Queen Elizabeth National Park ‘Medley of wonders’
Queen Elizabeth National Park is understandably Uganda’s most popular tourist destination. Queen Elizabeth National Park has a diverse ecosystems, which include sprawling savanna, shady, humid forests, sparkling lakes and fertile wetlands, make it the ideal habitat for classic big game, ten primate species including chimpanzees and over 600 species of birds. Set against the backdrop of the jagged Rwenzori Mountains, Queen Elizabeth National Park’s magnificent vistas include dozens of enormous craters carved dramatically into rolling green hills, panoramic views of the Kazinga Channel with its banks lined with hippos, buffalo and elephants, and the endless Ishasha plains, whose fig trees hide lions ready to pounce on herds of unsuspecting Uganda kob.
Queen Elizabeth National Park’s Big Game include the big cats i.e lions, tree climbing lions, leopards, civet, genal and serval cats. About 5000 hippos, 2500 elephants and over 10,000 buffalo thriving in its grasslands and shorelines. Queen Elizabeth National Park guarantees sightings of some of Africa’s most iconic species. Hearing the elephants’ calls reverberate around Queen Elizabeth National Park’s crater-filled valleys is a magical experience. Other common herbivores include warthogs, waterbuck, Uganda kob and topi, as well as the sitatunga antelope.
Queen Elizabeth National Park also hosts Primates that include ten species of primates enjoy i.e chimpanzees. Vervet and black-and-white colobus monkeys, baboons.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is very rich in Birding list with over 600 bird species, the biggest of any protected area in East Africa. A majority of the birds found in this area are regarded as famous birds of East Africa and are a must see for birdwatchers in Africa!
What to do in the Park
- Game Drives through Kasenyi, the North Kazinga Plains and the Ishasha Sector offer virtually guaranteed buffalo, antelope and elephant sightings, along with warthogs and baboons, tree climbing lions in ishasha.
- The Launch Trip on Kazinga Channel that connects Lake George to Lake Edward.
- Birding Watching best sites include; Kazinga Channel, Kasenyi Area, Mweya Peninsula, Maramagambo Forest, Ishasha Sector, Lake Kikorongo, Katunguru Bridge area and Katwe Area.
- Queen Elizabeth National Park provides for Wildlife Research Tours. This new and unique experience allows visitors to actively participate in monitoring some of the exotic birds and mammals that fill the park, using locator devices and learn habituation calls, as well as monitoring weather, surroundings and behavior. The experiential tourism activities currently available are Mongoose Tracking, Lion Tracking, Hippo Census, and Bird Counts. Experiential tours lasts between one and three hours. They usually take place in the early morning or evening, or occasionally at night.
- Chimp Tracking in Kyambura Gorge, this activity teaches visitors about the ecosystems of Kyambura Gorge’s.
- Visit to the Caves tucked beneath the shady canopy of the Maramagambo Forest is the “Bat Cave”.
- Hiking/Nature Walks in the Mweya Peninsula, along the Ishasha River. Hike to the craters for scenic viewing
Minimum Days for the trip: 2 Days
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