How to explore Queen Elizabeth national park

How to explore Queen Elizabeth national park: One of the national parks that boast the highest biodiversity in the world is Queen Elizabeth national park. This national park sits in the western part of Uganda covering a total area of 1978sq.km. Queen Elizabeth national park harbors 95 mammal species, 10 primate species as well as 612 bird species. It is among the most visited national parks within Uganda because of its abundant wildlife encounters.

There are so many activities carried out in Queen Elizabeth national park to enable tourists explore the different attractions in there. These activities include game drives carried out in areas like Kasenyi, Mweya and Ishasha sector. There are boat cruises carried out on Kazinga channel, bird watching, nature walks and community walks.

How to explore Queen Elizabeth national park

Wild animals

There are several game tracks within Queen Elizabeth national park designed for tourists to use while accessing different parts of the park. Game viewing is done in Ishasha sector. Kasenyi plains and Mweya peninsula where a high concentration of wildlife can be seen. These areas have game tracks and when one uses them properly they will be able to see as much wildlife as they can.

The game tracks in Ishasha sector give tourists a special opportunity to see tree climbing lions that are seen nowhere in the world but within this region. Other game tracks in different areas of the park will give tourists a chance to see wildlife such as lions, buffaloes, side-stripped jackals, giant forest hogs, leopards, Uganda kobs, elephants, spotted hyenas, water bucks, bushbucks, and sitatungas among others.

Birds

Different nature walk trails have been constructed within different areas of Queen Elizabeth national park. The birding trails are seen in areas like Katwe, Katunguru bridge, Maramagambo forest, Kyambura gorge, Ishasha sector, Lake Kikorongo, and Mweya peninsula. Armed ranger guides lead you through these walking trails showing you the best bird watching spots at the same time protecting you from dangerous wild animals.

Using different birding areas to visit different birding areas will give you a chance to see a number of bird species among which include comb duck, great spotted cuckoo, helmeted guinea fowl, nahan’s francolin, little grebe, red-tailed teal, blue quill, lesser flamingo, laughing dove, great crested eagle, white-rumped swift, grey crowned crane, African finfoot, squacco heron, great egret and yellow-billed stork among others.

Crater lakes

Tourists can explore different crater lakes inside and around Queen Elizabeth national park by taking a crater drive. Tourists can always get into their car and enjoy a 27 km crater drive from Kabatoro gate and Queen ’s pavilion. Tourists will be able to see different volcanic lakes among which include Lake Katwe, Lake Nkugute, Lake Kyaninga, Lake Kamweru, Lake Kyema, and Lake Nyinambuga among others

Kyambura gorge

Tourists can explore Kyambura gorge by taking part in guided nature walks, birding, and chimpanzee trekking activities. Trails were constructed within this tropical rainforest to enable tourists have access to different areas of the forest. Kyambura gorge is home to habituated and non-habituated chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, olive baboons, black and white colobus, small mammals, and over 332 bird species.

Tree climbing lions of Ishasha

Ishasha sector sits in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park near Virunga national park of DR Congo. Tourists who visit this region are interested in seeing the rare tree-climbing lions that are always seen hanging on big acacia tree branches. To explore Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth national park one has to go for game drive activities. There are different game tracks within the Ishasha sector to help tourists move to most areas and see tree climbing lions.

Kazinga channel

For one to explore the Kazinga channel, they must take part in the boat cruise activities. These are organized in the morning and afternoon hours for 2-3 hours. The boat cruises on the Kazinga channel starts at Mweya or Katunguru and tourists are able to see Lake Edward, Kazinga channel, and lake George. During the boat cruise, tourists do see crocodiles, hippos, water birds, and different park animals along the channel.

The most appropriate time to go there

The most appropriate time to explore Queen Elizabeth national park is during the dry season. The dry season happens from June to September and December to February when the park is receiving little or no rainfall. During the dry season, the game tracks are dry and passable, vegetation is short and scattered giving clear views of the wildlife and the roads getting to the park are in good condition.

Travelers can also explore Queen Elizabeth national park in the rainy season of March to May and October to November but this favors budget travelers as the lodges are at a discount. Too much rainfall makes the game tracks muddy and slippery, vegetation is tall and thick with unclear views of the wildlife and the roads leading to the park are in poor conditions.

Where to stay

Tourists that want to explore Queen Elizabeth national park and would like to spend a night or more there have a lot of accommodation facilities where they can stay. There are budget, mid-range, and luxury accommodation facilities in different areas of the park, and among these include Ishasha Wilderness Camp, Mweya Safari Lodge, Elephants Hab Lodge, Elephants Plains Lodge, Buffalo Safari Lodge, Kazinga Channel View Resort, Pumba Safari Cottages, Kyambura Gorge, Mazike Valley Lodge, Kikorongo Safari Lodge, and Ishasha Jungle Lodge among others.

Getting to Queen Elizabeth national park

Tourists who want to explore Queen Elizabeth national park can get there within a single day using road transport or air transport. By road transport, tourists can drive from Kampala/Entebbe via Masaka, Mbarara, Bushenyi, and Rubirizi to the park. Others can drive from Kampala/Entebbe via Mubende, Fort Portal, and Kasese to the park.

By air transport, tourists can use domestic flights organized by Aerolink Uganda and Bar Aviation Uganda. Daily flights are from Kajjansi airstrip or Entebbe international airport to Mweya airstrip within the park or Kasese airstrip outside the park. From these airstrips to your booked accommodation is not always far.