Queen Elizabeth Park
Queen Elizabeth National park is located in the south western part of Uganda. It covers an area of 1,978 sq km. It is the most popular national park in Uganda with abundant game which attracts thousands of tourists interested in viewing big game. Its vegetation which varies from open savannah to rainforest, from dense papyrus swamps and brooding crater lakes to the vastness of Lake Edward, make it a little wonder that it is the highest biodiversity conservation game reserve in the world.
Mammals
Queen Elizabeth National park boasts of over 100 mammalian species and a remarkable 606 bird species. This makes it the best safari destination in Uganda with big herds of elephants, a profusion of hippos, the elusive giant forest hog and handsome Uganda kob which are all regularly sighted around the tourist village on the Mweya Peninsula.
Birds
Amongst the notable bird specie in the park include Malachite and Pied Kingfishers, White-winged Terns, Swamp Fly-catcher, Grey-capped Warbler, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Collard Pranticles, African Jacana, Pin-tailed Whydah Martial Eagle, Gabon and Slender-tailed Nightjars, the beautiful Black-headed Gonolek, Great and Long-tailed Cormorants, Common Squacco Heron, the rare Shoebill Stork, African Skimmer, African Fish Eagle, Verreaux's Eagle-Owl, Black Bee-eater, White-tailed Lark, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Papyrus Canary, Great white and Pink-backed Pelicans, African Mourning Dove, African Open-billed Stork, Black-rumped Buttonquail.
The Kyambura gorge
The Kyambura gorge also found in this park harbours habituated chimpanzees yet the remote Ishasha region is famous for its tree climbing lions which cannot easily be spotted anywhere in the world.
Maramagambo forest
The Maramagambo Forest, a tropical rain forest in this park is a home to an alluring selection of forest monkeys, the elusive forest elephant, birds, and flocks of flamingos that are resident on the crater lakes. The bat colony and the blue lake are worthy other memorable features found in this forest.
Accessibility
Queen Elizabeth National park lies 5-6 hours from Kampala on a surfaced road via Mbarara, and can be reached on a dirt road from Bwindi. For travelers interested in traveling to the park by air, a private charter flight from Entebbe international airport to Kasese airstrip can also be arranged for you.
Safari activities
Game drives;
There are different trails in the park where game drives can be made. On the drive you will find big game in the typical African savannah. These may include Elephants, Lions, Leopards, Hyenas, Buffaloes, Waterbucks, Uganda Kobs and Warthogs among others. The most convenient time for game drives is early in the morning and evenings.
Bird watching;
Queen Elizabeth National park boosts of over 606 species. This makes it a haven for visitors interested in bird watching. The Kazinga channel attracts a large number of water birds which include White-faced Whistling and Knob-billed Ducks, the Common Squacco Heron, Great and Long-tailed Cormorants, Great-white and Pink-backed Pelicans, African Jacana, African open-billed Stork, African Fish Eagle, Water Thick-knee, Spur-winged and African Wattled Plovers, Malachite and Pied kingfishers, Black Crake, Yellow backed Weavers and Swamp flycatchers among others.
Launch trips;
This is taken along the Kazinga channel. On the cruise different animals and birds that come to the 34km tranquil Kazinga Channel shore can be seen. These include large crowds of Hippo and solitary Buffaloes, elephants, reptiles like Crocodiles and Lizards, water birds like Pelicans, Egyptian goose, Saddle-billed Stork, African Fish Eagles, African Jacana and Kingfishers among others.
Guided Forest walks;
A guided walk can be taken from the nearby Maramagambo Forest, a tropical forest covered with relatively low trees and gentle slopes. The important features worthy to see from this forest include the Blue Lake, the Hunters Cave, the Bat Cave where thousands of Egyptian Fruit Bats stay, and different tree specie which include medicinal species.
Chimpanzee tracking;
Chimpanzee tracking is done from a nearby gorge found in the Kyambura Wildlife Reserve in the eastern part of the park. From Kyambura, there are a number of other primates such as Black and White Colobus Monkeys, Red-tailed Monkeys, Olive Baboons, as well as forest birds such as Hornbills, Kingfishers and Sunbirds.
