Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park is the most visited national park in the Western Region of Uganda, spanning the districts of Kasese, Kamwenge, Rubirizi, and Rukungiri. The park includes the Maramagambo Forest and borders the Kigezi Game Reserve, the Kyambura Game Reserve, and the Kibale National Park in Uganda, and the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Queen Elizabeth National Park occupies an estimated 1,978 square kilometers and extends from Lake George in the north-east to Lake Edward in the south-west and includes the Kazinga Channel connecting the two lakes and Taking a boat cruise on the scenic Kazinga Channel is another way to see amazing wildlife and gorgeous scenery such as African buffalo, Ugandan kob, hippopotamus, Nile crocodile, African bush elephant, African leopard, lion, and chimpanzee. A home to 95 mammal species and over 500 bird species. The area around Ishasha in Rukungiri District is famous for its tree-climbing lions, whose males sport black manes. The park is also famous for its volcanic features, including volcanic cones and deep craters, many with crater lakes, such as the Katwe craters, from which salt is extracted. There are various safaris, lake cruises, and even hot air balloon tours available here for you to explore this amazing area.
Activities in Queen Elizabeth
The Park is home to variety of wildlife and boasts a range of attractions and interesting activities that make it truly gifted by nature and self Drive East Africa provides you with our suggested list of the top activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Boat cruise along Kazinga Channel
The Kazinga Channel is an oasis for many of the fascinating species that inhabit the park, and taking a boat cruise along the channel gives visitors the chance to cruise just meters from hundreds of enormous hippos and buffalos while elephants linger on the shoreline, crocodiles, monitor lizards, elephant herds, buffaloes, antelopes and many hundreds of different kinds of water birds.
Bird Watching
It is one of the best parks for birding in Uganda with over 600 species, It has a variety of water birds, woodland and forest dwellers in the Maramagambo Forest, 54 raptors and various migratory species. Key species include the Martial Eagle, Black-rumped Buttonquail, 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, Bar-tailed Godwit.
Game Drives
The thrilling game drives which are best done during the morning hours feature up close viewing of the wildlife which is the most successful way to track down a pride of lions, and maybe even the odd leopard, the tracks through Kasenyi, the North Kazinga Plains and the Ishasha Sector offer virtually guaranteed buffalo, antelope and elephant sightings, along with warthogs and baboons.
Chimpanzee Tracking
There are 10 species of primates found in Queen Elizabeth Park and the most popular one is the Chimpanzee which is found in the gash in the Savannah, the Kyambura Gorge with one habituated troop and has been called the Valley of the Apes.
Cultural Encounters
Get entertained with dance, drama, music, and fire making of the Kikorongo Equator Cultural Performers, workers harvesting salt on Katwe Salt Lake. Kikorongo’s African Art – Craft Workshops teaches guests how to weave baskets and bowls using natural fibers. They also show you how to recycle magazines into colorful paper beads, which can be made into unique necklaces.
Hiking/Nature Walks
Nature treks are one of the more active ways to explore the landscapes, wildlife and Local community visit including coffee tour. Locations include the shady Maramagambo forest, Mweya Peninsula with its scenic views, and Ishasha River, where you may spot a variety of forest and savanna species as well as having a unique opportunity to get extremely close to hippos on foot
Watching Tree Climbing Lions
This remote southwestern region commonly known as ishasha sector enjoys fewer visitors than the north, but those who venture this far may be rewarded with sightings of the tree-climbing lions. It is also home to many buffaloes, hyenas, Topi and elephants as well as the rare shoe bill stork and Ishasha is also a convenient region to pass through on the way to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.