Queen Elizabeth National Park

Welcome to Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda

Queen Elizabeth National Park is reasonably Uganda’s most popular tourist destination to dive into while on Uganda Safaris. The park’s diverse ecosystems, which includes sprawling savanna, shady, humid forests, sparking lakes and fertile wetlands, making it the habitat for classic big game, ten primate species including the chimpanzees and over 600 species of birds.

Safari Attractions

Some of the Uganda Wildlife Safari attractions like Tree climbing lions, Bufalloes, Elephants, and a wide range of Antelopes are encountered on a Uganda Safari

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Safari Activities

Ranging from the early morning and late night game drives, Boat cruises, Bird watching and more. All these are encountered while on a Uganda Wildlife

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Accommodations

Ranging from the early morning and late night game drives, Boat cruises, Bird watching and more. All these are encountered while on a Uganda Wildlife

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Getting There

QENP is reasonable one of the best and oldest recognized national parks of Uganda. The park is located about 410 km making it a long

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Visit Queen Elizabeth National Park

Visit Queen Elizabeth National Park and see why this park is reasonably Uganda’s most popular tourist destination. Queen Elizabeth National Park is a wildlife sanctuary located in the south-western region of the pearl of Africa, Uganda. Exceptional and fascinating Uganda tourist attractions and activities are found throughout the park, providing unforgettable memories of Uganda safaris in the Pearl of Africa. One of the oldest national parks in the Pearl of Africa, Queen Elizabeth national park was gazetted in 1952 along with Murchison falls national park, the largest national park in the Pearl of Africa and home to the captivating Murchison falls.

There are over 600 species of birds and butterflies found in the Queen Elizabeth National Park which covers an area of approximately 1978 square kilometres. This park is home to a wide variety of wildlife animals, including various species of antelopes, Nile crocodiles, and hippos. The Queen Elizabeth national park is known for being home to the largest concentration of hippos, elephants, buffaloes, and lions in all of East Africa. There are approximately 5,000 hippos, 1,000 buffaloes, and 3000 elephants in the park. Among the antelopes found in the park are duikers, Uganda kobs, Reedbucks, sitatungas, and topis.

On the banks of Kazinga channel, the largest number of Sitatunga Antelopes can be seen, and the Kasenyi sector of the park is home to the greatest number of Uganda Kobs. The Kasenyi plains acts as a breeding home for the Uganda kobs. Kazinga channel serves as the principal water source for Queen Elizabeth national park, which is home to a large variety of wildlife. With over 600 species of birds, Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the birders’ paradises, including some that are internationally rare, such as the shoebill stork. A Uganda bird watching safari experience at this place would be one of the best experiences you could ever imagine. This park is home to a wide variety of bird species that can be seen based on the variety of ecological habitats there are within the park. Consequently, the park has gained a reputation as one of the best destinations in the world for birdwatching.

Within the western branch of the African Rift Valley, Queen Elizabeth National Park is located on the escarpment of the Albertine Rift Valley, which runs from Uganda towards Malawi along the edge of the Albertine Rift Valley escarpment. The rift valley has given identity to the Kazinga channel, which flows from the famous Lake George to Lake Edward, flowing from the west side of the rift valley, although it is difficult to determine which direction it flows in. The Rift valley movement formed fascinating natural features such as the intriguing crater lakes and the amazing flora and fauna in Queen Elizabeth national park as a result of the rift valley movement; therefore here are some interesting facts about Queen Elizabeth national park.

The First European Explorer to visit queen Elizabeth national park was Sir Henry Marton Stanley who had visited Uganda in 1889. On his visit to the park, Sir Henry Marton Stanley did not recognize the place as a human settlement as a result of the small population, instead he referred to it as vast empty land due to the lack of human settlement in the area. As far as the gazetting of the park is concerned, it is believed that he was the starting point. A few years after Queen Elizabeth of England visited Uganda, this park was given a new name as Queen Elizabeth national park to commemorate the queen’s visit to the pearl of Africa. However, before the park was gazetted in 1952, it was initially known as Kazinga national park after the park was gazetted.

