Queen Elizabeth National Park

Kazinga Channel is natural water way that connects Lake George to Lake Edward. Rainwater and melted glaciers from the Mt Rwenzori flow through river Nyamwamba to the Lake George Ramsar Site wetland into Lake George, through the Kazinga Channel and finally to Lake Edward.

The most popular activity on the Kazinga Channel is the 2 – 3hr boat safari at the jetty on the Mweya peninsular or Katwe Salt Factory site. Although not as spectacular as the Murchison Falls boat safari this is a great wildlife viewing experience especially in the afternoons. Lots of animals are sighted every day on the banks of the channel such as large herds of buffalo and elephants, waterbucks, hippos etc. Watch out for reptiles like monitor lizards, crocodiles busking under the sun. Birding on the boat safari is an absolute spectacle especially at the bird sanctuary with species like White-pink backed pelican, White-bellied cormorants, Water thick-knee, Black-headed gonolek, African Fish eagle, Raptors, African Mourning Dove, Swamp Nightjar, Grey-headed kingfisher, Slender-tailed Nightjar, Squire-tailed Nightjar, Pygmy Kingfisher, Swamp Flycatcher, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Swallows and many more.

These are lion country grounds with endless short savannah grasslands with bushy thickets crisscrossed by a network of game viewing tracks. Wildlife in the plains is plentiful with large herds of Uganda Kob, buffalo, solitary elephants and more. The open nature of the Kasenyi plains ensures that it is easy particularly in the morning at 7am to view resident predators such as lions in search of a quick breakfast before they retreat into the bushy thickets away from the afternoon heats only to return in the late evening. Vultures perch in the trees with incredible views of the plains and can spot fresh kills to scavenge on.

Don’t forget to visit Bunyampaka Salt Crater Lake deep into Kasenyi plains but right outside the park boundaries. Here salt mining is done by the locals and is also loved flocks of flamingos and pelicans in search of salt rich water. It is also an interesting spot after the early morning game drives where there is a local refreshment center with locals selling art and crafts, snacks and cold drinks, Famous Ugandan breakfast (Rolex) – a typical Ugandan quick morning breakfast made of an omelet sandwiched by a chapati.

In the Northern part of QENP lies a Pavillion built in 1958 to celebrate the visit of the British Queen mother and Omukama Rukidi III of Toro on a site previously visited by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1954 and 2007 by the latter.

Right next to the pavilion is the gate to the 24km drive through a magnificent landscape of 72 extinct volcanic craters with various stunning viewpoints. Crater lakes include Nyamanyuka, Kitagata, Kyemengo and more.

QENP is home to a beautiful 100m deep gorge which runs for 16km on the parks eastern border with Kyambura wildlife reserve. The gorge is lined by a tropical rainforest and a river on the floor with hippos which tend to respond to chimp hoot calls with their own calls. The gorge is inhabited by the parks only habituated chimpanzees that are quite easy to locate by sound and once you have found them, they can usually be approachable quite closely. Black-and-white colobus, vervet, red-tailed monkeys and olive baboons are regularly sighted during chimp tracking. Buffalo, Lions and elephants are occasional visitors to the gorge.

The chances of viewing the chimps are averagely 50% but most times higher but there are no guarantees.

Southwest of QENP about 70km from Katunguru lies the Ishasha sector which is one of the most alluring game drive areas of the country supporting the world-famous population of about 40 tree climbing lions. Ishasha is believed to be most reliable place to view the tree climbing lions due to the presence of large fig trees that provide the best resting branched in the hot afternoons. Other places where tree climbing lions have been sighted include Lake Manyara and Serengeti in Tanzania. The lions are believed to be seeking shade in the hot afternoons and staying away from the insect bites on the ground. They are more easily seen up in the trees between 11 am and 3pm. The grasslands here also support large herds of buffalo, Uganda Kob, Topi, waterbuck and elephants. Ishasha can be best experienced by spending a night or 2 in its complete untamed wilderness.

In our opinion, Queen Elizabeth National Park is comparable to most parks and reserves, in that you can visit it safely. However, there was a recent incident where a US tourist was kidnaped but shortly released afterwards. Security has since been deployed in the area and there hasn’t been another incident.

It is advised that you take measures against malaria, as well as have certain vaccinations, which your local doctor or travel clinic can administer. You can protect yourself from malaria risk by using a mosquito repellent (those containing DEET are most effective), covering up in the evening and by taking antimalarial medication.