Queen Elizabeth National park.

Queen Elizabeth National park.

Queen Elizabeth National park is undoubtedly Uganda’s most popular tour destination sited on 1,978 square kilometers. The park is located in south western Uganda and lies astride the equator line with monuments on either side of the road marking the exact spot where it crosses latitude 00.

The park was founded in 1952 as Kazinga National park and later renamed to Queen Elizabeth National park in commemoration of a visit by Queen Elizabeth ii of England in 1954. Most of Queen Elizabeth comprises of open grasslands and savannah which tend to be moist and woody in the western part than the eastern. The park’s diverse system which includes sprawling savannah, shady, humid forests, sprawling lakes and fertile wetlands make it an ideal habitat for the classic big game, primates and over 600 bird species.

Wildlife in Queen Elizabeth National park.

Animals in the park.

Queen Elizabeth National park is home to over 95 mammal species which are the main attractions of the visitors in the park. It has 4 of the big five including elephants, lions, buffalos and leopards. It is home to thousands of hippos that immensely populate the water shores of kazinga channel which connects lake Edward to lake George.

The park is also an open savannah spread with acacia and euphorbia trees that shelter the leopards, elephants, lions, antelopes, Uganda kobs, topis, hyenas and big herds of buffalos, bush bucks, warthogs, water bucks among others.

Chimpanzees and other primates are found in the other areas adjacent Kyambura gorge and underground forest. Also look out for other primates like blue monkeys, olive baboons, black and white colobus, red tailed monkeys among others.

Birds in Queen Elizabeth National park.

Queen Elizabeth National park is a bird watcher’s haven with over 600 bird species and an important Birding Area (IBA) according to birding International. It has the highest number of birds found in a protected area in East Africa.

The park has diverse habitat for birds from savannah, numerous crater lakes, forests and woodland. There are different sections where you go for birding like Kasenyi area, Mweya peninsular, Imaramagambo forest and Kazing channel. The bird species to look out for include African mourning dove, swamp fly catcher, grey headed king fisher, pin-tailed whydah, slender tailed nightjar and collared pratincole. Look out for the flamingos at the salt lakes of Lake Katwe and Bunyampaka.

Best time to visit Queen Elizabeth National park.

Queen Elizabeth National park is open all year and willing to host all travelers from different parts of the world. The best time to visit the park is not specific as seasons change accordingly, however the best time to visit the park for wildlife viewing would be during the dry seasons from January to February and June to September when the there is little or no rainfall. This time of the season is always good because there is chance to seeing variety of wildlife as they keep around the shores of the water bodies in the park.

Game drives.

Early mornings and evenings are the best time for game viewing because the sun is not as hot and the cuts prefer to hunt during these times. The game drives in Queen Elizabeth National park is mainly done in Kasenyi area which is the largest kob mating ground. The area is famous for big cats because of high population of Uganda kobs which they prey on.

Look out for the herds of buffalos and elephants as they graze through the savannahs. The game drive is done in custom made vehicles for safari where each occupant has access to a window seat roof.

Boat safari on Kazinga channel.

Kazinga channel is a water stretch connecting lake George to lake Edward and provides a fantastic game viewing and bird watching experience. You have views of the elephants, school of hippos as they guard their territories. There are boat safaris happening from the jetty that last between 2-3 hours leaving both in the morning and afternoon. There are shared boats but you can choose to hire private boats for your safari.

Other animals you are likely to encounter are crocodile, monitor lizards, water bucks, buffalos, elephants, bush bucks among others. The bird life on Kazinga channel is excellent with numerous bird species. The boat trips are usually morning and afternoon but we recommend morning for visitors going for birding which gives you better opportunities for bird watching.

Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge.

The park hosts Kyambura gorge, an under-ground forest 100m below Kichwamba escarpment. It is home to 10 primate species including the chimpanzees, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed among others. Chimpanzee trekking has to be booked earlier from the park headquarters.

The chances of sighting the chimpanzees is not high but the experience of trekking through the forests in amazing as you have many other sightings of the beautiful birds, wild animals and other primates.

Nature and forest walks.

Nature and forest walks in Queen Elizabeth National park are done in company of the ranger guides for purposes of safety. They are available at Mweya peninsular where you have great birding and views across the Kazinga channel and lake Edward. In Ishasha you have an opportunity to walk along the Ishasha river where you have the chance to get close to the hippos with your ranger.

Tree climbing lions.

Tree climbing lions are a small population of the unique lions that are normally seen lying lazily in the Acacia and fig trees. The tree climbing lions are only found in Uganda and Tanzania in the whole world. Queen Elizabeth National park is the number one destination for tree climbing lions, found in the southern part of the park called Ishasha sector. And in Tanzania they are found in Lake Manyara National park. These lions climb up in the tree because of too much heat down, others climb up to get a good view of their fellow animals to feed on and others climb because of many flies that disturb them.

Kazinga channel.

This is a natural water channel that connects Lake George to Lake Edward which is home to a large number of hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes and many bird species that can be seen during a thrilling boat trip on the channel.

Kasenyi plains.

These are plains popularly visited by tourists especially during the wildlife safaris. The Kasenyi plains are a home to a very large number of antelopes, Uganda kobs, elephants, impalas, warthogs, bush pigs and several large predators.

The Kyambura gorge.

This offers very rewarding chimpanzee trekking experience. This verdant forested 100m deep valley with peculiar home to a large number of the popular chimpanzees and other primates.

Kalinzu forest.

The Kalinzu forest situated in the southern corner of the park, also rewards the visitors with a great chimpanzee trekking experience. It is also home to other primate species like monkeys and many reptiles and amphibian species.

Katwe Salt Lake.

Salt mining in Lake Katwe has been on going for several years and is the main economic activity in this community. Consequently, a large number of tourists visit this area to see the salt mining activity and learn the traditional method of salt mining. And also watch variety of wildlife because the lake attracts many animals that come to lick the salt.

Explosion crater lakes.

These lakes are found in the northern part on a higher elevation of the park. While at these crater lakes, the visitors are rewarded with the breathtaking views of the Rwenzori mountain ranges, the western rift valley escarpments and the lakes of George and Edward.

Where to stay in Queen Elizabeth National park.

Luxury accommodation. Mweya safari lodge, Katara safari lodge, Kyambura gorge lodge, jacana safari lodge, Kasenyi safari, Ishasha wilderness camp.

Mid-range accommodations. Queen Elizabeth Bush lodge, Marafiki safari lodge, Enganzi lodge, park view safari lodge, Inguru forest lodge, Buffalo safari lodge among others.

Budget accommodation. Simba safari camp, Kazinga channel view resort, Tembo safari lodge, Mweya hostel, Engiri game lodge, Pumba safari cottages and many more.