Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park covers an average area of 1978 kilometers squared with an unmatched views of a selection of wildlife, beautifully endowed landscape, lush green forests makes Queen Elizabeth national park your ultimate wildlife safari destination in Uganda. The park was gazette in 1952 making it one of the oldest parks in Uganda. The park offers sights of rivers, lakes, plain woodland areas, craters, the Kazinga channel, Kyambura gorge, Lakes George and Edward.

Activities at the park;

Game drives:

The park offers morning, afternoon and night game drives giving you an experience to remember with the spectacular scenic views of the park’s diverse flora and fauna, a variety of mammalian life like large herds of elephants and buffalos, lions, hyenas, Uganda kobs, Impalas, giraffes, warthogs, leopards which you will casually meet along the way.

Birdwatching

Recognized by the International Birding Association(IBA), Queen Elizabeth national park is a birders haven. It is home to over 600 bird species pained with a profusion of colors sure to catch your eye. Some of the places that offer an extraordinary birding experience in the park include; the savanna woodlands, Maramagambo and Kalinzu forest, lake Katwe and Bunyampamba salt lakes for birds like, the martial eagle, yellow throated cuckoo, the Verreaux’s eagle owl, pink backed pelican and so much more.

 Boat cruise

Explore the Kazinga channel on boat connecting lakes Edward to lake George. It is a mammalian, bird extravaganza as most of the parks wildlife converge here to take a dip in the fresh waters as well as quench their thirst. You are likely to spot huge hippos swimming, large crocodiles basking on the banks and aquatic birds catching fish. It’s also a birders delight as it offers a variety of birds.

Tree climbing lions

Encounter the jaw dropping tree climbing lion at the Ishasha sector mounting on top of tree branches for whatever reason that will leave your mind astonished. In world where you would expect other animals to escape the firm grip of the king of the jungle by climbing trees, it seems to be the reverse at the Ishasha sector. A mystery left unsolved as you wonder, is it the cool breeze blowing in the trees that attracts them high above the ground or seeking refuge from the piercing bite of the tsetse fly or they just lurking in the trees waiting for their prey the Uganda kob to grace them with their presence. Other than the star attraction, the sector is also home to other amazing wildlife including elephants, warthogs and others.

Chimpanzee trekking

Also known as the “Ape valley”, the Kyambura Gorge in the northern region of Queen Elizabeth national park hosts the exciting chimpanzee. Chimpanzee trekking is a fun filled adventure as it is shorter compared to the mountain gorilla trek. Chimpanzees are naturally more active and can easily be spotted so the trek may take 30min-4hrs depending on their location. Other than chimpanzees, the gorge boats of an underground rainforest with captivating beauty, lush green savannah grasslands, that provide a sanctuary to a number of primates, birds, butterflies and well maintained hiking trails for an intimate view of the wild.

Hiking and nature walks

Venture through the Maramagambo forest and Kalinzu forest reserve on foot for a chance encounter with the wild such as bat watching inside caves, learn more about the trees in the forest, butterflies and take a walk along the Katwe crater to see how the locals mine salt as well as enjoying incredible views of the Rwenzori mountains.

Cultural encounters

Discover new ways of living life by engaging with the surrounding indigenous communities, be entertained by the locals with traditional dances, listen to folklore, you might even pick up a souvenir from the crafts shop. You may also visit the Businga village notorious for its fishing activities along the Kazinga channel and lake George where you are sure to catch some delicacies and enjoy activities such as boat racing, sport fishing among others.

How to access Queen Elizabeth national park?

You can access the park by road from Kampala an 8hour drive through Mbarara town covering 420 kilometers using either public or private means. If you wish to cut the long journey short, you have the option of chartering a flight from Kajjansi airstrip to Ishasha airstrip then Kasese or Mweya.