Beautiful lakes

Guinea's largest lake is a result of a hydro-electric dam. This explains its peculiar shape, as water filled up the surrounding valleys. The lake is still full of half sunken trees and a few flooded market stalls in the villages that now dots the shore. It's the best place in Guinea to spend time on water, and its relatively short distance from Conakry makes it an excellent day or weekend trip. The lake is best approached from its namesake village, Samaya, on the western shore. Here it's possible to rent pirogues for fishing trips or tours on the lake. Our favourite activity is sailing to the rock islands mid-lake and spend a lazy afternoon picnicking and swimming. The surrounding hills offer stunning views of the lake and are a recommendable hike. Samaya market day is Sunday. There is no formal accommodation in the village, but the (female) chief can arrange lodgings with local families.

Honduras' largest lake, Lago do Yojoa, sits in the middle of the country. And for the most part, it sits alone. Despite the enormous tourism and recreational potential of the lake, it see very few visitors, either local or international. With over 400 birds species and 800 plants species, it has wonderfully rich biodiversity. Taking out a row boat and throwing in a fishing line is a great way to spend the day. But for those needing a little more, there are a few sites in the region. Archeological sites like Parque Eco-arqueologico de los Naranjos, waterfalls like Pulhapanzak Falls and even a natural spring resembling the Blue Hole of Belize. Go now before developers figure out what a gem the place is.

One of Europe’s largest lakes is Balaton, which is a Hungarian version of a seaside holiday destination. The southern shore is more developed with a bit of sand, shallow water, hotels, bars, and drunk young people during summer - particularly around Siofok. While the northern shore is more villages, room for rent, and even vineyards on the mountain slopes. Balatonfured, Tihany peninsula, and Keszthely are the most interesting villages for travellers.

A basic knowledge of Scandinavian might lead you to think that the name of this lake means 'a lot of water'. Unfortunately, the 'my' in 'Mývatn' is Icelandic for 'midges', and anyone attempting to get out of the car near the lake in summer will soon be made aware of why it was so named. That is no reason to stay away though; Lake Mývatn has justifiably become one of Iceland’s top attractions, and the area holds a lot of interest to travellers. Like so much else on Iceland, it is the result of relatively recent volcanic activity, and the shore is lined with lava pillars and rootless vents. The eastern side of the lake is particularly rich in geothermal activity, with plenty of steaming vents easily accessible from the side roads – great for photographs if you want to give your friends at home the impression that you have just visited another planet. The area around the lake can also provide oddities like geothermally baked bread, and together with nearby Mývatn Nature Baths, Krafla and Hverir, you’ll need at least a full day to take in everything on display here. If you can put up with the midges.

At the summit of volcano Kelimutu (1640 m) are three different coloured crater lakes. The colours are slowly changing and are caused by the dissolving of minerals. One of the lakes is apparently always turquoise, while the two others can be anything from black, emerald green to chocolate brown or even red - together or separately. Seeing the sunrise from the summit is often hyped as a "must see"-thing and while the first rays of light certainly will bring some warmth to the freezing cold, the lakes can be equally enjoyed later in the day when the rays of sun actually reach the surface of the lakes.

The lake's real name is Lough Tay, but since the dark water and the white sandy shore resemble a pint of Guinness, the lake is known as Guinness Lake. The Guinness family had actually something to do with that, since they own the estate at the northern shore of the lake and have imported the white sand. Guinness Lake makes a pretty stop on any trip through the beautiful Wicklow Mountains, but as the land around the lake is private, the only views are from the passing roads. The panoramic views above the lake from the viewpoint next to the road R759 are particularly spectacular.

The picturesque Lake Como, covering 146 m2 with surrounding mountains, is Italy's third largest lake. Along the lake, there are many cosy villages and lots of cool large villas. Small ferries sail from one end of the y-shaped lake to the other, so it is easy to visit towns across the lake. Especially the western side of the lake with Cernobbio, Menaggio, Tremezzo and Moltrasio and the southern cities Bellagio and Como town are worth a visit. The atmosphere at Lake Como is far more exclusive and less touristy than for example the larger Lake Garda - but it is also slightly more expensive. If you are a movie buff, you will furthermore, also recognize locations from "James Bond's Casino Royale", "Oceans 12" and "A Month by the Lake".

Lake Trasimeno, covering 128 m2, is situated in the region of Umbria a couple hours drive north of Rome and an hour from Florence. The lake is less touristy than some of the larger lakes, but there are still some nice small towns along the coast such as Passignano Sul Trasimeno, and especially in the surrounding mountains are nice villages and B&B's with stunning views over Lake Trasimeno. You find 3 small islands in the lake. However, only one of them - Isola Maggiore - are inhabited, and here you can visit an ancient castle ruin/Franciscan monastery (Maggiore Castle) by ferry. The lake and the area in general is also known for its excellent local wineries and selection of freshwater fish/seafood.

If you are going to Kenya on safari, a couple of days at Lake Nakuru National Park is very recommendable! The National Park lies in the Great Rift Valley 140 kilometers northwest of Nairobi. The area is extremely rich in various animal species - and the concentration of animals per square kilometer is unusually high. There are giraffes, rhinos, water buffalos, monkeys and zebras in one big hotchpotch, and not least a very good chance of seeing the elusive leopard, (which is one of the Big Five). The large freshwater lake - Lake Nakuru is filled with thousands of pelicans, flamingos and storks, which are amazing to watch - especially on a morning game drive at sunrise.

For many visitors the world’s highest commercially navigable lake has lost a lot of it’s charm. On all itineraries will be a visit to the Uros islands. These are floating reed islands of which many of them have been built especially for tourists making them more of museum pieces than real life islands. On Amantani island you can sleep in the houses of the locals. At night the mamma’s dress you up in local clothing and take you out dancing. Many people might think all of this is really phony (especially when they start singing "my bonnie lies over the ocean") but it does give a decent insight in the daily life of the local Aymara people and it provides the local people with an income.
Another Peruvian Titicaca island to visit is Taquile, again very touristy. A visit to Titicaca can be very fun and very rewarding but a lot depends on knowing what to expect.