Accessing Queen Elizabeth national park
Accessing Queen Elizabeth national park: This is the country’s oldest protected area harboring the rare tree climbing lions in Ishasha sector gazetted in 1952. The national park is the second largest covering 1978sq.km after Murchison falls national park which covers 3893 sq. km. Queen Elizabeth national park is situated in the western part of Uganda in Kasese, Rubirizi, Rukunguri, and Kamwenge.
Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the most visited national parks in the country with eye catching attractions that attract thousands of tourists each year. Queen Elizabeth national park has got a lot of attractions among which include 95 mammals, 600 bird species, 10 primates, tree climbing lions of Ishasha, Kazinga channel, crater lakes, and the equator.
Queen Elizabeth national park is located about 400km away from Kampala/Entebbe and it’s one of the places that can be accessed using road transport or air transport within a single day. Tourists can still access Queen Elizabeth national park from the neighboring national parks such as Kibale forest national park which is 152km away, and Rwenzori mountains national park which is 48km away by road transport.
Accessing Queen Elizabeth national park
By road transport
It takes a single day to access Queen Elizabeth national park in western Uganda by road transport. The national park is located less than 400km away from Kampala the capital city of Uganda. Road transport from Kampala to Queen Elizabeth national park has two routes and tourists are able to use the one they want based on what they want to see along the way.
The first and shortest route from Kampala to Queen Elizabeth national park is going through Mubende, Kyenjojo, Fort Portal to Kasese to the southern part of the park. This journey is about 371 km and it takes 6-7 hours depending on the number of stopovers and the nature of the roads. Tourists who will use this route will get an opportunity to have a stopover at the equator crossing in Kasenyi.
The second route to Queen Elizabeth national park is from Kampala/Entebbe via Masaka, Mbarara to Bushenyi and this route is about 398 km which is around 7-8 hours of driving. The journey is a bit longer but it comes with great views of attractions along the way, stopovers like at the equator in Kayebwe, and much more.
The nature of roads Accessing Queen Elizabeth national park
From Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, and Busheyi as well as Kampala via,Mubende, Kyenjojo, Fortporal, and Kasese the roads are well constructed using tarmac. The movement of cards is not affected by the weather, unlike some parts where roads are old and have holes.
From the main roads accessing the national park is where you meet the marram roads. During the dry season, they are easily passable because there is little and sometimes no rainfall however during the rainy season, they are muddy and slippery because of plenty of rainfall which even delays the time taken to reach the park.
By air transport
Queen Elizabeth national park is only one hour and fifteen minutes away from Kampala/Entebbe by flight. The flights are organized by airline companies such as Aerolinjk Uganda and Bar Aviation Uganda every day. Flights start from Kajjansi airstrip or Entebbe international airport at Mweya airstrip or Kasese airstrip.
Flights are used by those that booked earlier in advance which means you must tell your tour operator to book for you a seat with any of the airline companies. There are three flights to Queen Elizabeth national park during high seasons and during the low season (April, May, and November) they are only two flights a day to Queen Elizabeth national park.
Air transport during the dry season is favorable because the skies are clear with clear views but in the rainy season, there is plenty of rainfall which daily flights on some days. No matter the season which season you will visit the national park, you can always fly because airline companies operate everyday.
What is the best mode of transport to Queen Elizabeth national park?
The mode of transport to use to access Queen Elizabeth national park depends on your travel budget as well as the time you have for the safari. There are travelers that use road transport to access the park because they have free time, and there are those the use flights to the park because they have limited time during the safari
The road transport journey to Queen Elizabeth park is normally used by travelers who can’t afford flights to the park as well as those that would love to explore different attractions along the way. Flights to Queen Elizabeth national park are used by those the that want to travel a luxury style and those that hate traveling for long distances.
When is the best time to travel to Queen Elizabeth national park?
Tourists can travel to Queen Elizabeth national park at any time of the year however there are certain months that are better than others. The dry months from June to September and December to February are the best to travel to Queen the park because there is little or no rainfall which keeps roads and game trucks passable and the vegetation inside the park is short with good views of park animals and the most exciting tree climbing Lions in Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth
Tourists can still travel to this park in the rainy season and this favors budget travelers because they find accommodation at a discount. The rainy season from March to May and October to November has a lot of rainfall which makes the roads and game trucks muddy and slippery, and vegetation inside the park is short with unclear views of the park animals.
