Lake Victoria - Tanzania - page 409

cans and other trash. East of Temple St, the huge and confusing central market is fun to
explore.
Mwaloni Market , under the roof with the giant Balimi ad, is quite a spectacle. The
city's main fish market also has lots of fruits and vegetables, most shipped in on small boats
from surrounding villages, and there are almost as many marabou storks as vendors. Photo-
graphy is prohibited because some scenes in the controversial documentary film Darwin's
Nightmare (2004) were shot here.
Mwanza also has a Maasai Market (Mtakuje St) , with a couple of dozen Maasai selling
beaded jewellery and medicines on both sides of the footbridge.
IN SEARCH OF THE NILE PERCH
While Lake Victoria's commercial fishing industry is in some distress, sport
fishing for Nile Perch in Tanzania is doing just fine: 100-plus kilogram keepers
are common here. Wag Hill Lodge ( Click here ; US$150 per hour) and Lukuba
Island Lodge ( Click here ; US$100 for pick-up plus $40 per hour per person)
can arrange fully equipped fishing trips out of Mwanza and Musoma respect-
ively, whether you're staying at the lodge or not.
SLEEPING
Most of the very inexpensive guesthouses in Mwanza's commercial centre are by-the-hour
businesses.
Midland Hotel HOTEL $
( 028-254 1509; Rwagasore Rd; r Tsh40,000-70,000, ste Tsh90,000-120,000;
) This eye-catching blue tower is solid all-round with well-equipped rooms (free wi-fi
reaches most), good service, a rooftop bar and a proper breakfast buffet. Best of all, it will
sometimes discount. There are no mosquito nets, but the rooms are sprayed daily. The only
knock is that traffic noise drifts up to the rooms.
Treehouse B&B $$
( 0756-682829; www.streetwise-africa.org/tree house; s US$50-55 d US$55-60, s
without bathroom US$30 5-person family banda US$115; volunteer discounts available;
) Ideal for socially conscious travellers, this homey place with spotless, comfortable