 

Attractions in Queen Elizabeth Park

A number of attractions can be found in Queen Elizabeth national park, ranging from plants, to wildlife animals, to physical features like crater lakes and a lot more, such as the fact that it offers a wide variety of Uganda Safari activities for its visitors. Here is a list of some of the attractions that can be found at Queen Elizabeth National Park:

Wild animals

There are so many different species of animals in Queen Elizabeth national park including the big four mammals such as elephants, buffaloes, lions, and leopards, but also hippos, waterbucks, bushbucks, Uganda kobs, warthogs, giant forest hogs and many more species that you can find in the park. Animals in the park can be viewed during the game drive, boat cruise or nature walks.

Primates

It is noteworthy that the national park is also home to a variety of primate species such as chimpanzees, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys among others. There are primate tracking activities that can be carried out by visitors to the park who are interested in seeing primates in the park in Kyambura gorge, commonly referred to as the valley of the apes.

Birds

There are more than 619 bird species in Queen Elizabeth national park, making it the best Uganda birding destination in the country due to its diversity of species. There are many bird species that are commonly found in the national park, such as the gull-billed tern, African wattled lapwing, spur winged lapwing, black winged stilt, African spoonbill, sacred ibis, water thick knee, swamp nightjar, cattle egret, black breasted snake, double toothed barbet, African fish eagle, brown snake, little bee eater, malachite king fisher and many more. 

Kazinga channel

In the entire length of 40 kilometers, the Kazinga channel connects Lake Edward with Lake George, which is located in the Great Lakes. During boat cruise safaris in Kazinga channel, which can be arranged in the park, you have the opportunity to view large concentrations of hippos, crocodiles, other animals along the shores, along with a variety of water birds and other animals.

Tree climbing lions

Queen Elizabeth national park has some of the most beautiful tree climbing lions on the planet and this is one of the most popular attractions within the park.  It is possible to observe these magnificent cats on game drives in the Ishasha sector in the southern part of the park lying up in acacia, fig trees while watching the Uganda kobs grazing on the open plains of the savannah.

Mweya peninsular

In the north eastern part of the park, this is an attraction to visit that overlooks Katwe Bay, where Kazinga Channel connects Lake Edward with Lake George in the middle of Lake George and Edward. In Mweya peninsular, there are a number of activities you can participate in such as tracking mongooses, nature walks, and game drives where you can observe leopards and other wildlife animals in their natural habitat.

Kyambura Gorge

The Kyambura Gorge is one of the most frequently visited areas in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and for good reason. A number of primate species can be found here and they include chimpanzees, baboons, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and red-tailed monkeys among others. This park can be found in the eastern part of the park.

Crater lakes

The Queen Elizabeth national park has about 10 crater lakes, including Lake Katwe, a salt mining lake that was formed by a volcanic eruption, which is one of the most famous crater lakes in the region. Lake Katwe is situated in the northern part of the Mweya peninsular and local people extract rock salt from the lake for use in cooking and selling. The Kasenyi plains are also home to lakes that are excellent birding areas, such as Lake Munyanyange, one of the best birding areas in the area, as well as Lake Nyamunuka and Munyampaka.

Visit the local communities

As a part of the community tour program, the Queen Elizabeth national park is a great location to be able to get involved in cultural encounters.

As you walk through the park, you will be able to see a number of communities around the park, and you may be able to do your community walk accompanied by a guide who is knowledgeable about every direction and the most attractive things within these communities. For example, you can visit the Busongo fishing villages which sit on the shores of Lake George and engage in sport fishing, boating, tasting of the local fish, and also listen to interesting stories about the park from the locals.

Maramagambo forest

The Maramagambo forest is situated within the boundaries of the Queen Elizabeth national park. The Forest is located on the eastern edge of the Kyasanduka Crater Lakes and the Nyamasingiri Crater Lakes. As the forest extends from the Kichwamba escarpments up to the lake Edward, it is home to a number of wildlife species, including elephants, pygmy antelopes, bush pigs, primates including chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, bush babies, pottos, bats, bird species, such as black bee-eaters, pink backed pelicans, African skimmers, papyrus gooleks, white winged warblers, martial eagles, Verreaux’s eagle owls and Chapin flycatchers. 

How to get to Queen Elizabeth national park

The Queen Elizabeth national park can be reached by road or air transportation means, either by self-drive using your own private car, by a tour company vehicle or by taking the public transportation system. The park is located in southwestern Uganda and is accessible by road and air.

