What Can I Do On Safari In Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda

Queen Elizabeth National park is a diverse wildlife hub in Uganda Africa coupled with stunning sceneries. Queen Elizabeth National Park sits at the flow of the  Albertine rift valley 914 meters above sea level in western Uganda. This biosphere research has a beautiful backdrop of the Rwenzori mountains that run for about 60 miles long and 40 wide. When you look in certain lights the top of Rwenzori seems touchable by arm stretch. The valley’s bounding escarpments shield Queen Elizabeth National Park too. ENQUIRE

During uganda safari in Queen Elizabeth national Park, one can take part in game drives, launch trips, chimpanzee trekking, nature walks, visit one of the ancient salt mining industries and much more.

The various vegetation zones in the park support the life id over 95 mammal species. Aquatic life of this park is more visible on the 40 kilometers long Kazinga channel that connects Lake George to Lake Edward. Game drives are best enjoyed in the open savannah especially the drama in the Kasenyi area where antelopes love feeding from and lions may be spotted sneaking on them to catch a meal.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is a Uganda birding haven too with over 612 bird species so far recorded but because it’s a magnet to foreign birds too, the list is expected to expand according to ornithologists.

The average maximum temperatures of Queen Elizabeth national park is about 28 degrees centigrade and mean minimum temperatures  drop to 18 degrees centigrade.  This park receives rains up to 1250 millimeters  with March, April, May and November as the wettest.

What Activities To Do In Queen Elizabeth National Park

Game drives during Uganda safari In Queen Elizabeth National Park

Embarking in an early morning or late afternoon game drive on the eastern part of Mweya peninsular through tracks like the Kasenyi track you may spot a variety of wild animals and chances of finding a lion pride that love preying on Uganda kobs are more open here. The north Kazinga channel is a hot game spot

In the far southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park are more chances of spotting tree climbing lions resting in the fig trees. You may spot a number of other wild animals like herds of elephants , buffaloes, topis and others. A number of habitats in southern Queen Elizabeth National Park including the River Ishasha, Savannah woodland and the marshy Lake Edward Flats supports the existence of a variety of wildlife including the shoebill stork.

Launch trip on Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Taking a launch trip on the 40 kilometers long Kazinga Channel is the highlight of any safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park. A number of wild animals that move down to quench thirst and others cool off the day’s heat often visits the shoreline of Kazinga channel. During the three hours  return launch trip, you may get chance to spot animals like lions, herds of Elephants, waterbucks, waryhogs, cape buffaloes, giant forest hogs and several others.

Look into the water for schools of hippos and serried Nile crocodiles

An array of birds both domestic and foreign birds are common residents of the marshy Kazinga channel where they often pick on the freebies on this channel. You get to spot there birds during the launch trip.

From the launch, you may get a clearer view of the sparkling glaciers on the top of Rwenzori ranges.

Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park

The existence of a variety of habitat in Queen Elizabeth National Park allows the existence of a number of birds like the rare shoebill stork. Over 612 bird species are residents of Queen Elizabeth National Park, ornithologists predict, and expanding list. The huge bird list of Queen Elizabeth national park is attributed to the various habitats that favor the survival of different bird species. These habitats range from savannah and wetlands to gallery and low land forest.

Since this is a rich uganda birding haven, you may have chance to spot birds like shoebill stork, African Skimmer, Papyrus Gonolek, Papyrus Canary, Yellow Beaked and lesser Masked Canary, grey Headed Kingfisher, Black Bee Eaters, African Mourning Dove to mention but a few.

The shores of Kazinga channel is the core bird magnet of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This channel is like a trap for birds in transit, which you can clearly view during the launch trip on Kazinga channel. You may spot birds like African jacana, African Open Billed stork, lesser and greater flamingos, Egyptian geese, African Fish Eagle, Swamp Flycatcher, yellow backed weavers and others.

A visit to the crater area which lies North of Katwe road is a good spot to find grassland species like Broad-tailed wabler and Marsh Tchagra, Buttonquail, Croaking Cisticola and several others.

Within the queen Elizabeth National Park you may spot foreign migrants like pallid, Montagu’s, European Marsh and from the Baboon cliff you may spot a number of raptors.

Forest Walks In Maramagambo Forest

Maramagambo forest is one of the still intact natural forests in Uganda and home to a number of wild animals and birds. This forest is one of the largest tracts of tropical forest. During the walk in Maramagambo forest, you may get chance to spot a variety of primates like black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, olive baboons to mention but a few.the trails in the forest explore around Lake Nyamusingire.

Daily, a number of birds spend there day in this forest especially forest species. The amazing blue copper Lake provides a beautiful view. While in the park, you may spot the famous bat cave with huge birds and by chance spot the huge python that feasts on these bats

Chimpanzee Trekking In Kyambura Gorge

Chimpanzees are some of human’s closest cousins and visiting them in there natural habitat other than the confinements of zoos and wildlife sanctuaries is superb. In Kyambura gorge of Queen Elizabeth National Park, you have the chance to spend an hour in the company of a fully habituated chimpanzee community.

