Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is an impressive biodiversity hotspot situated in the southwest of Uganda and in the Albertine Rift region. Nestled in altitudes ranging from 910 meters to 1,600 meters above sea level, the park is part of the Virunga landscape and close to the stunning Rwenzori Mountains. Queen Elizabeth National Park spans a remarkable 1,978 square kilometers, making it the second largest in Uganda after Murchison Falls National Park. Queen Elizabeth National Park was gazetted in 1952 as Kazinga National Park but was renamed 2 years later after the then Queen of England. It was again renamed Rwenzori National Park during the Idi Amin regime but this name was dropped after he was ousted from power.

Flora and Fauna in Queen Elizabeth National Park

The ecosystem is endowed with numerous wildlife-rich habitats, including hills, swamps, savannah grasslands, savannah woodlands, forests, lakes, river Nyamwamba and streams. These habitats provide nourishment and shelter to over 95 mammal species and over 600 bird species. Mammals include lions, leopards, hippos, elephants, chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, topi, Uganda kobs and buffaloes. Birds include African fish eagle, collared pratincole, shoebill, swamp flycatcher, palm-nut vulture, African finfoot and papyrus gonolek. There are also at least 14,000 plant species of herbs, grasses, shrubs and trees; consisting of hairy crabgrass, scutch grass, acacia, Albizia, Ficus and Combretum etc.

Weather at Queen Elizabeth National Park

Each year, the park experiences 2 rainy seasons from March to May and from September to November, with great variation in different habitats. On average, the highest amount of rainfall is around 1,250 millimters per year, and lowest at around 750 millimeters per year. Rainfall usually peaks in the month of November. The dry season also occurs twice especially from January to February and June to August. Queen Elizabeth National Park experiences warm temperature conditions with daytimes able to experience up to 29^oC. Since Queen Elizabeth National Park is crossed by the equator, the temperature conditions remain uniform throughout the year. There are always chances of showers regardless of the season, so expect it if you visit.

What to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is the most visited in Uganda, since the destination has the iconic tree-climbing lions. The tour activities to enjoy in this savannah protected area are numerous, including,

Lion tracking experience

This is a thrilling and delightful experience that a visitor can enjoy, mostly done in the Kasenyi Plains due to its high concentration of lions and their prey. While on this adventure, you can have a more intimate encounter with the lions to observe their unique behaviors while in their natural habitat. This activity, only unique to Queen Elizabeth National Park, provides an opportunity to track lions using devices such as radio telemetry and radio collars fitted on a few of the lions by researchers and park rangers. The researchers monitor their movements throughout their home range thus making it easier to locate. This guided activity can be enjoyed for 1 to 3 hours on the savannah grasses.

Boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel

This is a 2-to-3-hour experience on a motor boat that moves along the tranquil waters of the 32 kilometers Kazinga Channel. This is a once-in-a-life opportunity of sailing on a water way that connects Lakes George and Edward. The opportunity also leads to a vantage point of spotting the hippos, crocodiles, elephants, waterbucks and numerous bird species like shoebill, grey crowned crane and African fish eagle. During this experience, you will also observe one of the fishing villages while getting insight into the lakes and their connection to the Rwenzori mountains.

Birdwatching

Queen Elizabeth National Park is an Important Bird Area and among the best birding hotspots in Uganda. This is due to its endowment with a variety of habitats that house numerous bird species, including Albertine endemic species. Key habitats include Maramagambo forest, swamps, Lake George, lake Edward, Kazinga Channel, Ishasha sector, woodland and grassland and others. Birdwatching tours can also be done while on a game drive, boat cruise, nature walk and forest walk. Bird species to look out for includes the rare shoebill, Abyssinian ground hornbill, reed cormorant and pied kingfisher.

Game drive

Experience the thrilling adventure of observing the wild animals and plant species of Queen Elizabeth National Park while on a comfortable 4-wheel drive. This is a guided tour that ensures that you get a perfect opportunity to drive through the game tracks to encounter lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, Uganda kobs, hyenas and topi etc. You can either go for an afternoon or morning game drive. There are different tracks to experience this amazing tour, including the Kasenyi Plains, Mweya Peninsular, Channel drive circuit and Ishasha, which is the place with tree-climbing lions.

Other activities that you can experience in Queen Elizabeth National Park includes chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge, nature walks, forest walk in Maramagambo forest, crater lake tour, cultural tour and photography.

When to go to Queen Elizabeth National Park

You can go to Queen Elizabeth National Park for a tour on any day of the year. The dry season however offers better experiences because the rains are reduced thus causing drier tracks, dense vegetation cover, limited water sources for wild animals and uninterrupted adventures. This is in contrast to the rainy season, which leads to dense vegetation to reduce visibility of the wild animals, abundant water sources that make it more difficult to see wild animals congregated in a water point and muddy tracks that affect navigation. The rainy season however, is the best time to come and spot birds since the conditions favor breeding of a variety of bird species including migratory ones.

How to get to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park in the southwestern region of Uganda can be reached from Kampala on both road and air transport. From Kampala, Queen Elizabeth National Park can be reached via Masaka, Mbarara and Kasese on road, which is a distance that covers around 393 kilometers. This is a scenic drive that will offer you 7 to 8 hours of viewing the peaceful countryside and natural wonders. If you however prefer traveling faster while having delightful aerial views of the countryside and Uganda’s natural wonders, use air transport. Scheduled flights are offered by AeroLink from Entebbe to Mweya and the duration is 2 to 3 hours. You can book either transportation options with or through us for a smooth transfer to the park.

What to pack for a Queen Elizabeth National Park tour

With plenty of activities to participate in in the lovely plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park, you need to pack the following items,

• Comfortable walking shoes with ankle support
• Lightweight clothes (long trousers and long-sleeved shirt)
• Insect repellent
• Sun protection (suncream, wide-brimmed hat/cap and sunglasses)
• Refillable water bottle
• Backpack
• Basic first aid kit
• Light snacks
• Personal medication
• Camera
• A pair of binoculars
• Warm sweater
• Raincoat or poncho