Things to Do in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Formerly known as Kazinga National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park is the most popular savanna park in Uganda and the best place to see wildlife including the rare three climbing lions and four of the Big Five – lion, leopard, buffalo and elephants.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in western Uganda in the districts of Kasese, Rukunguri,Kamwenge, and Rubirizi. The park covers an area of approximately 2000 square kilometers in size, comprising of a great diversity of habitats that includes lakes, savannah grasslands, forests and wetlands that serve as home to the biggest variety of large mammals in the country.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to abundant wildlife, including 95 mammal species such as African elephant, African buffaloes, Uganda kobs, hippopotamus, topi, chimpanzees, lions, spotted hyenas, leopards and over 600 bird species.
Here are the Things to Do in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Game Drives
Game viewing is the main Uganda safari activity in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park are done in the comfort of a 4x4 open sided safari vehicle that accommodates 4 to 6 people, a sure way to offer you a classical safari feeling. Safari game drives are one of the most popular ways to see wildlife in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
There are demarcated routes used in search of wildlife under the guidance of safari guide or a park ranger.
Game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park last 3-4 hours and from the comfort of your vehicle, you are treated to incredible sightings of several animals including lions, leopards, cape buffaloes, elands, spotted hyenas, elands, warthogs, kobs, bush babies among others.
Most game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park occur at Mweya Peninsula, the Kasenyi Plains, the Katwe Fields and Ishasha Plains.
Birding
Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the best birding destinations in Uganda, with over 600 species of birds. The park hosts a high concentration of birds in the world, thus begin a haven for birders.
The park is home to several waterbodies, swamps, forests and other physical features which gives attractions to bird such as African finfoot, African fish eagle, African hobby, African skimmer, Ayres’s hawk-eagle, Black bee-eater, Black-headed gonolek, Black-rumped buttonquail, Blue-breasted kingfisher, Broad-billed roller, Caspian plover, Cassin’s flycatcher, Collared pratincole, Common sand martin, Crab-plover, Great blue turaco, Great white pelican, Grey crowned crane, Grey-winged robin-chat, Heuglin’s gull, Lesser flamingo, Long-crested eagle, Palm-nut vulture, Papyrus canary, Papyrus gonolek, Papyrus yellow warbler, Pel’s fishing-owl, Pink-backed pelican, Red-chested sunbird, Rufous-bellied heron, Shoebill, Spotted redshank, Water thick-knee, Western banded snake eagle, White-backed night heron, White-winged tern, Yellow-bellied wattle-eye, Yellow-billed stork, Yellow-throated cuckoo and Yellow-throated longclaw among others.
On the other hand, Queen Elizabeth National Park hosts migratory bird species, illusive species, endangered bird species as well as the Rift Valley Endemics.
Launch Cruise or Boat Trip on Kazinga Channel
The boat trip within Queen Elizabeth National Park is done on the impressive Kazinga Channel, a 40 kilometer water long natural channel linking Lake Edward to Lake George.
Normally the boat set off every at either 09:00 am local time or at 2.00p, in the afternoon local time. The launch cruise may take anything from 2-5 hours to well explore the channel and see wildlife along the shores.
On the boat, thee are professional guides who will give you all the necessary information pertaining this safari or tour as well as answer any questions that may arise about the wildlife or anything else. Additionally, the professional as well as experienced guides will point out any wildlife which you may have failed to notice.
Chimpanzee Tracking in Kyambura Gorge
The Kyambura Gorge is one of the best places for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda, the gorge dubbed as The Valley of Apes is a large valley covered by an underground tropical forest with wildlife but chimpanzees are the key attractions.
Chimpanzees are one of the most intelligent animals in the world and our closest relatives as humans along with baboons. Chimpanzees in Queen Elizabeth National Park hide inside the gorge and never come out into savannah for fear of predators.
There was a forest corridor connecting them to chimpanzee communities in Maramagambo and Kalinzu Forest which was cut off by the locals.
Nature Walks in Maramagambo Forest
The Maramagambo Forest is one of the few tropical rainforests left in Uganda, located in southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park offering incredible guided nature walks.
On the nature walk, you will have an opportunity to spot reptiles, birds, red tailed monkeys, bush babies, vervet monkeys and chimpanzees in Maramagambo which are not habituated. Also, you can use this opportunity to visit the bat and python caves where you can watch the battle between predators and prey from a hidden platform.
Culture Experiences
Witness how the locals and wildlife live in harmony by visiting the local communities living near the park. During the visit you get to learn a lot about the cultural heritage, traditional dances, traditional clothes, traditional food, visiting local schools and projects organisations operating in the area.
The Kikorongo Equator Cultural Group even takes the performances to the lodges and hotels in the evenings.
Lake Katwe Salt Mine Tours
Salt mining has been carried out in Lake Katwe for many years and the most is used in Ugandan homes. Rudimental methods are used by the locals to mine the salt, these methods have been passed down from their ancestors but they can be hazardous to their health.
Most miners do not mind because it is a very profitable business for them.
On your Uganda safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park, you can visit the lake and witness the different processes of mining salt and also to mingle with local people.
Getting to Queen Elizabeth National Park
By Road
Most safaris to Queen Elizabeth National Park start from Kampala with arrival at Entebbe International Airport, the journey to the park in western Uganda takes 6 hours along tarmac road. There are two routes from Kampala via Mbarara to the east of the park covering a distance of 250 miles.
Alternatively; Fort Portal to the north which covers 260 miles. Most visitors choose to include stopovers at other parks along the way rather than driving directly from Kampala to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Driving on the Kampala – Masaka – Mbarara – Kasese road giving you a chance to explore the Uganda Equator.
By Air
Queen Elizabeth National Park can be accessed by air from both Entebbe International Airport and Kajjansi Airstrip, flying to Kasese and Mweya Airstrips – the closest to the park.
Flights to Queen Elizabeth National Park take 1-2 hours.
