Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Activities in Queen Elizabeth national park; Queen Elizabeth national park is the second largest national park located in western part of Uganda in four districts namely Kasese, Kamwenge, Rubirizi and Rukungiri. The park covers a total area of 1,978 square kilometers and harbors abundant wildlife species including 95 mammals such as buffaloes, elephants, leopards, lions, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs, bushbucks, topi, hippos, primates like chimpanzees, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys and over 600 bird species including grey headed kingfisher, slender tailed nightjar, swamp flycatcher, pin tailed whydah among others.
Activities in Queen Elizabeth national park
Game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park
Game drive is the most famous activity in Queen Elizabeth national park and it involves exploring the savannah plains in a comfortable pop up safari vehicle. Game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park can either be done early in the morning or in the evening with a professional driver guide who is well conversant with different trails. During the game drive you will be able to view animals like the famous tree climbing lions in Ishasha sector, elephants, leopards, Uganda kobs, bushbucks, buffaloes, waterbucks, topi, warthogs among others.
Queen Elizabeth national park also offers night game drives where you will be able to move around the park at night using Uganda safari vehicles with spot light touches for clear viewing on nocturnal animals like lions, leopards, serval cats, civet, genal, hyenas, view hippos feeding among others.
Boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth national park
Boat cruise is one of the interesting activities in Queen Elizabeth national park which is done on Kazinga channel a 32 km long water channel that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. The boat ride is done in two schedules that is the morning schedule which starts at around 9: 00am and the afternoon schedule which starts at around 2:00pm. During the boat cruise on Kazinga Channel which takes about 2 to 3 hours ride you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos in waters, view Nile crocodiles basking along the shores, view buffaloes, elephants, warthogs among others. During the boat cruise you will also be able to view aquatic bird species like kingfishers, cormorants, hornbills, fish eagles, bee-eaters among others.
Bird watching in Queen Elizabeth national park
Queen Elizabeth national park is a home of over 600 recorded bird species which makes it one of the best birding areas in Uganda. Bird watching in Queen Elizabeth national park is done in different areas like Maramagambo forest, Mweya peninsula, Kazinga channel, Kasenyi, Katunguru bridge, Katwe area and Ishasha sector where you will be able to view bird species like African finfoot, red chested cuckoo, red chested cuckoo, blue breasted kingfisher, squire tailed nightjar, African mourning dove, swamp nightjar, palm-nut vulture, African white backed vulture, brown snake eagle, African crake, black bellied bustard, helmeted guinea fowl, African wattled plover, yellow billed oxpecke, grey backed fiscal, white browed robin chat among others.
Nature walks in Queen Elizabeth national park
Nature walk is an exciting activity in Queen Elizabeth national park which allows you to move out of the Uganda safari vehicle and explore the park on foot with the company of an experienced park guide and armed ranger guides to protect you from dangerous animals. There are different nature walk areas in Queen Elizabeth national park such as Maramagambo forest, Mweya peninsula, Kyambura gorge, areas along Ishasha River among others. During the guided nature walk you will get up-close and personal with different wildlife species including animals like elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, warthogs, primates like black and white colobus monkeys, chimpanzees, baboons, vervet monkeys, view different bird species like greenbuls, woodpeckers, chestnut wattle eye, enjoy scenic views of Kazinga channel, lake Edward, relax your mind in a cool environment among others.
Chimpanzee trekking in Queen Elizabeth national park
Chimpanzee trekking is an adventurous activity in Queen Elizabeth national park and one of the major activities which attract big numbers of visitors. Chimpanzee trekking is carried out in Kyambura gorge also known as the valley of apes located in the eastern part of Queen Elizabeth national park. Trekking of chimpanzees in Kyambura gorge starts early in the morning with a briefing at the headquarters where after you will be allocated an experienced park guide and start trekking. Chimpanzee trekking takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view other primates like black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, red tailed monkeys, view different bird species among others. Once the chimpanzees are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you a chance to learn about their behaviors, watch them feed, fight, breastfeed, hunt, play, rest, take photos and record the incredible moments.
Best time to visit Queen Elizabeth national park
Queen Elizabeth national park can be visited anytime throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June to September and December to January. During the dry season there is little rainfall in the park therefore vegetation will be thin which helps you to view different wildlife species clearly. Also during the dry season access roads to the park and hiking trails will be passable compared to the wet season when the trails are muddy and slippery.
Queen Elizabeth national park can also be visited in the wet season during the months of March to May and November because that’s the best time for bird watching where you will be able to view migratory bird species.
Where to stay during your safari in Queen Elizabeth national park
Queen Elizabeth national park has a wide range of accommodation facilities where you can stay during your Uganda safari. The accommodations range from budget, midrange and luxury including Elephant Plains lodge, Kasenyi Lake Retreat, Kyangabi Crater resort, Mweya safari lodge, Kingfisger lodge, Elephant hab lodge, Tembo safari lodge, Queen Elizabeth Bush lodge, Engiri Game lodge, Kyambura Gorge lodge, Simba safari camp, Enganzi Game lodge, Jacana safari lodge, Parkview safari lodge, Buffalo safari lodge, Twin Lakes safari lodge, Pumba safari cottages, Katara lodge, Kikorongo safari lodge, Kasenyi safari camp, Ishasha Wilderness camp, Kyambura Game lodge among others.
How to get to Queen Elizabeth national park
Queen Elizabeth national park is located in western part of Uganda and can be accessed by both road and air transport means.
Air transport, when using air transport means you will book charter or scheduled flights from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airfield to Mweya or Kasese airstrips and then connect to the park headquarters by road.
Road transport, when using road transport means you will drive from Kampala or Entebbe to Queen Elizabeth national park via Mubende, Fort Portal or Mbarara, Bushenyi which takes about 6 to 7 hours drive in a 4 WD safari vehicle.
Queen Elizabeth national park can also be accessed from Bwindi impenetrable national park which takes about 3 to 4 hours drive.
