Queen Elizabeth National park
Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the most beautiful, diverse and popular national park that relishes a wonderful setting on the rift valley floor encompassed by lakes, breath-taking escapements, hot-springs, abundant wildlife and a rich culture heritage in Uganda. Queen Elizabeth national park is one of Uganda’s oldest as well as most visited protected conservation area because of its outstanding nature beauty, it was formerly gazetted as Kazinga national Park in 1952 and later in 1954 changed to Queen Elizabeth National Park in honor of Queen Elizabeth ll after her royal visit to Uganda. The Park is an open vast savannah bio-sphere conservation area with plenty of thrilling safari activities such as wildlife featuring grassland, acacia woodland, forests, wetlands, euphoria tress, swamps, open water sustaining a wide range of mammals and birds species and it adjoins the forested Kyambura Gorge/Wildlife reserve, Maramagambo Forest, the snow-capped Rwenzori mountains and the Kibale Forest National Park.
LOCATION
Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in the western parts of Uganda 410km southwest of Kampala about 7 to 8 hours drive . The Park lies on 1,978 km wide spread at the base of the western arm of the great African rift valley and its boarders extend covering the neighbouring districts of Kamwenge, Kasese, Rubirizi and Rukungiri. Queen Elizabeth National Park is precious blessed with abundant wildlife, breath-taking sceneries and birds.- Wildlife;The Park holds over 95 large beautiful mammals, 620 bird species, 10 species of primates, reptiles and amphibians. Some of the animals to sight during a safari include topis, spotted hyenas, waterbucks, warthogs, crocodiles, cape buffaloes, African Elephants, tree-climbing lions, Leopards, jackals, hippos among more. These animals can be spotted during game-drives during the morning hours and evenings like the Mweya game drive or fresh boat-cruise along the Kazinga channel that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. There are approximately 5,000 hippos, 2,500 Elephants, and 10,000 Buffaloes but there are no Rhinos. The presence of large cats like the tree-climbing Lions that are found in the Ishasha area, hiding Leopards and the chimpanzees in the Kyambura gorge with the extension of the Maramagambo forest where Baboons usually exist (ensure your bags are safe) as well as diversity in the bird species.
- Birds :Queen Elizabeth N/Park is home to a number of about 620 bird species that dwell in the park like the shoebill stork, slender-tailed morning doves, African skimmers, African fish Eagles, Open-billed stork, African white-tailed larks, malachite kingfisher, African Jacanas, white-winged terns, black-headed gonoleks, Pied Kingfishers, Verreaux’s eagle-owl, pin-tailed whydahs, Egyptian goose, swamp fly-catcher, collard pratincole, pink-backed pelicans, African fin foot, blue-breasted bee-eaters, emerald cuckoo, western banded snake eagle, red-collared widowbird, white -browed coucal, chocolate-backed kingfishers, black-chested snake eagles, pelican and flamingos, the list is end-less enhancing bird watching either during a game drive, boat-cruise, nature walks among more.
Activities In Queen Elizabeth National park
Game drives
In Queen Elizabeth N/park, there’s more to the morning and evening drives than you can imagine. The beautiful views of wildlife like the tree-climbing Lions usually found in the Ishasha region, Uganda kobs, African bush Elephants, spotted hyenas (usually during evening hours), Cape Buffaloes, bushbucks, waterbucks, warthogs and birds etc are present during the game-drives.
Kazinga Channel Boat cruise
A fresh Kazinga Boat is usually done on the Kazinga Channel, this is the intercession between Lake Edward and Lake George in queen Elizabeth national park giving tourists a great view of the aquatic species such as water birds, wide number of hippos and crocodiles. A long the shores, there’s an encounter of a wide range of other wildlife species like the cape Buffaloes, African Bush Elephants among more
Kyambura Gorge Chimpanzee trekking
In Queen Elizabeth N/park, there’s chimp trekking that can be tracked in the escarpments of Kyambura Gorge which is in the eastern parts of the park. Chimpanzees can be trekked as well as other primates like the olive Baboons which you need to be careful in relation to your carry-on food, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus Monkeys.
- Nature walks
There’s a specified area designated for a guided beautiful forest walk that’s done in the Maramagambo Forest offering tourists a big chance to explore the rich natural wonders of the rainforest, diverse primates, forest birds and floral species.
- Katwe Salt Mines
The Salt mines tour in Katwe enables tourists to explore the traditional methods of salt mines making in Lake Katwe. Here you will be explained to the process of the mines, how they have been sub-divided and distributed to the different tribes in Uganda.
Birding
Queen Elizabeth N/Park is the most visited destination and recognised among the most significant areas of bird watching in Uganda. The Park gives prominence to incredible birding spots like the Kazinga channel, Kyambura gorge, kasenyi plains and craters. Some of the bird species to be explored in the park during bird watching include yellow backed weavers, white-faced whistling, white-tailed larks, swamp fly-catchers, spur-winged plovers, slender tailed morning doves, pied kingfishers, shoebill storks, grey-headed kingfishers, knob-billed duck, Gabon and slender-tailed nightjars, flamingos, pelicans, red-chested sunbirds, little stints, African fish eagle, brown snake eagle, African harrier hawk, African broadbill and black-bee eaters among more.
BEST TIMES TO VISIT THE PARK:
The dry season is the best time to tour Queen Elizabeth National Park wildlife and its natural rich beauties in Uganda. This season ranges from early June to early September and December through February. The Park usually is more spectacular during the wet season that’s March, April, May, and October through to November.
ACCOMODATIONS AT QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK:
The available list of places to stay in and around Queen Elizabeth National Park is end-less and ranges from budget, mid-range to Luxury.
Budget Stay-in places include; Enjojo’s bamboo huts is a great budget option, Pumba Safari lodge, Kazinga Channel view resort, Tembo safari Lodge among more.
Mid-range Stay-in places like; Enganzi Lodge, baboon safari lodge, park view safari lodge, elephant hub lodge, Kyambura gorge lodge etc.
Luxury stay-in places include; Elephants Plain Lodge, katara lodge, Ishasha wilderness camp, Mweya safari lodge etc
DIRECTIONS FROM KAMPALA/ENTEBBE TO THE PARK:
Queen Elizabeth National Park is about 420km from Kampala that’s 7 to 8 hours drive through Masaka-Mbarara-Bushenyi route and about 410 km (6 to 7hours drive) along Mubende-Fort Portal route. By air, there are always scheduled flights to be booked connecting tourists from Entebbe airport or Kajjansi airfield to Mweya or Kasese airstrip.