It’s the outstanding natural beauty of Queen Elizabeth National Park that made it one of the prime tourism destinations in Uganda. Visitors flock here to see wildlife, track chimpanzees, sails on the Kazinga channel and also take a clear glance at tree climbing lions that rest up in tree branches all day. The people of Uganda are too proud with their natural wonder of paradise and they welcome guests to feel the beauty of nature and conservation. The wonderful views of Rwenzori Mountain and the savanna plain is another feature that put a smile on every ones face while exploring the park.
The Queen Elizabeth National Park covers an area of about 1978 km2; its position provides a magnificent view of the rift valley floor that occupies Lake Edward and Gorge. A habitat of about 95 mammals along with 612 species of birds. Queen Elizabeth National Park occupies an estimated 1,978 square kilometres of which, about 17% lies in Kasese District, 50% in Bushenyi District and an estimated 33% lies in Rukungiri District. 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.
Queen Elizabeth National park is a notable Uganda safari destination for wildlife tours, chimpanzee tracking adventures, birding safaris etc. The 1978km2 Queen Elizabeth National Park enjoys a stunning location on the rift valley floor between Lakes Edward and George where a mosaic of habitats supports 95 mammal species and a remarkable 612 species of birds. Forty years ago, Douglas Willocks described the diverse features that led to its creation in 1952. There still exists no better introduction or a more enticing invitation to visit the park.
‘Scenically the area had everything. Thirty miles to the north, the blue Rwenzori exploded from the plain, a composite, jagged mass of mountains, sixty miles long and forty wide and looking in certain lights as if you could reach out and touch them. Across Lake Edward to the west, the Mitumbe hills stood sentinel on the Congo, blue too in the long sight but in the closer green, wooded, precipitous, unfriendly and epitomizing darkest Africa. The eastern boundary of this possible park was marked by the calm green escarpment of the western Rift Valley. And between all the hills, mountains and lakes was endless savanna, its constantly repeated motif the branched cactus arms of the candelabra euphorbia tree.’
The park forms part of an extensive system of contiguous protected areas, namely the Kigezi (265km2) and Kyambura (154km2) Wildlife Reserves, Kalinzu Forest Reserve, Kibale National Park (766km2) and, in neighboring DRC, the 2000 sq km Virunga National Park. Rwenzori Mountains National Park lies a few kilometres north. The dramatic scenery is largely due to mountains beyond the park boundary. The park itself lies on the rift valley floor where it rises 480m from 91 Om at the Kazinga Channel to 1390m in the Explosion Crater field. The low altitude and its location directly on the equator mean that temperatures can be warm, rising from a mean minimum of 18°C to a mean maximum of 28°C. The park receives up to 1250mm of rain, mostly during March – May and September – November.
Where to Find Queen Elizabeth National Park
Find this incredible park in western Uganda in districts of Kasese, Bushenyi and Bundibugyo.Its easily accessed by road and its 5-6 hour drive from Kampala via Mbarara town another famous town in western Uganda From Bwindi Forest national Park, it’s still accessed by road on a short drive distance of about 2-3 hours that is you from Buhoma sector of Bwindi. However, the drive is more long for those coming from other sectors of Bwindi like Rushaga, Nkuringo and Ruhija.Most of Queen Elizabeth is made up of sprawling savanna plains, lakes,wetlands,humid forests which make it a perfect place for big game, primate viewing and bird watching.
Places of interest
Mweya Peninsula
The peninsula is the hub for tourism activity and accommodation in the central section of the park. A nature walk with a ranger guide enables you to explore remoter parts of the peninsula.
Kazinga Channel
The 40km-long channel that connects Lake George to Lake Edward provides the park’s prime wildlife spectacle. Its shoreline attracts large numbers of birds, mammals and reptiles year round. These can be seen from two covered launches, Topi and Simba, that cruise between Mweya Jetty and the channel’s entrance into Lake Edward. The launches run at 15.00 and 17.00. Additional voyages run at 11.00 and 13.00 subject to demand.
North Kazinga and Kasenyi
The plain north of the Kazinga Channel is the primary game viewing area. A network of tracks enables you to find elephant, buffalo and other animals in the mosaic of grassland thickets that covers the North Kazinga area near Mweya. However lion are most reliably sighted on the open Kasenyi plain east of the Kasese road where they prey on a large population of Uganda kobo Game are most rewarding in early morning and late afternoon ranger guide is recommended to help you make your experience.
