A MEDLEY OF WONDERS

Scenic and biodiverse, Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) is Uganda’s most popular protected area. Diverse ecosystems, including sprawling savanna, shady forests, sparkling lakes and lush wetlands, provide ideal habitats for classic big game, forest primates, and birds. These varied habitats support a wealth of wildlife with more mammal species (95) than any other Ugandan park and over 600 bird species – a phenomenal number for such a small area. Expect to see safari favourites such as elephants, buffaloes and hippos while the chances of finding lions on the plains of Kasenyi and Ishasha are good. An abundance of magnificent vistas include the jagged backdrop of the Rwenzori Mountains; rolling hills pocked with extinct volcanic craters; open, rift valley grasslands at Kasenyi and Ishasha; the hippo-lined Kazing Channel; and the Mitumbe mountains in Congo rising above the distant, western shore of Lake Edward.

QENP was initially named Kazinga National Park in 1952, but was renamed two years later to commemorate a visit by Queen Elizabeth II.

ACTIVITIES AND ATTRACTIONS IN QUEEN ELIZABETH N.P

Mweya peninsula and the Kazinga channel

QENP’s main tourism hub is found on Mweya Peninsula, 22km west of the Kasese-Mbarara Road. Mweya, which occupies an elevated plateau overlooking the Kazinga Channel and Lake Edward, is the site of an upmarket lodge; budget UWA run accommodation; a marina for launch trips on the channel; and a Visitor Information Centre.

Launch Cruises

Launch trips on the Kazinga Channel provide the most relaxing way to view game in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The 2-hour return voyage between Mweya and the channel’s entrance into Lake Edward cruises beside banks lined with resident hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds and visiting elephant, buffalo and antelopes.

Game Drives

Kasenyi Plains

The open grasslands of Kasenyi provide QENP’s primary game viewing area, thanks to resident herds of Uganda kob and the lions that prey on them. The park’s experienced ranger guides can usually locate lions but predator sightings can be guaranteed by signing up for a tour with the Mweya-based Uganda Predator Project which monitors the movement of lions, leopards and hyaenas fitted with radio collars.

Ishasha

QENP’s southern most sector offers a classic game viewing experience under vast rift valley skies. Expect to see buffaloes, hippos, elephants, topis and more besides. The chance of sighting lions is particularly good in Ishasha; the local prides obligingly spend their days resting up in the branches of shady fig trees.

Forest Walks

Kyambura Gorge

The forest-filled Kyambura Gorge extends from the KIchwamba Escarpment to the Kazinga Channel. Enjoy the giddy viewpoint on the edge of the 100m-deep chasm before descending into the depths to track chimpanzees with UWA guides.

Maramagambo Forest

At the foot of the Kichwamba Escarpment, the shady Maramagambo Forest contrasts with the park’s open grasslands. Guided walks afford sightings of primates and rare birds (including the forest flycatcher, white-naped pigeon and the striking Rwenzorituraco) and visit the Bat Cave with its resident bat-gorged python.

Birding

Birding activities overlap with the wildlife viewing locations described above. Highlights include easy sightings of resident and migratory waterbirds on the Kazinga Channel; spectacular seasonal congregations of flamingoes on the Kyambura and katwe soda lakes; careful searches for rare and restricted range forest species in Maramagambo Forest; and memorable shoebill sightings on the remote Lake Edward Flats in Ishasha.

Volcanic Explosion Craters

Crater Drive

Dozens of volcanic craters pock the landscape north of Mweya to remind us of the Albertine Rift’s violent tectonic history. The 27km Crater Drive between the Kabatoro and Crater gates follows a breathtaking route around the rims of extinct craters filled, variously, with lakes, forest and grassland.

Katwe Salt Lake

The people of Katwe town, 12km from Mweya, have been extracting salt from the Saline Lake Katwe using evaporation pans since the 14th century. Local; guides will escort visitors down into the crater to see the process. The adjacent Lake Munyanyangeis rich in waterbirds, including migrating lesser flamingo between August and November.

ACCESS TO THE PARK

ROADS

Two routes run from Kampala to Mweya, the primary tourism hub in QENP. The most scenic route passes through Fort Portal (410km) and offers detours to Kibale, Semuliki and Rwenzori Mountains national Parks. The alternative (420km) runs through Mbarara and Bushenyi and passes Lake Mburo National Park. QENP’s southerly Ishasha sector is directly on the main route to/from Buhoma, the main mountain gorilla tracking trailhead in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which lies 62km south.

AIR

Charter flights can be arranged to airstrips at Kasese, Mweya and Ishasha.