Things to Do & See in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Things to Do & See in Queen Elizabeth National Park: Queen Elizabeth National Park is the most visited safari destination in Uganda due to its abundance of wildlife, which includes over 95 mammal species, including rare tree-climbing lions, spotted hyenas, sitatunga, Serval cats, mongooses, leopards, large forest pigs, hippos, buffaloes, elephants, crocodiles, jackals, friendly, black and white colobus monkeys, spotted hyenas, waterbuck, warthogs, topi, Uganda Kobs, and 600 bird and primate species.
Furthermore, the park is roughly a five to six-hour journey from Kamwenge, Rubirizi, Rukungiri, and Kasese in the western region of Uganda. A chartered flight from Kajjansi airstrip or “EBBE” Entebbe International Airport to airstrips at Ishasha, Kasese, or Mweya “lands at 1:20hour” for visitors who want to bypass the lengthy drive from Entebbe.
A driver-guide is typically sent by the tour operator on the day of landing to wait for the customers and transport them from the airport to the park or the reserved accommodation. In spite of this, Queen Elizabeth National Park is the second largest game park after Murchison Falls National Park, which was established as a gazette national park in 1952 and has an area of roughly 1,978 square kilometers.
Before the park was renamed Kazinga National Park and converted to Queen Elizabeth National Park, the government was so captivated by the visit of British Queen Elizabeth 11 in the early 1950s that they had to rename it in her honor.
Queen Elizabeth National Park’s attractions;
One of the most amazing locations that supports the claim that Uganda is “the Pearl of Africa” is Queen Elizabeth National Park. Rewarding woods, woodlands, savanna, wetlands, lakes, rivers, craters, gorges, and picturesque landscapes are all part of its breathtaking scenery. There is always plenty to do at this park for the foreign guests. They may have trouble finishing them.
Nature hikes, wildlife drives, chimpanzee trekking, boat cruises, and bird watching are among of the main things to see and do while there.
Viewing Game Drive
The primary activity for visitors to the park is the game drive, where they can witness the greatest number of mammals found in the Tanzanian Serengeti. They can also take in the stunning scenery and landscape, which includes forests, savanna grassland, swamp lands, acacia woods, crater lakes, gorges, and the neighboring Rwenzori mountain.
There are three areas where the game drive can be conducted: the Katwe crater fields, the Ishasha sector, which is home to tree-climbing lions, and the Kasenyi plains, which are close to Kazinga Channel. The game drive experience can last roughly three to four hours. Large craters and salt lakes that were created millions of years ago make up the picturesque scenery of the Crater Lakes region.
Classic bird species and flamingos frequent the crater’s grounds, which are best explored during the dry season. Because they are the greatest locations for animal experience in the park, the Kasenyi plains in the northern section are gratifying.
The Kasenyi plains are the ideal location to witness the conflicts between large cats and herbivorous animals because they also draw other species like antelope, buffalo, and elephants, as well as predators like lions and hyenas. Activities and Attractions in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Note: There are three different game drive sessions: morning, afternoon, and night. From the safety and luxury of a four-wheel drive automobile to the greatest gaming adventure, the game drive is amazing in whatever area you choose to visit, guided by park staff and guides. You may watch night predators like hyenas and leopards escape to their burrows after consuming the night’s kill during the gratifying morning session.
Seeing lions hunt for their “food,” or “antelopes,” leopards, and hyenas while also observing the nocturnal savanna birds is another great experience of a night game drive. Please take note that all payments must be done at the park entrances or at Mweya’s information center.
Observing birds
With more than 600 different bird species that call Budongo, the Kazinga Channel, the plains, craters, and gorges like Kyambura home, Queen Elizabeth National Park is a popular safari destination for birdwatchers. The park is a veritable birder’s paradise, with millions of migratory birds visible from November to April as they flee the severe winter in Europe.
White-tailed Larks, White-winged Warblers, White-winged Terns, Winding and Carruthers’ Cisticolas, Yellow-backed Weavers, Yellow Wagtails, and Yellow-throated Cuckoos are some of the bird species that can be seen.Sparrow-winged and African-wattled plovers, swamp fly-catchers,Redshank was spotted.
Slender-billed Shoebill stork, Sedge Warbles, Verreaux Eagle Owl, Swamp Fly-catcher, Malachite and pied Kingfishers, Slenderer-tailed Mourning Dove,brief period, Among these are the Pink-backed Pelican, Papyrus Gonolek, Open-billed Stork, Jack Snipe, Knob-billed Ducks, Lesser Masked Weavers, and Lesser and Greater Flamingos. Activities and Attractions in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Cruise by Boat
One of the greatest locations in Africa to see animals is the Kazinga Channel, where this boat excursion is scheduled. The majority of the park’s animals congregate here to hunt, bathe, and drink water. This waterway, which links Lake George and Lake Edward, is the primary location for observing these creatures.
The Kazinga Channel, which is a popular destination for safari guests in Queen Elizabeth National Park, is the site of the boat cruise. Hippos, water birds, crocodiles, and other creatures including elephants, antelopes, buffaloes, and leopards can be spotted on the water banks while on the boat trip. These animals can be observed sipping water in the shallow parts of the channel.
Activities & Attractions in Queen Elizabeth National Park: Lake Ihema Boat Cruise Observing Tree-Climbing Lions
The park is one of the few locations where one may see these unusual tree-climbing lions, which are found in the Ishasha sections. After hunting in the morning or in the afternoon heat, they might be hung on fig trees and adventured. Other species to view in the Ishasha sector include warthogs, buffaloes, and herds of elephants, in addition to the tree-climbing lions. Keep in mind that the Ishasha sector is a quick route that takes visitors to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Trekking with Chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge
The Kyambura Gorge, a valley in the western parts of Queen Elizabeth National Park, is a good place to follow chimpanzees. The 16-kilometer-long, 100-meter-deep, and 500-meter-wide valley is home to several primates, including as baboons, red-tailed monkeys, and black and white colobus. A briefing on the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking is given before the activity begins in the morning. Depending on how they move through the jungle, gorilla trekking can take anything from thirty minutes to seven hours.
After you locate them, you get an hour to observe chimpanzees, learn about their habits, and snap pictures of them.
Culture tours, a visit to the Lake Katwe salt mines, and nature walks in the Maramangambo Forest are some other things to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Activities and Attractions in Queen Elizabeth National Park
The ideal time to go on safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
While June through mid-September and December through February offer the greatest weather, Queen is the ideal destination for Uganda safari activities all year round.
Accommodations for Safari visitors to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Budget, mid-range, and luxury lodges, campers, and hotels are among the reasonably priced lodging options available in Queen Elizabeth National Park. These consist of, among others, Jacana Safari Lodge, Mweya Safari Lodge, Hippo Hill Camp, Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge, Kyambura Gorge Lodge, Kataara Lodge, and Ishasha Wildlife Camp.