Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the most popular savannah national parks in Uganda named after Queen Elizabeth II in honor of her visit in 1952, the park is located in western Uganda and lies a stride the Equator with monuments on both sides of the road marking latitude 00.

Queen Elizabeth national lies in the Albertine region along with Kyambura and Kigezi wildlife reserve which form the most diverse ecosystem in Africa, the park covers an area of 1,978 square kilometers encompassing of crater lakes, forest, savannah, woodland, and acacia and numerous animal, plant, and bird species.

The park is the most visited park in Uganda and it is easily accessed.

 Queen Elizabeth national park’s incredible scenery is created the numerous crater laves such as Nyamununka Crater lake known for hosting animals, other crater lakes include Lake Katwe and Lake Bunyampaka where salt is mined. Other sectors of the park include Ishasha Sector a home to the famous tree- climbing lions that are easily seen lounging on the branches of fig trees, the Kazinga channel connecting Lak Edward to Lake George, Mweya Peninsula and Kalinzu Forest.

Wildlife in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth national park is a home to over 95 mammal species including 4 of the big Five “lions, elephants. Cape buffaloes and leopards” which are the main attraction. The park is a home to the largest herd of hippos found on the shores of Kazinga Channel, other animals include Uganda kobs, Topi, hyenas, and big herds of buffaloes, large families of banded mongoose, warthogs, bushbucks and waterbucks.

There are also primates found in the Kyambura gorge and Kalinzu forest, these include chimpanzees, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, red – tailed monkeys among others.

Birds in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth national park is a birders’ haven and an important Birding Area according to Birding International, the park hosts over 600 bird species and is a home to the highest number of birds found in any protected area in East Africa.

The park comprises of diverse habitat for birds ranging from savannah, crater lakes, forests and woodlands, there are also different section where birding can be done and these include Kasenyi area, Mweya Peninsula, Maramagambo forest and the Kazinga Channel.

Birds in Queen Elizabeth national park include African mourning dove, Swamp flycatcher, Grey headed kingfisher, pin-tailed whydah, slender-tailed nightjar and collared pratincole among others. There are also flamingoes found at the salt lakes of Katwe and Bunyampaka.

Safaris and Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park are done mainly in the Kasenyi area which is the largest Kob mating ground, the best time to go for game viewing is during early morning and evening when the sun is not as hot and predators such as lions, leopards and African wild dogs are easily spotted as they hunt.

The Kasenyi area is famous for hosting the big cats which are attracted to the area because of the high population of Uganda Kobs which are their prey, other animals you will enjoy watching during game viewing include elephants, cape buffaloes, hippos among others.

Boat safaris on Kazinga Channel / Launch trips

Boat safaris are thrilling experience done on the Kazinga channel – a stretch of water connecting Lake Edward and Lake George, this experience lasts for about 2-3 hours with the boat leaving in the morning and the afternoon from the jetty. Guests can choose to use a shared boat or hire private boats.

On boat safaris, you will enjoy sights of large herds of elephants on the shores of the channel drinking water, schools of hippo, monitor lizards, waterbucks, crocodiles, bushbucks among others. Boat safaris are also offer excellent sightings of birds such as herons, crested cranes, cattle egrets among others along the shores of the channel.

Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge

Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the chimpanzee tracking destination in Uganda, this amazing activity is done in Kyambura Gorge which is a home to 10 primate species including chimpanzees, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys among others.

Chimpanzee tracking in Queen Elizabeth national park starts with briefing and registration at the park’s headquarters, in additional to sightings of chimpanzees, trekkers will enjoy sightings of beautiful birds and other primates inhabiting in the forests of the gorge.

Bird watching in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the great birding destinations in Uganda hosting approximately 600 bird species, the park has many incredible birding spots including Lake Munyanyange which is a bird sanctuary and a site for the migratory lesser flamingoes from August to November.

Other incredible birding sites in the park include Kasenyi plains, Kazinga channel, Kyambura Gorge, Mweya Peninsular, Maramagambo forest, Katunguru bridge and various crater lakes found in the park. Some of the birds you will enjoy watching in Queen Elizabeth national park include Malachite and Pied Kingfishers, White-winged Terns, Swamp Fly-catcher, Grey-capped Warbler, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Collard Pranticole, African Jacana, Pin-tailed Whydah, Martial Eagle, Gabon and Slender-tailed Nightjars, the lovely Black-headed Gonolek, Great and Long-tailed Cormorants, Common Squacco Heron, African Skimmer, African Fish Eagle, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Sedge Warbler, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Papyrus Canary, Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans, African Mourning Dove, African Open-billed Stork, Black-rumped Buttonquail, Yellow-billed, open-billed and Marabou Storks, Egyptian Goose, a number of Gull species among others.

Nature and forest walks

Nature and forest walks in Queen Elizabeth national park are the best way to explore the park and they are done in Mweya Peninsular, during the experience you will have great birding experience and enjoy great views across the Kazinga channel and Lake Edward.

Tis activity is done with an armed ranger guide for protection from animals, other areas to do nature and forest walks include the Ishasha Sector where you walk along the Ishasha River close to hippos and Maramagambo forest where you will enjoy spotting several bird species.

Community walks and Cultural experiences

Queen Elizabeth national park is rich with cultural history and has neighbors a lot of fishing villages where visitors get an opportunity to engage with local communities and enjoy stories, be entertained by local dances and drama. Visitors can also engage in the local’s daily activities such as harvesting, making of crafts and preparing of local meals.

Also, there are communities adjacent to the park where visitors can learn more about the various local initiatives and do community walks which allow you to learn more about their culture. These initiatives include

Kikorongo Women’s Community Project – offering cultural performances of dance, drama, music and fire – making, basket weaving, and making of paper beads. To visit this community, you need to book in advance as women are not at the project daily as many of them will be in their farms.

Nyanzi’ibiri Cave Community – offers tours around the cave, the museum, paddle a canoes, hike to the transparent lake, get a taste of local foods (from farm to plate) and sightings of birds and primates in the forests.

How to get to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National park is an accessible destination and one can get there by road or air means of transport,

By road

From Kampala to Queen Elizabeth national park, there are 2 routes used to get to Queen Elizabeth national park from Kampala that is via Mbarara to the east of the park covering a distance of 250 miles or via Fort Portal to the north covering an area of 260 miles.

 By air

Chartered and domestic flights are available from Entebbe International airport or Kajjansi airstrip to the closest airstrips to the park that are Kasese, Mweya and Ishasha.

Where to stay in Queen Elizabeth national park

In Queen Elizabeth national park, there is a wide range of accommodation options ranging from budget, midrange and luxury. These accommodations are found either inside the park or along its borders and they include

• Mweya Safari Lodge
• Park Boundaries
• Ihamba Lakeside Safaris Lodge
• Katara Lodge
• Kasenyi Safari Camp
• Kyambura Gorge Lodge
• Twin Lakes Safari Lodge
• Elephant Hub Lodge
• Ishasha.
• Ishasha Wilderness Camp
• Ishasha Jungle Lodge
• Enjojo Lodge