Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park

There are many activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park. This protected area stands as the prime wildlife protection center/protected area in the western region of Uganda and still stands out as the best tourist destination for the visitors that visit the pearl of Africa (Uganda).

The fact that it is near Bwindi National Park/Bwindi Impenetrable Forest makes it interesting and easy for visitors that visit Bwindi for gorilla trekking to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park and enjoy the spectacular range of activities tailored just for visitors: game drives, Kazinga boat cruises, lion tracking research, chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge, mongoose tracking on the Mweya Peninsula, plus a lot of fantastic accommodation facilities that will relax you and give you a true African experience.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is about 1978 km² large with a unique selection of wildlife; the terrain is naturally endowed with eye-catching undulating hills, plus the view of the neighboring Mountains of the Moon, Mount Rwenzori.

The medley of all these features makes Queen Elizabeth National Park stunning and irresistible for the visitors that book any African safari to East Africa.

Activities

There are quite a lot of captivating activities that you can engage in when you visit Queen Elizabeth National Park; plus, the cultural encounters will enlighten your understanding of the diversity of African culture.

Kazinga Boat Cruise

The Kazinga Boat Cruise / Launch Cruise is an activity where you have almost all the wildlife of Queen Elizabeth National Park at a glance.

A boat cruise along a 40 km long Kazinga Channel is an awesome experience where you will learn a lot about African wildlife like the African elephants, the Cape buffaloes, hippos, and crocodiles, plus a variety of bird species.

The boat cruise is conducted twice a day (three times on a high-peak season day). You can either book the morning cruise, which starts at 11 am and lasts for 2 hours, or the afternoon cruise, which starts at 1 pm.

And the evening shift starts at 3pm in the afternoon and ends at 5pm in the evening. The bookings are done at Mweya offices, and you can book a shift according to your preference.

Game Drives

The marvelous game drives are also something else you can engage in when you visit Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The best season for the game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park is the dry season, which lasts from June to September and January to February; during this time, the tracks are dry and the grass is short. These reasons make game viewing clearer and better.

On the game drive you will get the chance to see the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha plus do some lion tracking research in the Kasenyi plains. You can see a lot of buffalo herds, the beautiful Uganda kobs, elephants, hippos (in the morning) and warthogs among the rest.

Chimpanzee tracking

Chimpanzee tracking is yet another interesting activity done in Kyambura Gorge of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The presence of these funny primates has baptized Kyambura Gorge with new names, like the Valley of Apes and the Valley of Comedy, among others. Kyambura Gorge is indeed gorgeous; it is a strip of rainforest cutting across a vast savannah-dominated area.

The chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge swing on trees, and they also walk on land too.

They are adapted to the environment in Kyambura Gorge due to the presence of the rainforest, plus the gorge is drained by the Kyambura River, making it a world on its own.

Birding

Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park is excellent. The park has over 619 species of birds and some are also recognized internationally by the International Birding Association (IBA).

The adaptability of the birds comes from the presence of a wide range of habitats, from the savannah woodland and the forests, like Maramagambo and Kalinzu near Queen Elizabeth National Park, to the wetlands.

Most of the birds can be viewed along the Kazinga boat cruise, including birds like the cormorants, the kingfishers the black bee-eaters, the flycatchers, and the majestic African fish eagle, among the rest.

Lion tracking

Lion tracking research is another interesting activity that is loved by many visitors. It involves tracking the lions with the radiator collar in Kasenyi Plains. It is real research and conducted by professional researchers from the Uganda Carnivore Program (UCP).

Lion tracking is mainly done in the Kasenyi plains, and you can learn a lot about the African lions and also get a closer look at the king of the jungle himself. Lucky you, you might spot lions hunting a kob for the day’s meal.

The lion tracking activity is done by a limited number of people to avoid interference with the natural balance of the wilderness, allow deeper learning of the lion habits, and, most of all, give you a fabulous lion tracking experience.

Cultural encounters

Cultural encounters are a free scroll through the African culture. During this activity you will enjoy the local folklore from the elders of the communities in Queen Elizabeth National Park. You can enjoy the Kikongoro cultural dancers at the equator; Kikongoro is a group of women who are deeply rooted in African culture.

They entertain visitors at the equator, plus they make a lot of African crafts that you will love to take home as souvenirs from wild Africa. The fishing villages along Kazinga Channel. And Lake George, like Businga Village, should be your choice if at all you are going to get involved in a community walk. You will enjoy a lot from the Businga community, like fishing, boat racing, and sport fishing; plus, you can enjoy a fresh fish snack straight from the water, among others.

Hiking & Nature walks

Hiking and nature walks are irresistible around the crater lakes in Queen Elizabeth National Park. For example, the Katwe crater drive of about 27 km long will expose you to a wide range of interesting things: the undulating hills, vast plains of savannah, and views of the famous Rwenzori Mountains.

Katwe crater salt works is yet another feature you should add to your Queen Elizabeth itinerary. From Katwe Salt Lake, you will enjoy the whole process of salt mining, and the narrative about how these poor miners sacrifice to go and extract salt from the acidic lake will catch your interest.

Hiking can also be done in Maramagambo Forest, Kalinzu Forest Reserve, and Kyambura Gorge. There is a lot you can enjoy when you engage in these captivating hiking packages of Queen Elizabeth National Park: butterfly watching in Kyambura Gorge and scenic viewing during the crater hikes. You will learn a lot about trees in Kalinzu Forest, among others.

Maramagambo forest will give you a chance to see millions of bats hanging inside the caves. The bat cave was formerly closed after the Marburg incident; however, a viewing shelter was created to avoid direct encounters with the caves.

Where to reside is never a worry in Queen Elizabeth National Park; the park is stocked with a lot of accommodation facilities ranging from luxury to the most affordable ones, all accessible with standard services: Ishasha Safari Camp, Kasenyi Safari Lodge, Jacana Lodge, Mweya Safari Lodge, Mweya Hostels, Elephant Lodge, among the rest.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is just a lot to do, but it is always interesting; you can never get enough when you visit Queen Elizabeth National Park, and after your experience, you will confirm the fact that Queen Elizabeth National Park is East Africa’s best when it comes to biodiversity.