Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most-visited National Park located in western Uganda, spanning the districts of Kasese, Kamwenge, Bushenyi and Rukungiri. Its location is approximately 376 kilometers, by road, southwest of Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city.

The area of the park extends from Lake George in the northeast to Lake Edward in the southwest, and includes the Kazinga Channel that connects the two lakes. The park is now home to 95 species of mammal and over 500 species of birds.

Queen Elizabeth National Park occupies an estimated 1,978 square kilometres and the area around Ishasha in Rukungiri District is famous for its tree-climbing lions, whose males sport black manes, a feature unique to the lions in this area.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is also famous for its volcanic features, comprising volcanic cones and deep craters, many with crater lakes such as Lake Katwe, from which salt is extracted. The national park includes the Maramagambo Forest and borders Kigezi Game Reserve, Kyambura Game Reserve and Kibale National Park in Uganda, and the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

How to get to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park can be accessed most easily from Kampala. The distance is 410km and direct drive takes at least seven to eight hours. The tarmac road from Kampala via Mbarara town and Bushenyi leads to the center of the park, passing just 22 km from Mweya Peninsula, the main tourism hub.

It is also possible to fly to any of the nearby airstrips of Kasese, Mweya or Kihihi (for Ishasha) by scheduled or chartered aircraft from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield near Kampala.

Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth national park is a park with a number of activities that the tourists can engage in while on a safari and they include following.

Game Drives

Game Drives are also exceptional for all to experience as you transfer on the various tracks with in the park. The Kasenyi Sector is the most prominent track in the park where numerous wildlife animals can be spotted like buffalo, small antelope, warthog, elephant, baboons.

The North Kazinga Plains also inhabit numerous wildlife animals and the Ishasha sector offers experiences with the beautiful tree climbing lions. Take on these with a skilled ranger guide who will take you along the tracks as well as inform you about the various wildlife animals, character and their choice of habitat.

Boat cruise

Launch Trips in Queen Elizabeth National park are carried out along the Kazinga Channel which inhabits numerous wildlife species. There are two shifts i.e a boat that leaves in the morning at 8:30 am and one that leaves in the afternoon at 2:30 pm offering exceptional Adventure Experiences.

These offer scenic views at the two lakes i.e Edward and George as well as the numerous schools of Hippos and Crocodiles lying beneath the water surface and other wildlife animals like elephants, buffalo, kobs etc. You will as well as spot different bird species interacting with their natural habitat.

Bird Watching

Birding at Queen Elizabeth national park is also a very exciting safari Adventure to take on by all travelers around the world interested. There are about 600 bird species and these include; water birds, woodland, forest dwellers in the Maramagambo Forest, migratory species and 54 raptors.

The bird species you will watch include; Martial Eagle, African Skimmer, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Pink backed Pelican, African Broad bill, Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, Black Bee-eater, White-tailed Lark, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Papyrus Canary, Corncrake, Lesser and Greater Flamingo, Shoe bill and Bar-tailed Godwit.

Chimpanzee Tracking

Chimpanzee Tracking in Queen Elizabeth National park is carried out at the prominent Kyambura Gorge where you will learn more about the primates’ natural ecology and the difference of these than those found in any other place around Uganda.

Watching these is 50/50 but travelers can glance at them in a distance due to the fact that they are habituated. The trekking process starts early in the morning at 8:00 am and 2:00 pm daily taking about 1-3 hours in the presence of these primates.