Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda`s most popular wildlife safari park and accessible savanna reserve. It was declared as a bios-sphere reserve purposely to harmonize human activities with the conservation and protection of wildlife, wet lands and natural resources in 1979. Queen Elizabeth National Park is bounded by the Ishasha River and Lake Edward to the west along DR Congo boarder, by Kasese and Rwenzori foothills to the north, to the east by lake George, kyambura/chambura gorge and Kalinzu forest reserve, and by the Kigezi Wildlife Reserve to the south. Much as Queen Elizabeth National Park is primarily known for open savanna, in some areas studded with a dense cover of acacia and euphoria trees but it also embraces large area of thick swamps around Lake George, the extensive Maramagambo Forest in the southeast, and the forested Kyambura Gorge along the border with the Kyambura Game Reserve.
TOURIST ACTIVITIES AND ATTRACTIONS
Game Drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park
An experience of this game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park will automatically get you an exciting Uganda adventure to tell the rest of your life there is to live!. This involves driving through the park so as to view animals. It is best done in the early morning and late afternoon hours when the weather is calm. Queen Elizabeth National Park has well-maintained tracks, giving visitors quick access to the park’s wildlife and other attractions. These tracks cut through the mating grounds of the great Uganda Kob as the outstanding gigantic forest hog is seen moving around the park bush. You will enjoy a memorable sight of Elephants as they make their way down to the waters during hot days, hungry lions looking for their prey while bush backs and buffaloes can be found on the channel track and juxtaposed circumference. The out unique panorama along the crater track leads you to volcanic craters at the foothills of the misty mountains of the moon, outstanding of all, the great overlooking Mt. Rwenzori shall be seen.
The Launch Cruise a long the Kazinga Channel
This is a boat trip along the hippopotamus crowded banks of Kazinga channel and it gives you a unique unbeaten wild life experience. Crocodile are a common sight and occasionally a common leopard can be seen. Many buffaloes rest in the waters while big herds of elephants enjoy them-selves drinking and playing along the channel banks. You will See Hippos as surrounded by vast numbers of migrants and resident birds, this boat cruise puts one, right in the heart of amazing nature.
Kyambura Wildlife Reserve Visit
It is found in the eastern part of the protected area and supports similar mammals to the rest of the park.
It harbors three saline crater lakes, which attract a large number of flamingoes- not found anywhere else hence a great birding safari destination in Uganda. This steep Kyambura gorge, formed by the turbulent waters of the roaring Kyambura River, provides a luxuriant Riverine forest, habitant to Lions, chimpanzees. Black -and – white colobus monkeys, olive baboons and other primates as well as plenty of forest birds. snakes and many others. A visit to the gorge presents a great opportunity to see chimpanzees in their natural habitat.
Nature Walks
In Maramagambo Forest; these are short to long guided nature walks offered at the great Queen Elizabeth National Park. This will expose you a diversity the wild; the pythons in the ostracism of the bat caves floor with their prey-the bats. This bat’s cave is near the attractive blue lake and hunter’ cave. Other trails lead you to the heart of the surrounding craters and habitats to many forest birds as well as some primates like the Chimpanzee.
Where to stay in Queen Elizabeth National Park
An up market Mweya Safari lodge, Mazike Lodge, Katara Lodge are readily available, of recent Kasenyi Safari Camp, is in operational with very unique quality services to the visitors, Jacana Safari Lodge – luxury accommodation is an ideal place for relaxation and refreshment built over the banks of a crater lake. Ishasha Wilderness Camp also offer up market accommodation facility in Ishasha sections, Ihamba Safari Lodge, Buffalo Safari Resort, Bush Lodge and Simba Safari camp, Wild Track Safari Lodge are available to visitors that wish to spend less on accommodation.