History of Kisumu: Located on the eastern shore of Lake Victoria, Kisumu is Kenya's third largest town. At one time, Kisumu was a transportation center, having a railroad line from Mombasa and the water routes of Lake Victoria, and was also a military and administrative center. Lake Victoria even had a steamship by the early 1900s, with each piece of it being carried up from Mombasa. (It took a while to get a complete steamship together because pieces often disappeared only to reappear in the form of jewelry and weapons.) Kisumu's economy collapsed in 1977 and the town has not fully recovered. 

Places to Visit in Kisumu: Kisumu does have many worthwhile places to visit. The Kisumu Museum has a variety of interesting animal exhibits, including a stuffed lion pouncing on an equally stuffed Wildebeest. There are ethnographic exhibits and a display of musical instruments. The aquarium is small but the snake house offers a fairly complete collection of the local slithering life. Not far from Kisumu is Hippo Point. Boat rides on Lake Victoria are fun and widely available, and you can either find one yourself (at a negotiable price) or you can go through one of the hotels. There are also some bird sanctuaries in the area which are worth visiting, including a heronry, a pelicanry, and a sacred ibis colony. 

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