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MBITA |
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Excepting some matatus which run around Rusinga Island, MBITA is as
far as you can go by public road transport. The last matatu returns to
Homa Bay around 3pm. There are, however, some wooden engine boats which
connect Mbita daily with various ports on Mfangano Island, Takawiri
Island, and Ranalo or Misori on the opposite side of Rusinga Channel,
which provides road access northeast via Bondo to Kisumu. Note that
these services dry up by mid-afternoon, so if you arrive late, you'll
have to stay the night in Mbita (unless you've around Ksh2500 to spare
to hire a boat).
Accommodation is limited to three, rather basic, choices. The best of
these is Patroba Ogweno Lodge (PO Box 315 tel 0385/22184; under Ksh500),
down the alleyway by the New Foxton hoteli . Its better rooms are s/c
with nets. More characterful, but perhaps not for lone women, is Viking
Lodge (PO Box 12 tel 0385/22182; under Ksh500), on the right side of the
matatu stage, which has some dingy cells with nets but no s/c, off a
lovely bougainvillaea-shaded courtyard which doubles as a bar, with
music from 5pm to midnight. The only other option is the Junction Inn ,
just across the causeway on the left (PO Box 138; no phone; under
Ksh500). Down the road to Sido, the Mara Victoria Beach Hotel ,
currently just a bar with a pleasant lakeside location, plans to have
rooms in the future. Plenty of cheap hotelis in town provide filling
meals , the New Foxton being the best of them.
If you've an afternoon to while away, there's flourishing birdlife in
the vicinity, and doubtless a lot more to be uncovered by adventurous
travellers. Sindo , 10km south of Mbita, is reckoned a good place to go
out in fishing boats, while from the top of Gemba Hill , just a few
kilometres from the Mbita-Sindo road, there's a superb view across to
Homa Bay and down towards Tanzania.
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