A visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth national Park is a wildlife conservation park that got its name from the Queen of England after her visit to Uganda in respect to her visit. The park is gifted with numerous physical features like lakes, forests, woodlands, savanna plains. The beauty of these features is maintained by the moderate rainfall received in the area. In addition to the magnificent physical features is the diverse wildlife features in the national park. These include; buffaloes, hippopotami, crocodiles, elephants, chimpanzees, black and white colubus monkeys. There are also various birds in the national park making it a perfect birding spot.
How to get there?
Getting to the park can be both by air and road transport.
By road: From Kampala city, travel via Mubende to Fortportal and then finally to Queen Elizabeth national park.
Air transport: Using air transport the set off spot is either Entebbe airport or Kajansi Airfield then finally you arrive to Mweya Airstrip which is inside the park.
When you arrive to the park there are numerous activities tailored to fit each and every tourist.
Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
KAZINGA BOAT CRUISE
Kazinga channel is a water mass joining Lake George and Edward. A cruise along this channel gives you a glance at the Queen Elizabeth National park. The cruise also gives you an opportunity to see various wildlife like African elephants, cape buffaloes, crocodiles and hippos. The cruise is usually conducted twice a day, in the morning at 11am for about two hours and in the afternoon at 3 also for 2 two hours except for the pick seasons when it exceptions are made to three times a day. Bookings for the cruise are at the Mweya offices.
GAME DRIVES
The game drives are also another exciting activity that is a must to engage in. The dry season (January to February and June to September) is the perfect time for game drives as the grasslands are short giving a clearer and better view of the wildlife especially the climbing lions in the Ishasha sector, elephants, hippos, hyenas, Ugandan Kobs, warthogs, to mention but a few. The dry season also makes movement easy as the tracks are dry. In addition to the wildlife the forests and savanna grasslands are quite a refreshing sight especially in the wet season.
CHIMPANZEE TRACKING
The Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth is yet another destination in Queen Elizabeth National Park where a prime activity in the park takes place. Chimpanzees in this gorge even gave birth to a new name for the gorge which is “valley of apes”. The chimpanzees in this gorge are quite a sight for the eye as they swing on the trees. Most of the chimpanzees here are habituated so the tracking experience is quite magical. The chimpanzee tracking experience can take about 2 to 4 hours.
BIRDING
The International Birding Association recognizes the Queen Elizabeth National Park therefore any birder should add Queen Elizabeth to their must-visit list. The savanna woodland in the park makes it easy for the birds to cope and adjust. There are a number of bird species in Queen Elizabeth especially during the migration season for example; cormorants, kingfishers, fly catchers white-winged warbler, white-tailed lark, white and abdim’s storks, water thick-knee, verreaux’s eagle owl, spotted redshank, ringed plower, red-chested sunbirds, pink-backed pelican, papyrus gonolek, shoebill stock, pin-tailed whydah, open-billed stork, and many others which can be spotted on a boat cruise along the Kazinga channel. Other hotspots for birding include; Maramagambo forest, kyambura gorge, the savanna plains and craters.
LION TRACKING
In the Kasenyi plains is another major activity in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Lion tracking research is an activity conducted by professional researchers with the aid of a radiator collar. These researchers work with Uganda Carnivore Program. The experience gives one an opportunity to learn more about the African lion and you may be lucky enough to spot a lion preying on a kob. Only a small group of people can engage in this activity to control human interference.
CULTURAL ENCOUNTERS
The area around Queen Elizabeth National park is rich in diverse culture. The visitors in the park have quite the cultural expo with various cultural dances from the kikorongo cultural dances. The local natives especially the kikorongo women make crafts that are perfect souvenirs to carry home after a safari. The walk along Kazinga channel and Lake George shows the various community activities like sport hunting, boat racing and you can enjoy some locally made fish.
