Queen Elizabeth National Park

QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK- a Medley of wonders

Extending to 1978km2, the former Kazinga National park is Uganda’s second-largest national park. The Biodiverse Park is set on the floor of the Albertine Rift valley in the western arm of the Great Rift Valley. The equator-crossed park was renamed in 1954 two years after the visit by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Queen Elizabeth National Park has various ecosystems from grasslands, Forest, water, and wetlands which accommodate 95mammals, 600 birds, and other life.   

The park is the most popular and is a convenient add-on to a safari for visitors to Kibale and Bwindi impenetrable National parks. The 40km long and 8m deep Kazinga Channel which connects the two lakes of George and Edward offers classic boat afternoon cruises to and from the Jetty at the Mweya peninsular past the visitors to the banks which include crocodiles, buffaloes, Kobs, elephant families, hippos, and variety of water birds which include the Spoonbill, Pink-backed pelican, African fish eagle among others. 

The major highlights in Queen Elizabeth National park are the drive in the Kasenyi plains and Mweya peninsular in search of the big cats and game watching, a walk into the 100m deep Kyambura gorge inside the park in search of chimpanzees, and a drive to the small but bountiful Ishasha sector for tree-climbing lions. The backdrop of the Rwenzori Mountain and dozens of crater lakes give one of the most beautiful scenery to the “Medley of wonder”. 

Activities

Boat cruises

Relax in the afternoon on a passenger boat as you watch the water create a union of wildlife along the Kazinga channel. The 40km long and 8m deep Kazinga Channel which connects the two lakes of George and Edward offers classic boat afternoon cruises to and from the Jetty at the Mweya peninsular past the visitors to the banks which include crocodiles, buffaloes, Kobs, elephant families, hippos, and variety of water birds which include the Spoonbill, Pink-backed pelican, African fish eagle among others.

Game drives

The Kasenyi plains and Mweya Peninsular offer primary game viewing to visitors to the park. Rangers and guides help to locate wildlife in the plains filled with lions, leopards, hyenas, topis, bushbuck, and while with the Uganda Predator Project team, it is guaranteed to see the predators as they collared for easy monitoring. To the south of the park, it is classic to experience driving in the small but bountiful sector of Ishasha with chances of seeing the tree climbing lions that lazily rest in the fig trees. Also, night drives can be arranged. 

Bird watching

Queen Elizabeth national park is the richest of all the birding areas in Uganda. The variety of bio areas create ideal habitats for 600 species of birds in just 1978sqkm and if has a mixture of Savanna, water, woodland, and forest species which include the African fish eagle, African skimmer, Nightjars, Chapin’s flycatcher, White Winger warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Flamingoes, Spoonbill and pelicans among others.   

Community tours

Experience dances and performances from the organized group of cultural performers encounter the locals as they harvest salt from the Katwe salt lake. Tour the leopard village and see the replicas of the traditional huts of the tribes in the region and engage with the locals. The fees from these tours go directly to community development projects.  

Chimpanzee tracking

See the chimpanzees at a cheaper rate and in a very unique place. The 16km long, 1km wide, and 100-meter deep Kyambura Gorge has an awesome ecology in its underground rain forest that includes birds, monkeys, and of course the Chimpanzees. Though sighting of these chimpanzees is not guaranteed as the one in Kibale Forest still they are pretty good. Also, you can engage in a guided nature walk to the nicknamed “Valley of the apes”. 

Nature walks

Explore the wildlife of Queen Elizabeth national park, neighboring Maramagambo forest, Mweya area, and get close to the hippos of the Ishasha River on foot. 

Walk to the bat cave in the Maramagambo forest and watch thousands of bats, walk with the mongooses on the Mweya Peninsular or seek primates in the Kalinzu Forest. 

Access to the park

The route from Kampala, through Masaka and Mbarara, is the easiest. It is about a five to six-hour drive however you can drive from Fort portal/ Kibale Forest to Queen Elizabeth National park for 150km about a 2-hour drive. 

Charter flights can also be arranged to the surrounding areas of Kasese, Mweya, and Ishasha from Kajansi airfield or Entebbe International Airport. Aero link offers daily flights to Kasese/Mweya airfields.