Lake Jipe Travel Guide: Top Sights in Tanzania, Tours & Travel Advice

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Lake Jipe- Travel Tips What to See, How to Plan & Tours: Natural Scenery; Tanzania; 5 Reviews

Suggested Duration: 4 hours

Straddling the Kenya-Tanzania border, Lake Jipe is a freshwater lake shaped by the Lumi River, which flows from Mount Kilimanjaro's slopes. Unlike typical lakes, it functions as a slow-moving backwater, with the Lumi entering and exiting as the Ruvu River, creating a unique, almost stagnant ecosystem. The lake's shores blend dramatic landscapes—flat plains to the north and the rugged Ugweno Mountains to the south, with Kibo Peak visible on clear days. Its shallow waters and vast reed-edged swamps, stretching up to 2 kilometers wide, support a distinct wetland habitat. Lake Jipe is a vital resource for over 120,000 people, sustaining fishing, farming, and livestock herding in surrounding villages like Taveta. The area's cultural diversity is reflected in languages such as Ki-taveta, Maasai, and Ki-gweno, spoken by communities tied to the land. Despite its ecological and economic importance, the lake remains off the mainstream tourist trail, offering an unfiltered glimpse into rural East African life. The lake's isolation has fostered endemic species like the Jipe tilapia, while its waters and marshes host abundant wildlife. Hippos and Nile crocodiles share the habitat with storks, pelicans, and rare birds like the African skimmer. Bordering Tsavo West National Park and Mkomazi Game Reserve, Lake Jipe is a quiet crossroads of biodiversity, where landscapes and livelihoods intertwine.

Operators offering tours in Tanzania

Attractions in Tanzania

Kilimanjaro

Serengeti

Ngorongoro

Tarangire

4.8

Lake Manyara

3.8

Dar es Salaam

Mikumi

4.6

Zanzibar

Reviews of Lake Jipe

Ayoub Mfinanga

4
Reviewed: 2025-01-16

It is our questions why we do not going Dongodo in Ugweno, The KANTANKAROUS PLACE. for doing many activities? What hidden inside Ugweno tribe can we go for Eid and Easter this 2025?
Arthur Preston

3
Reviewed: 2024-05-04

The lake is hidden with weeds and the only way to access the lake from the Kenyan side is through the canoes from the local fishermen without safety jackets. But once in the ocean it's quiet and peaceful.
David King'oo

5
Reviewed: 2023-07-25

Extremely fantastic experience and very cool place to be. I enjoyed seeing plenty of elephants, zebras, giraffes and lions. For sure i must arrange to be back again.
Sadashiv N

4
Reviewed: 2023-03-27

We visited Lake Jipe from the Tanzania side, which was very exciting. We were camping at Yefuka Campsite, around 10km from the lakeside. The campsite manager arranged for our boat trip here and it was gorgeous. It wasn't very expensive either - TZS 20,000 for a boat. We got the boat from Ruru village on the lakeside. It was a really long ride on local boats to reach the Hippo area (your bottoms will start hurting sitting for nearly two hours on that boat if youre not used to it!). We were quite lucky to spot a huge group there. We also spotted some wildlife from Tsavo National Park on the Kenya side (from far away, of course!). The lake was gorgeous, and we were blessed with decent weather. On our way back, we could see the gorgeous Kilimanjaro. I never expected it was possible to see the tallest mountain of Africa from here!
lewis mugo

5
Reviewed: 2019-12-09

A very nice serene area, just outside Tsavo West Park. It’s on the border between kenya and Tanzania so phone reception isn’t quite bad. There are also boats available for use there at a fee.