Queen Elizabeth National Park was originally called Kazinga National Park and renamed Queen Elizabeth National Park after the visit of Queen Elizabeth II. It is located in southwestern Uganda spanning the districts of Kasese, Kamwenge, Rubirizi and Rukungiri. The park is approximately 400 kilometers by road south west of Kampala Uganda’s capital and largest city. It covers 2,056 square kilometers of land. The park extends from lake George to lake Albert which lakes are connected by Kazinga channel making boat cruise in the park the best experience.
Queen Elizabeth is known as a home of the big four that is lions, elephants, buffaloes and leopards. Other animals in the park include; Uganda kobs, black and white colombus monkey, chimpanzees in Kyambura gorge, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, jackals, spotted hyenas and many others. The parks shelters over 600 bird species.
Taking a boat ride along Kazinga channel gives visitors a chance to view different creatures like school of hippos, buffaloes, elephants and over 60 bird species. It is most exciting in the afternoon and takes a period of 2 hours where the ranger guides narrate the creatures’ story.
A trained driver guide takes you through kasenyi, north Kazinga plains and the Ishasha sector where visitors get a chance of viewing the park’s beautiful scenery and wildlife like lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, giraffes, and many others. Birds are also seen during this game drive.
The park has over 600 bird species giving visitor a variety of birds to watch, some of the birds include; marital eagle, African skimmer, shoebill, White-tailed lark, papyrus Gonolek, Lesser and Greater Flamingo, African Broadbill and many others. The park has hot birding spots like Kazinga channel, kasenyi area, Mweya peninsula, Maramagambo forest Ishasha sector, Lake kikorongo, katunguru bridge area and katwe area.
Chimpanzee tracking takes place in Kyambura gorge where visitors get to know the behaviors of chimps. Trekking starts at 8am and it takes one to two hours.
This activity takes place in the Mweya peninsula where you have beautiful views of the park and at the southern end visitors enjoy an easy Stoll along the Ishasha river where they can spot a variety of forest, savanna bird and mammal species while getting closer to hippos on foot on the raised bank above the river.
