Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is an outstanding wildlife conservation center located in Western Uganda. The park is estimated to be about 1978kmsq with a variety of wildlife species and a wonderful landscape that enables tourists to enjoy a magnificent view of the whole park and Mt.Rwenzori. The park has plenty of activities to engage in for example; kazinga boat cruise, chimpanzee tracking, mongoose tracking and lion tracking.

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, elephants, hippos, Ugandan Kobs, warthogs, to mention but a few. The dry season also makes movement easy as the tracks are dry.

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.

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 for example; cormorants, kingfishers, fly catchers and many others which can be spotted on a boat cruise along the Kazinga channel.

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

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 Katwe where the natives will explain the mining process to you.

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 the national park is readily available in the diverse facilities like Ishasha safari camp, Kasenyi Safari lodge Jacana lodge, Mweya Safari lodge and many others.