HIKING AND NATURE WALKS
Katwe where the natives will explain the mining process to you. It is quite hard to resist taking a walk in the beautiful Queen Elizabeth National Park. A walk or drive to the crater lakes is an enjoyable experience with the view of the beautiful hills and savannas and most importantly Mt. Rwenzori (mountains of the moon). One of the crater lakes is Lake
A hike in the Maragambo forest, Kyambura gorge and Kalinzu forest reserve is an activity that should be on your to-do list when you visit Queen Elizabeth National Park. The hiking packages include butterfly watching in Kyambura gorge, crater hikes and a wonderful scenic view. In Maragambo, you will encounter a number of bats however the bat cave was closed due to the Marburg outbreak. Kalinzu provides diverse information about trees.
Accommodation in Queen Elizabeth National Park
After a day full of activity of course the next thing will be to find a great accommodation facility and Queen Elizabeth National park offers wide range of accommodation facilities each designed to suite and fit every need and personality. These range from luxurious, to camping sites for the adventure lovers and the midrange. Most of these are private entities and are constructed with local materials like stones, grass, and wood.
Luxurious facilities in Queen Elizabeth National park
Mweya safari lodge: This is one of the famous facilities in the national park with over 30 rooms available for accommodation. It is found inside the park at the Mweya peninsular. The rooms consist of 12 deluxe rooms, 2 presidential cottages, 2 queen and 2 family cottages. There are also 2 luxury tents available for guests. Each room is tailored to provide comfort for the guests with clean bathrooms, ceiling fans, work decks, main bedroom for the presidential suits, furniture, plasma screens and fold up sofas. A well-stocked mini bar and telephones are also available in the rooms. Mweya safari lodge also has numerous other facilities like shops, restaurants, bars, conference rooms, swimming pools and of course an information center. The lodge does give on the best experience not forgetting the breathtaking view over the Kazinga channel.
Ishasha wild camps: Found on the shores River Ntugwe, Ishasha is an excellent place for nature lovers. It is located in the southwestern section of the park. Ishasha wild camps comprises of 10 spacious rooms with an amazing view of the river. The facility has mosquito nets in each room with a private bathroom. It has an open space that is excellent for camping not to forget the dining area and storage areas.
Jacana Safari lodge: Inside Imaramagabo forest is jacana safari lodge, a perfect spot for tourists interested in chimpanzee tracking. The lodge is on raised ground which makes it perfect for one to have an aerial view of the forest. The lodge has 12 cabins and facilities like sauna, a swimming pool, bar, restaurant and a lounge.
Kyambura game lodge: The lodge consists of rooms categorized as doubles and twins in form of bandas. The lodge is in the eastern part of the park. It provides facilities like a bar, restaurant, internet services and many others.
Midrange accommodation in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Engazi game lodge: This lodge with 5 cottages classified as single, double and twin beds and special provision for an extra bed spreads to the Kyambura escarpments. It provides bedding facilities, a restaurant, and a deck with an amazing view and obviously a bar.
Marafiki safari lodge: The lodge comprises of four wood cabins, 3 deluxe tents. The rooms are all self-contained with an amazing view over Lake George and Mt.Rwenzori. The lodge also offers restaurant and bar services.
Bush Lodge: This is an eco-friendly lodge with sufficient bandas. Accommodation is provided in from of self-contained grass thatched tents with a terrace. The place has enough parking space, a restaurant and a bar.
Budget accommodation facilities in Queen Elizabeth National park
Kazinga channel view resort: Overlooking the Kazinga channel, at the edge of the park is the Kazinga channel view resort. It has a wide range of rooms to choose from that is to say; single, double, twins, and bandas. The resort has a restaurant, camping ground and a spacious lounge.
Mweya hostels: Opposite the Mweya visitor information center, you will locate the Mweya hostels. The hostels have non self-contained single and double rooms with a view over the wild animals like mongoose, warthogs, elephants and many others. It also has a bar and restaurant.
Simba safari camp: This is a facility run by Uganda group of lodges and provides accommodation in form of family cottages, twin rooms, a campsite and dormitories. The facility provides Wi-Fi, television with DSTV and has a great view over Lake George and Kikorongo views.
Engiri game Lodge: Engiri offers accommodation in form of tents, family and basic cottages. It provides free breakfast, Wi-Fi for its visitors.
There are many other accommodation facilities in the Queen Elizabeth national park like Topi lodge, Katara lodge Pumba lodge and many others.
