Isamilo Grand Hotel

From Isamilo Hill you look out over Lake Victoria and its islands, Saanane Island included. Up here stands the Isamilo Grand Hotel, around two kilometres from the centre of Mwanza and about eight kilometres from the airport. Rooms range from deluxe doubles with a fridge and twin rooms with a walk-in rain shower to the family suite. The Executive Suite even has a fully equipped office, in case your emails simply refuse to wait. To unwind, there is a pool, a sauna, a spa and a garden, and the restaurant serves international cuisine. On Fridays it’s happy hour by the pool. And if you want to get to know Mwanza, you can book through the hotel a city tour to Bismarck Rock, a visit to the Sukuma Museum in Bujora or a boat trip with fishing on Lake Victoria. The Sukuma, incidentally, are Tanzania’s largest ethnic group. The hotel also organises game drives of one or two days into Serengeti National Park.