Uganda is regarded as the pearl of Africa, with unending views of its scenic landscapes. Uganda has got a lot of tourist attractions and tourist activities ranging from wildlife, culture, and water bodies, and these have made it the most unique destination in the whole of Africa, thus making it the pearl of Africa. One of the tourist attractions that Uganda is proud of having is the Kazinga Channel, which is a pillar tourist attraction in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to a diverse array of animals and birds, and it has got the highest concentration of hippos in the whole world, with several huge Nile crocodiles. Elephants, buffaloes, and over 100 kinds of water birds, including the African Skimmer, may also be seen. The Kazinga channel is a thirty-two kilometer-long natural watercourse that links Lake Edward with Lake George in Uganda’s Kasese District.

Lake George is a tiny lake with a depth of 2.4 meters (250 square kilometers) on the eastern side of the Kazinga Channel, fed by streams from the Rwenzori Mountains to the north. The Kazinga channel, which flows into Lake Edward in the western part of the channel and encompasses roughly 2000 km2, channels Lake George’s outflow. The Kazinga canal has been designated and protected under the Ramsar site rights for wetlands protection in Africa.

The Rwenzori Mountains feed Lake George, and its outflow empties into Lake Edward via the Kazinga Channel. Lake George is approximately 10 times smaller than its bigger neighbor, Lake Edward (2333km2), with a surface area of 250 km2. The channel’s greatest depth is eight meters.

The major attractions of Kazinga Channel

The Kazinga channel is mostly known for having excellent boat cruise safaris where tourists see a lot of animals that usually come to the water channel to enjoy the water, especially during the hot conditions. The boat cruise is one of the channel’s most popular attractions, as well as one of Uganda’s most well-known launch safari trips on the water. A tourist can see elephants, hippos, buffalo, crocodiles, and a hundred other types of water birds while on a boat ride. The hippos at Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park have one of the world’s biggest populations. Apart from the hippos, Kazinga draws a diverse range of wildlife, including elephants, a large number of crocodiles, antelopes, buffaloes, and, on good days, lions drinking on the channel’s beaches.

There are also beautiful birds which can be seen on the Kazinga channel, especially as you cruise towards the Kazinga fishing community where several bird species can be seen. Some of the notable bird species include cormorants, pelicans, and pied kingfishers, among other species of birds.

It takes about 7-8 hours to travel the 408 kilometers along the A109 from Kampala. Flying can also help you save time on your travels. Entebbe and Kasese have daily flights (1 hour 35 minutes). The boat cruise safaris at Kazinga channel will be accomplished with the Kazinga Falls tours that may take one and half drive.

It takes around 7-8 hours to drive from Kampala to Queen Elizabeth National Park through Masaka-Mbarara, Fort Portal, and Kasese routes. The boat excursion and the adventure trips begin on the Mweya peninsular when sailing to the channel. The peninsular is located 20 kilometers west of the Kasese-Mbarara highway. If you have the Kazinga channel and other activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park on your agenda, your safari in Africa will be more traditional and enjoyable.

The Kazinga channel can be visited at any time of the year, but the ideal months to go are June to September and December to February, when the climate is favorable for the visitors taking the boat excursionists.