Top things to do in Queen Elizabeth national park
Top things to do in Queen Elizabeth national park; Queen Elizabeth national park is the second largest national park in Uganda located in western region in Kasese, Kamwenge, Rubirizi and Rukungiri districts. Queen Elizabeth national park is famously known for harboring the tree climbing lions and other animals like elephants, buffaloes, leopards, warthogs, giant forest hogs, waterbucks, bushbucks, spotted hyenas, Uganda kobs and different bird species. Queen Elizabeth national park offers various interesting activities that you can engage in during your safari including
Game drives
Game drive is one of the top activities in Queen Elizabeth national park where you will be able to explore the park in a comfortable 4 WD safari vehicle with a professional driver guide. During the game drive which can either be done early in the morning, in the afternoon or in the night, you will be able to view different animals like buffaloes, elephants, waterbucks, warthogs, bushbucks, lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, giant forest hogs, topi among others.
Boat cruise on Kazinga channel
Boat cruise is an interesting activity in Queen Elizabeth national park which is done on Kazinga channel a water body that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. Boat cruise on Kazinga channel is done in schedules that is the morning schedule and the afternoon schedule. During the boat cruise, you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view buffaloes, elephants, warthogs and waterbucks drinking water along the shores, view water birds like kingfishers, fish eagles, cormorants, hornbills, bee-eaters among others.
Chimpanzee trekking
Chimpanzee trekking is an adventurous activity in Queen Elizabeth national park which involves tourists moving on foot into the tropical rainforest in search of the habituated chimpanzees. Chimpanzee trekking in Queen Elizabeth national park is done in Kyambura gorge and it starts early in the morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing you will start trekking in the forest with an experienced park guide who is conversant with different trails. During trekking, you will be able to view other primate species, different bird species among others and once the chimpanzees are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat where you will be able to learn about their behaviors, habits, watch them carry out their daily activities, take photos and record the moments to show people back home after the safari.
Nature walk
Nature walk is an exciting activity in Queen Elizabeth national park where you will be able to explore the savannah plains on foot accompanied by an experienced park guide and an armed park ranger to protect you from any danger. During the guided nature walk, you will get up-close and personal with different animals, listen to sweet sounds of bird species singing in tree branches, view colorful butterflies, enjoy the cool breeze, take beautiful pictures among others.
Bird watching
Queen Elizabeth national park is a home of over 600 recorded bird species including migratory birds, water birds, Savannah birds, and forest birds which makes it one of the best birding destinations in Uganda. During bird watching which can either be done during the game drive, boat cruise and nature walk, you will be accompanied by an experienced bird guide who will help you to spot different bird species like collared prantincole, palm-nut vulture, shoebill, pel’s fishing-owl, swamp flycatcher, African hobby, common sand martin, white-backed night heron, rufous-bellied heron, pink-backed pelica, great blue turaco, African skimmer, papyrus gonolek, spotted redshank, great white pelica, yellow-throated cuckoo, white-winged tern, crab-plover, swamp flycatcher, western banded snake eagle, yellow-bellied wattle-eye among others.
Best time to visit Queen Elizabeth national park
Queen Elizabeth national park can be visited all year round though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. During the dry season, there is less rainfall in the park therefore vegetation will be thin which allows you to view different animals clearly, most wildlife species in gather around Kazinga channel to drink water and access roads to the park will be dry and passable.
How to get to Queen Elizabeth national park
Queen Elizabeth national park is located in western part of Uganda and can be accessed by road transport means whereby you will drive from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara or Mubende Fort Portal which takes about 7 to 8 hours’ drive.
Queen Elizabeth national park can also be accessed by air transport means whereby you will book charter or scheduled flights from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airfield to Kasese or Mweya airstrip and then connect to the park headquarters.
Where to stay during your safari in Queen Elizabeth national park
Queen Elizabeth national park has a number of accommodation facilities where you can stay during your Uganda safari. The accommodations include Mweya safari lodge, Elephant plains lodge, Kazinga channel view resort, Engiri game lodge and campsite, Tembo safari lodge, Park view safari lodge, Elephant hab lodge, Kasenyi safari camp, Queen Elizabeth bush lodge, Marafiki safari lodge, Enganzi game lodge, Buffalo safari lodge, Irungu forest safari lodge, Savannah resort hotel, Ishasha jungle lodge, Pumba safari cottages, Ishasha wilderness camp, Simba safari camp, Queen Elizabeth safari camp, Kyambura gorge lodge, Kyambura tented camp, Katara lodge, King fisher lodge, Ihamba safari lodge, Ishasha Ntungwe river camp among others.
For breathtaking and unforgettable experiences, you can combine activities in Queen Elizabeth national with gorilla trekking, golden monkey trekking and Batwa trail experience in Mgahinga gorilla national park. For more information about the top things to do in Queen Elizabeth national park, do not hesitate to reach out to us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website for affordable safari packages.
