Rusinga’s best kept secret

You’d miss all the great sceneries that few have had the pleasure of seeing.

You’d miss the smells and sounds of Luo land.

If you fly,  you’d miss the energy of a people, the simmering braggadocio of the lakeside. A plane will lift off from Nairobi, with its cosmopolitan trappings, and land you in the best-kept secret, a paradise of green lawns, palm trees and a beach, yes, palm trees and sandy beaches in the interior of Nyanza; Homa Bay County to be exact.

Half of the fun in this excursion is in how you get there. So drive down, if you can. It’s a long journey if you are setting out from Nairobi, about 450K, through a handful of counties.

But it’s worth it. Driving through different landscapes, everything changes; vegetation, skin colour, human height and economic activities. It’s a journey which will give you an insight into just how different Kenyans are, while at the same time retaining certain similarities which make  one country.

I didn’t drive. I took a bus to Kisumu, spent a night there, and the next day – with my knapsack on my back – I headed out to Luanda K’Otieno, an hour’s ride off the Kisumu-Bondo road  to pick a ferry to Mbita.

I missed my ferry since they leave on the hour and that’s when my adventure started.

I got onto a boat which was clearly overloaded. I shared this boat with a dozen other passengers, a sewing machine and a goat.

It was an excruciatingly scary hour of my life.

The boat leaked and an old man lethargically scooped water out of the boat in a fashion that indicated that he wouldn’t have cared one way or the other if we didn’t make it to our destination. The goat seemed to agree with him.

The journey, of course,  would have been much smoother on the ferry which takes 45 minutes to Mbita.

The smaller ferry takes passengers as well as four cars (that’s the capacity) so be there early if you want to take your car with you.
Finally we made it to Mbita where I rode a tuk tuk to Rusinga Island, 15 minutes away.

Rusinga lies on the eastern part of Lake Victoria, at the mouth of Winam Gulf. It’s a fairly big island, covering a distance of 16K from end-to-end.

Rusinga Island Lodge is the pearl of the island and the surrounding areas of Homa Bay county, a little oasis of luxury tucked away in the armpit of  Nyanza. It’s a plush property, small and intimate with only 8 cottages, beautiful lawns, complete with a private airstrip and a gorgeous jetty that turns magical with its candles at night.

At night, water slaps against this jetty, the best lullaby in this almost forgotten part of Kenya.

For fun, you get onto a motorboat and cruise out into the lake for some Nile perch or tilapia fishing.

You can bring your catch back to be cooked for you.

There are six well-equipped fishing boats crewed by experienced and good-humoured captains to give you the best chance of catching ‘the big one.’

Mornings are calm. Birds circle.

The lake is tame and friendly and you might see a hippo’s head pop on the surface.

We headed out to Bird Island, some twin islands that play host to hundreds of thousands of birds. You will see fish eagles, double toothed barbets, cormorants, the tiny sunbirds and arrow-fast kingfishers.

We then drifted to Takawiri Island, a gorgeous, unspoilt island with a white sandy beach and palm trees.

We dropped anchor and did some fishing. I caught something…a reflection of my disappointed face in the water. When fishing proved fruitless, I swam in the cool waters there, naked, just as God intended man to enjoy nature. It’s primal.

On our way back we saw the bullet-shaped tip of the Tom Mboya memorial looming in the village.

It’s a national monument under the care of the Nationa Museums of Kenya. Although Tom Mboya died some 40-odd years ago, his presence is still felt in Rusinga.

To get to the hotel, we crawled past the fishing village, which during the afternoon had a group of boats ashore, the owners sleeping away the day after a long night fishing.

The magic of Rusinga comes at night when dinner is served on the candle-lit jetty.

There you will enjoy a cool breeze as the chef serves you poached fish, fried rice, roasted potatoes, pork chops and a bunch of other magnificent delicacies made from fresh farm produce.

Look out at the lake, and the lights in a line some kilometre or so away.

Fishermen on duty.

They look like a city in the lake and their voices are carried to the shore, hauntingly. It’s magical.

When it gets a bit windy, retire into the bar area, where you will sink into the cushions and read a book, your glass of red not too far away. Then head to bed, followed by the breeze from the lake which will blow through your open windows until morning.

And when morning comes, you won’t believe you were so enthralled by the night that you thought it wouldn’t get better.

Mornings are marked by colours; greens of the lawns, blues of the lake, azures of the clear sky and the freshness of the air. Breakfast is served on the lawns, next to the lake.

Rusinga’s lawns are dotted with lounging furniture under shady trees. Relax with a good book near the pristine swimming pool or simply recline and listen to the abundant birdlife.

I could sit there forever. I could grow old at Rusinga.