Katwe Salt Lake
The Katwe Salt Lake is home to Uganda’s oldest industry has been extracted from the lake using evaporation bee the process is continued today.
Katwe Explosion Craters
This cluster of extinct volcanoes north of Mweya Safari I can be explored by the winding 27km Crater Drive be the Main and Equator Gates. This provides superb vieVl numerous craters, some filled by lovely lakes, as well as to the Rwenzori and across the rift valley floor.
Ishasha – Tree Climbing Lions
Ishasha 100km south of Mweya, the park’s remote southern provides a true wilderness experience. Diverse hal including the Ishasha River, savanna woodland, and the rr Lake Edward Flats support a variety of wildlife incuding Ish, famous tree climbing lions, and the rare shoebill stork.
Kyambura Wildlife Reserve
This area, which protects the south-eastern banks ( Kazinga Channel, contains four crater lakes, in which numbers of flamingos periodically congregate.
Queen Elizabeth Wildlife
The park is Uganda’s most popular game viewing ground and it hosts an amazing number of tree climbing lions. You will definitely see your favorite wildlife including lions, elephants, Buffaloes, leopard, Warthogs, kobs, topis, waterbucks and of course hippos and crocodiles in the Kazinga Channel.
The park is home to 95 mammal species while the birdlist is 612 species long. This diversity is the result of an impressive range of habitats. Fifty-seven vegetation types have been identified though these can be summarized as just five: forest; grassland; bushy grassland; Acacia woodland and lake shore/ swamp vegetation. Residents of the park’s grasslands include elephant, Cape buffalo, Uganda kob, waterbuck, warthog, giant forest hog, lion, leopard and hyena. Topi are found in Ishasha, while forest primates are found in Kyambura Gorge and Maramagambo Forest.
Queen Elizabeth National Park has an impressive birdlist exceeded only by the neighbouring (and far larger) Virunga National Park. Key bird species include martial eagle, black-rumped button quail, African skimmer, Chapin’s flycatcher, pink-backed pelicans, white-winged warbler, papyrus gonolek, papyrus canary, corncrake, lesser and greater flamingo, and shoebill stork.
Things to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Game Drives .This is the most done tour adventure by all visitors to Queen Elizabeth National park especially in mornings and evening though others find it fan to view some wildlife under the hot sun as they get to the park in either ishasha sector or Kasenyi where wildlife roams in huge numbers. You need to move around with a park rangers who know where to find particular wildlife species that are hard to find when doing the drive alone. However, it’s game drives are superb in morning hours when the weather is calm and late evenings during just after sunset. Among what will impress you are the elephants as they make way down the waters on a hot day and the beautiful views of the volcanoes carters at the foothills of mountain Rwenzori also known as the mountain of the moon.
Chimpanzee Trekking
Since Queen Elizabeth is a home of ten primate species with chimpanzees as the main, visitors to the park enjoy tracking chimpanzees in mornings and afternoons in Kyambura gorge or Kalinzu forest reserve that shares borders with Kyambura.The humid forests are habitants to chimpanzees, Black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, birds, snakes and many other primates. A trip to either Kyambura gorge or Kalinzu offers rewarding chimpanzee safari experience an activity you will cherish if you a primate fan.
Boat cruise .Another exciting tour adventure experienced on the channel that joins Lake George and Edward. Don’t miss to relax in leisure under fresh winds as you feeds eyes on high concentration of hippos, crocodiles, birds and wildlife. Others to enjoy are the beautiful views of the channel and the surrounding. The park guides are very informed and they make the experience even more exclusive. This is the best adventure to take on on a free afternoon in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Camping in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Camping is possible at Mweya, Maramagambo and Ishasha.
Convenient options just outside the park include Hippo Hill Camp close to Katwe and Kingfisher Camp on the lovely Kichwamba escarpment. A new lodge is under construction in the Kyambura Wildlife Reserve.
Safari Lodges in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth offers variety of accommodation facilities catering for both budget and luxury tourists all year.The park safari lodges include Mweya safari Lodge, Katara lodge, Jacana safari lodge, Ishasha wilderness camp, Kyambara lodge, baboon lodge, Enganzi lodge, Bush lodge, Simba safari camp, Pumba cottages, Mweya hostels and UWA Bandas.
Best Time to Visit Queen Elizabeth National Park
The best time to go is all year January to December because wildlife and other park habitats roam in plenty. All Queen Elizabeth tour adventures are exciting no matter when you visit.
Resources
- Queen Elizabeth Game Park: A Complete guide to exploring Queen Elizabeth National Park in Western Uganda.