Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most popular savannah safari park and has the widest variety of wildlife of any Ugandan safari destination. The variety of habitats includes grassland savannah, forests, wetlands and lakes. This provides the setting for an extensive range of large mammals and primates. Four of the Big five are present and regularly seen. Rhino are absent.
Queen Elizabeth National Park covers on 2.056 kms of land; it is located in South of the Rwenzori Mountains, bordering Congo and including two lakes, George and Edward that are connected by the famous Kazinga Channel which supports the experiential boat cruise. It is an ecosystem made of wetland and open savannah areas, on an altitude of 910m at Lake Edward.
This safari destination should be on the must-visit list of every visitor to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest since it is only a short drive to and from a gorilla tracking trip in Bwindi and one can discover the Tree Climbing Lions of Ishasha, the chimpanzees of the Kyambura Gorge, the multitude of Birds, Hippos, wildlife along the incredible Kazinga Channel.
Hike through the Maramagambo Forest, birding trails abound here, all in the shadows of the Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon in the north and the Mitumbe Mountains of the Congo in the East.
Experiential Queen Elizabeth Park, not to be missed by Visitors to southwestern Uganda. the park with its abundant wildlife, birds, the various scenes will add that African Wilderness touch to your time in Uganda.
The park has been an example what conservation efforts can produce with the hippo, elephant populations growing by leaps and bounds.
Wildlife
Queen Elizabeth National Park records a large number of animals, including 95 mammal species like some big five and others respectively-Elephants, Lions, Buffaloes, Rhinos and Giraffes- leopards, Uganda Kobs, jackals, spotted hyenas) and 10 primate species, like chimpanzees, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, red tailed monkeys, black and white Columbus, olive baboons.
The list of birds is of 606 species recorded, possibly the highest in any African National Park and in the world.
Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park
The famous launch trip along Kazinga Channel for a wonderful wildlife experience: expect to see hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, elephants, bushbucks, warthog and many water birds species.
Game drives in Kasenyi Plans (Northern Sector) and in Ishasha (Southern Ishasha sector, searching for the typical lions climbing the fig’s trees). “Chimpanzee tracking” in Kyambura Gorge and bird watching in Maramagambo Forest.
Recommended Queen Elizabeth National Park Safaris:
- 3 Days Queen Elizabeth Wildlife Tour
- 6 Days Gorillas, Queen & Rwenzori
- 9 Days Uganda Special Grand Tour
- 7 Days Uganda Wildlife Safari Holiday
How to get there
This park can be accessed most easily from Kampala. The tarmac road from Kampala via Mbarara town-Bushenyi leads to the par centre passing a mere 22 km from Mweya Peninsular, the main tourism hub .Approaching the park from the south via Mbarara covers a distance of 420km while the north through Fort Portal covers a total of 410 km.
En-route to the famed park, visitors have the opportunity to enjoy short detours to Lake Mburo National Park, Kibale National park renowned for chimpanzee tracking. The park can also be accessed from the south from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.