To get to Kyambura gorge, you have to hike into this 100 meters deep valley. This gorge was formed as River Kyambura eroded the floor of the rift valley on its way towards Kazinga channel. One need a chimpanzee trekking permit form Uganda wildlife authority.

The maximum number of people allowed to do chimpanzee trekking is 6 tourists per troop per session. Two chimpanzee trekking sessions take place in Kyambura gorge that is morning at 0800 hours and 1400hours.

Katwe Volcanic Crater Visit

One of the stunning spots of Queen Elizabeth National Park is the Volcanic crater area which is 27 kilometer drive. You drive through clustered of both wet and dry crater lakes. These extinct craters result from volcanic action that filled this area. This drive is best enjoyed from the Main Gate into Queen Elizabeth national park to the Equator gate. You may spot craters like Lake Nyamunuka with a putrid smell from the dead animals that move to this lake for medication.

Chances of spotting flamingos are open in the crater area especially in the Kyambura Wildlife Reserve. Take a trip to Katwe salt lake one of the oldest salt mining industries in Uganda. At the moment, this salt is locally mined by the locals from evaporation spans and they take you through the processes they use to extract salt from the lake floor.

Kyambura Wildlife Reserve

This area lies in southeastern banks of the Kazinga channel. This area has four craters, which are an attraction to a number of flamingoes that periodically congregate.

Mweya Penisular

This is Queen Elizabeth National Park’s  main administrative center. Taking a guided nature walk on this peninsular gives you chance to know more about what happens on this spot. From this center, you can organize a number of other park activities from Mweya Information Center. from this center, you get to enjoy the stunning view of the Katwe Bay of Lake Edward.

How to get to Queen Elizabeth National Park?

By Road

Two routes lead to Queen Elizabeth National Park. the Northern approach is Kampala via Fort portal and Rwenzori. This distance travelled is about 410 kilometers.

The southern route to Queen Elizabeth National park from Kampala passes via Mbarara and Kasese for 420 kilometers.

For a more beautiful experience, these routes can be combined to create a circuit and enroute you can make stopovers to Semuliki National Park for the stunning visit to Sempaya hot springs where you can boil some eggs as an experiment. When you take this circuit, you may also visit Kibale National Park the largest home of chimpanzees in Uganda. An excursion through Lake Mburo National Park is worth your attempt.

After gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi Impenetrable national Park, you can get into Queen Elizabeth National Park via Ishasha sector which is 64 kilometers away. There are others routes too especially when the Ishasha bridge is affected by the heavy rains that often fall.

By air.

Daily domestic flights depart Entebbe airport or Kajjansi airstrip to Kasese or Mweya airstrip but you need a transfer vehicle to the lodge.

Charter flight services are available too from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi airstrip for a more private Uganda Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Brief Information About Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park seats on 1978square kilometers of land at the rift valley floor. Two lake that is lake Edward and lake George form part of this park and these are linked by Kazinga channel. The Blue Rwenzori explodes from the plain forming jagged mountains that run sixty miles long and forty wide.

From Lake Edward to the west the Mitumbe hills stand, from the Eastern border green escarpments of the Western Rift Valley protect the park.

This park is also bordered by protected areas that is Kigezi and Kyambura wildlife Reservw, Kalinzu forest Reserve, Kibale National Park, Virunga National Park in D.R.Congo and Rwenzori Mountain National Park.

What accommodation to book during Uganda safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth is a vast national park covering an area of about 1978 square kilometers so accommodations are found in different points of the par. The accommodations in this park are categorized into luxury, mid-range and budgets facilities.

Some of the accommodation of Queen Elizabeth National Park include: Bush Lodge, Katara Lodge, Mweya Safari Lodge, Jacana Lodge, Simba Safari Camp, Elephant’s Lodge, Ishasha Wilderness Camp And Others.

What You Must Know Before Uganda Safari In Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park sometimes receives very hot temperature because it is very close to the Equator and it seats on the rift valley floor. Temperature may rise to over 28 degrees centigrade. Pack items that favor any weather although you should not over pack.

No feeding the wild animals while on game safari because they are wild and must fend for there own food and not depend on human provision.

Expect no toilet breaks during the game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park because the park has carnivores that may grab you are any time. Expect to make short calls close to the car and in the presence of a ranger guide.

Noise is not accepted in the park as it may disrupt the wild animals yet every tourists would like to spot these animals.

No going off track unless with permission from Uganda Wildlife Authority. A penalty is given in case you get off the tracks.

Do not touch wild animals even those that seem to be calm because they are wild animals that may transmit an infection to you.

At night you do not have to walk in the dark without an escorting person or you may become a meal for nocturnals.

No wearing safari attires in colors that may attract stinging insects like tsetse flies, colors like blue, black, white and others. You can wear wilderness friendly colors like tan and Khaki.

The tracks are dusty and bumpy too so in case you have motion sickness you can take some pills.

Have an open mind during the Uganda game safari and not focus on spotting particular animals like the lions, elephants and others. Queen Elizabeth National Park has a variety to see.

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