The Chairman of TANAPA Board, General George Waitara, cuts a ribbon to open Saanane Island
luxury tents on May 23, 2025.
By The Arusha News Reporter in Mwanza
In a move that signals awakening the Lake Zone’s massive tourism potential, the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) has launched tented luxury accommodation at Saanane Island in Lake Victoria, offering dreamy nights for visitors to Mwanza, famous as Rock City for its granite stones.
TANAPA Board of Trustees Chairman, General George Waitara (Rtd), said during the opening of the project recently that the tents at Saanane Island National Park were just the beginning of a new focus on tourism in and around Lake Victoria. Future plans included cruises to Rubondo Island National Park to the north west and east to Nyatwali in the Speke Gulf that forms the western flank of the Serengeti National Park, which lies mostly in neighbouring Mara region.
“Saanane Island is a fantastic place for relaxation. Let us continue improving on the facilities and activities that can be carried out here,” said General Waitara, a former Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).
TANAPA Commissioner of Conservation (CC), Mr Musa Nassoro Kuji, said the tents would now make it possible for tourists to spend a night on Saanane Island as opposed to the former day trips only.
Commissioner Catherine Mbena who heads TANAPA’s media desk, told The Arusha News that Saadan National Park in Bagamoyo, which also stretches to the shores of the Indian Ocean and Saanane Island in Lake Victoria, were ideal for a number of aquatic activities and sports, including trophy fishing and a range of both indoor and outdoor games.
Saanane Island Chief Park Warden, Assistant Conservation Commissioner (ACC) Tutindaga George said they had started with three tents, each accommodating two people. However, families of up to eight people could also get comfortable stay. It was not immediately clear how much it would cost per night in a tent, but stakeholders said given Saanane Island’s exclusivity, they expected a night there “not to cost peanuts.”
