas and even Zebras that were all free roaming and use to seeing people. The park is a common tourist attraction and a must if you’re a first timer . There are plenty more animals fenced in to see but I won’t spoil it and say what kinds. Lastly another great place to catch some views and Hippos still on Lake Victoria is Hippo point . Although we didn’t see any that particular day the sunset over the mountains was amazing . We were also companies by a small group of locals who were just hanging out catching a vibe and listening to music . To cap the night off we found a small restaurant with cheap drinks , live music , and great food called Buddy’s bar and grill.