Road transport

There are two routes that you can take in case you want to go to the park, for instance, the route from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, Bushenyi, followed by a journey to the park’s headquarters, or the route from Kampala via Mubende, Fort Portal, followed by a journey to the park, which takes about six hours or so.

In addition to the Queen Elizabeth national park, you can also access the park from Bwindi impenetrable forest national park via the Ishasha sector, where you will drive about 3 to 4 hours to get to the park headquarters.

Air transport

There are several domestic companies like Aerolink Uganda Limited that operate chartered and scheduled flights on a daily basis from Entebbe airport or Kajansi airfield to Mweya or Kasese airstrips. The best way to travel to Visit Queen Elizabeth national park is via air transport if you don’t like travelling long distances and prefer not to spend long periods of time on the road.

 

Best Time to Visit Queen Elizabeth National Park

As Queen Elizabeth National Park is open all year round and the seasons change accordingly, one cannot specify the best time to go because the park is an open area. However, it is important to know that the best time to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park for wildlife viewing is between January and February, and June to July, since these are the periods of the year when the weather is dry.

As a visitor, you wouldn’t want to miss out on the beauty of nature revealing itself in the wilderness during the rainy season, which lasts from March to February and August to December. 

The Queen Elizabeth national park is open all throughout the year and is ready to welcome you and your family and friends at any time when you feel like embarking on an epic African safari with your family and friends.

It is the dry season in queen Elizabeth national park that makes wildlife viewing the best possible between January and February as well as June and July. During the dry season, animals are free to move throughout the park, and the tree climbing lions of Ishasha are hanging up in the branches of the candelabra trees, running away from the hot ground. This is one of the reasons for which they climb up in the branches.

The wildlife is abundant in the drier season; however, the inner beauty of Queen Elizabeth National Park is revealed in the wet season, which takes place from March to May and August to December. April, May, August and September are the wettest months of the year.

Location of Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda

Queen Elizabeth National Park is not difficult to access with the assistance of the developed road network and furthermore the presence of airstrips in the park.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is the second biggest national park in Uganda, roughly 400 kilometres from Kampala the city of Uganda’s capital city.
It is situated in the south western region of Uganda encompassed by a few spreading over regions of kamwenge, Rubirizi, Rukungiri, Kabarole and Kasese districts.
On Uganda’s guide, it shows that Queen Elizabeth national park is situated in Kasese district in the southwest of Kampala assessing 400 kilometres by road and it’s where the principal main gate is found known as Katungura which countenances to the side of kasese district.
Kasese
Kasese town was previously known for the worthwhile cooper mines and the Mountain Rwenzori otherwise called the mountains of the moon.
Kasese district borders Queen Elizabeth national park from the north eastern side and covers more than 17% of the parks land.

Kasese district that is covered by Queen Elizabeth national park is planned with game drive tracks along which you can sight a variety of wildlife during the morning and the night game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park.

Fort portal is huge for every Uganda safaris tour to Queen Elizabeth national park since it is a transit town closest to the park and that is the reason it is known as the traveller town.
Driving from Fort portal to the park is about less an hour so you can make a stop in stronghold entry town during your safari in Queen Elizabeth Park.
Other than the delightful cover and feathery “Batooro” women, stronghold entryway has other social attractions like the Karambi tombs for the Babito royals, the Tooro Kingdom where the lord of Tooro “King Oyo Nyimba Kamba Iguru” was raised and where the sovereign mother stays, fortunately you could meet and blend with the African royals.
Amabere caves are something you would rather not miss and the king’s little girl (Nyina Mwiru) old stories becomes fully awake when you meet these caves.

Activities to do Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda

The presence of the attractions in Queen Elizabeth National Park like mammal species, and bird habitats in Queen Elizabeth National Park present an opportunity to do Game drives, these are usually conducted along the Northern Kasenyi plains in search of wildlife, they can be done in the morning and in the afternoon, drives are done using 4×4 wheel car drives with an open pop roof to enable beautiful sights of animals in the park. Boat cruise along the Kazinga channel, the stream connects Lake George and Edward, it has the highest population of hippos in Uganda, there are lovely sights of the several animal species gathering around the channel for drinking water and greener pastures, the park is a paradise of birds, birding is the park is fruitful as in a day you will get to see many birds of the park. Tracking chimpanzee in the Kyambura gorge begins in the morning time.  All these are included in our well designed queen elizabeth national park packages.

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