Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park : Kazinga channel is among the attractions which are found in Queen Elizabeth national park located in western Uganda.

The Kazinga channel links Lake Edward and Lake George where boat safaris are carried out during tours to Queen Elizabeth national park. Of the 2 lakes, Lake Edward is bigger in size covering about 2325 square kilometers while Lake George covers about 250 square kilometers.
Tourists visiting the Kazinga channel can enjoy the breathtaking views in the surroundings including hills, forests and savannah plains where a variety of wildlife and bird species can be seen during safaris around Queen Elizabeth national park.
Along the shores of the Kazinga channel wildlife species including large herds of elephants, buffalos, schools of hippos as well as Nile crocodiles can be seen during safaris. These wildlife species are known to gather by the water shore to drink making them easy to see during safaris around the destination.
There are different activities which take place around the Kazinga channel including boat rides, bird watching, wildlife viewing and also community tours. The locals also engage in fishing on the lakes as part of their source of income.
Park entrance fee is charged to tourists visiting Queen Elizabeth national park where the Kazinga channel is found and this fee allows them into the national park to engage in various activities. This fee is 40 USD for foreign nonresidents, 30 USD for foreign residents and 20,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens valid for a period of 24 hours.
Boat rides among other activities carried out around the Kazinga channel are charged different fees separate from park entrance fees. Boat rides cost between 20 USD to 40 USD per person or more depending on the group size or on the boat operator if it is a private boat used for the activity.
Because of the many activities to do around the Kazinga channel, this part of Queen Elizabeth national park is popular among tourists visiting Uganda. Other activities can be done in other parts of the national park during safaris and they include game drives, nature walks and hikes, visiting Katwe salt lake, chimpanzee trekking, lion tracking, mongoose tracking among others.
Boat safaris on the Kazinga channel
During tours around the Kazinga channel, boat safaris are a popularly activity that tourists take part in around the destination.
These boat safaris are offered by locals as well as other private companies which offer boat rides on the Kazinga channel at different times of day including the morning and in the afternoon.
Wildlife species including elephants, hippos and buffalos can be seen closely during the boat rides on the Kazinga channel. For about 2 hours, tourists enjoy the relaxing boat safari in Queen Elizabeth national park.
A variety of bird species can also be seen during the boat safaris on the Kazinga channel which can be done privately or during group tours in Queen Elizabeth national park.
Bird watching around the Kazinga channel
Bird watching is another activity which takes place around the Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth national park.
Over 100 bird species are found around the Kazinga channel area and these include African Fish Eagle, African Skimmer, Yellow Billed Stork, African Finfoot, Blue headed bee-eater, Black Bellied Plover, Malachite Kingfisher, Saddle Billed Storks, White-Bellied Cormorants, Little Egrets, Marsh Sandpiper among other bird species.
Queen Elizabeth national park is home to over 600 bird species which can be seen in different parts of the destination including around the Kazinga channel.
Wildlife viewing around the Kazinga channel
The Kazinga channel is also home to a variety of wildlife species which can also be seen when driving to the starting point for the boat trips.
Elephants, buffalos, hippos, Nile crocodiles and antelopes are among the wildlife species that can be seen during safaris around the Kazinga channel. Around the savannah plains close to Mweya peninsula is where tourists can enjoy game drives on the way to the site where the boats are docked.
Tourists can also drive through the Kasenyi plains and see various wildlife species on the way to the Kazinga channel for a boat safari or to engage in other activities.
Community tours around the Kazinga channel
Community tours around the Kazinga channel involve visiting the local fishing villages where tourists can interact with tribes such as the Bakonzo among others.
During the visits to the villages, tourists can go to the craft shops, visit the homesteads, try out local food and learn how to prepare it, enjoy traditional dances and get more insight into the way of life and culture of the locals.
The locals also take part in fishing on the Kazinga channel using small boats and traditional fishing methods and can be seen during tours around the destination.
Best time to visit Kazinga channel
The Kazinga channel can be visited throughout the year including the dry season and also during the rainy season.
The months in the dry season from June to September are considered the best time to engage in various activities around the Kazinga channel. The dry season is also experienced around December, January and February.

Wildlife viewing and boat safaris are among the activities which are best done during the dry season since wildlife species gather to drink around the Kazinga channel making them easy to see during safaris around the destination.
Even in the rainy season from March to May and in November, tours can be done around the Kazinga channel. Many bird species can be seen around Queen Elizabeth national park and the Kazinga area during the rainy season and wildlife species can also be spotted around the lush savannah plains and forests in the area.
How to get to Kazinga channel
The Kazinga channel can be accessed via the Kampala-Mbarara-Kasese route and from there, tourists can continue the drive to Katunguru where they can take part in the boat safaris with a local guide.
Flights can also be booked to Mweya airstrip or Kasese airstrip to get to Queen Elizabeth National Park and then continue to Kazinga channel.
