Boat cruise on Kazinga channel
The second largest national park in Uganda, Queen Elizabeth, is situated in the western region and is divided into four districts: Rubirizi, Kasese, Kamwenge, and Rukungiri. It offers boat cruises on the Kazinga Channel.
More than 95 mammals, including the well-known tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector, as well as monkeys like chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, hippos, warthogs, leopards, hyenas, and giant forest hogs, as well as more than 600 bird species, can be found in the national park.
One of the fascinating activities offered on Queen Elizabeth National Park’s 40-kilometer-long Kazinga Channel, which links Lake Edward and Lake George, is boat cruising. Each boat trip on the Kazinga Channel lasts approximately two to three hours. The morning schedule begins at approximately 9:00 am, and the afternoon schedule begins at approximately 2:00 pm.
During the boat trip, you will be able to see large groups of hippos and Nile crocodiles in the water, as well as various water birds such as saddle bill stork, long-tailed cormorant, black crake, pink-backed pelican, open-billed stork, marabou stork, African skimmer, black-bee eater, papyrus gonolek, malachite kingfisher, African shoebill, pied kingfisher, martial eagle, and common ringed plover. You can also observe the fisherman along the coastlines in the fishing villages as they get ready for night fishing while on the boat tour on the Kazinga channel.
The best time to take a Kazinga Channel boat cruise
Although you can do this activity at any time of year, the best time to do it is in the dry season, which is June, July, August, September, January, and February. This is because a lot of animals congregate around the Kazinga channel to drink water and cool off, which allows you to see a variety of animals and take stunning photos.
The price of a Kazinga Channel boat cruise
Foreign non-residents pay $30 USD per person, foreign residents pay $25 USD per person, while East African citizens pay 30,000 UGX per person.
Additional pursuits within Queen Elizabeth National Park
Other activities available at Queen Elizabeth National Park include guided nature walks in Maramagambo forest, community tours, chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge where you can spend an hour with the chimpanzees, game drives in Kasenyi or Ishasha sectors where you can see the tree climbing lions, elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, lion tracking, bird watching, mongoose tracking, and more. In addition to the boat cruise on Kazinga Channel, Queen Elizabeth National Park offers other activities.
Where to stay when on safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park
During your safari, you can stay at any of the several lodging options in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Kazinga Channel View Resort, Marafiki Safari Lodge, Elephant Plains Lodge, Elephant Hab Lodge, Irungu Forest Safari Lodge, Parkview Safari Lodge, Buffalo Safari Lodge, Queen Elizabeth bush lodge, Pumba Safari Lodge, Mweya Safari Lodge, Kasenyi Safari Camp, Enganzi Lodge, Simba Safari Camp, Mweya Hostel, Kyambura Gorge Lodge, Katara Lodge, King Fisherman Lodge Kichwamba, Ihamba Safari Lodge, Kitandara Hippo Hill Lodge, Queen Elizabeth Safari Lodge, Enjojo Lodge, and more are among the less expensive, midrange, and luxury lodging options.
The Queen Elizabeth National Park travel route
Located in the western region of Uganda, Queen Elizabeth National Park is reachable by road transportation. It takes around six to seven hours for travelers to go from Kampala to the park headquarters via Masaka, Mbarara, or Mubende Fort Portal.
Through scheduled or charter domestic flights from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield to Kasese or Mweya Airstrips, travelers can also reach Queen Elizabeth National Park by air. From there, they can connect to the park headquarters via road.
An exciting activity in Queen Elizabeth National Park is a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. To make your safari unforgettable, you can combine it with other fascinating activities like game drives, lion tracking, chimpanzee trekking, community tours, bird watching, mountain climbing, golden monkey trekking, Batwa cultural trail, and gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
