Location of Queen Elizabeth national park : Queen Elizabeth National Park is among the savannah national parks located in the south western part of Uganda. The national park covers over 1978 square kilometers and Queen Elizabeth national park is found in the western arm of the rift valley in the district of Kasese which is in the north eastern side of the national park.
About 17% of Queen Elizabeth national park is in Kasese district and other parts of the national park are surrounded by Lake George and Lake Edward which meet at a point forming the Kazinga channel and other water bodies in the surrounding include River Mubuku.
In the surrounding of Queen Elizabeth national park, there are different towns which include Rubirizi district. Other neighboring districts to the national park include Kamwenge district, Kabarole district and also Rukungiri district.
Queen Elizabeth national park is also surrounded by attractions such as the Kazinga channel and in the backdrop, the Rwenzori mountains can be seen during safaris around the destination. The national park is also bordered by the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Some national parks can also be visited in the areas around Queen Elizabeth national park including Kibale national park which is about 3 hours drive away from Queen Elizabeth national park, Bwindi national park which is about 5 to 6 hours drive from Queen Elizabeth national park.
The drive from Bwindi impenetrable national park to Queen Elizabeth national park can be through the Ishasha sector. The Rwenzori mountains national park is also located close to the national park and can be visited during tours in Uganda.
The national park is known for its biodiversity including savannah plains, acacia woodlands, forests among others where different flora and fauna and over 95 mammal species, over 620 bird species and many tree species that can be seen during tours in Queen Elizabeth national park.
Some of the unique attractions in Queen Elizabeth national park include tree climbing lions found in the Ishasha sector. Other wildlife species at the national park include lions, leopards, elephants, buffalos, hippos, impalas, waterbucks, hyenas, warthogs, bushbucks, Uganda kobs, hartebeests, topi and also primates like chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys among others in the Kyambura gorge, around Kalinzu forests and Maramagambo forest.
Activities which can be done during safaris in Queen Elizabeth national park include game drives, bird watching, guided nature walks and boat cruises along the Kazinga Channel, which offers excellent opportunities to observe the diverse wildfire species of the national park.
Parts of Queen Elizabeth national park
- Kazinga channel
Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth national park connects Lake George and Lake Albert and is a spot for wildlife viewing, bird watching and also exciting boat safaris.
The waterway is about 32 kilometers long and boat tours on Kazinga channel can be done in the morning or in the afternoon. Wildlife species which can be seen closely around Kazinga include elephants, buffalos, hippos and also Nile crocodiles during the boat tours.
People living in the neighboring villages also take part in fishing on the Kazinga channel.
- Mweya peninsular
Mweya Peninsula is another attraction found in Queen Elizabeth national park and it is situated on the northern bank of the Kazinga channel.
Wildlife species including elephants can be seen when driving around the Mweya peninsular and different bird species can also be seen around the area.
- Kyambura gorge
Kyambura gorge is also part of Queen Elizabeth national Park, and it is the home of the chimpanzees among other primates at the destination.
It is located in the north eastern part of Queen Elizabeth national park and the Kyambura gorge is also known as the valley of Apes. Chimpanzee trekking and also guided nature walks are among the activities which can be done around the destination.
- Kasenyi plains
The Kasenyi plains are among the most visited parts of the destination and is located in the north eastern part of Queen Elizabeth national park
The open savannah plains make up the Kasenyi area which is home to a variety of wildlife species including Uganda kobs which are commonly seen as well as buffalos, elephants among others. Game drives in the morning and in the afternoon are popular at the destination.
- Ishasha sector
The Ishasha sector is located in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park and is home to the famous tree climbing lions.
It consists of acacia woodland and the Ishasha sector is also made up of savannah grasslands and riverine habitat. Tourists can enjoy exciting predator encounters during game drives around Ishasha sector.
- Katwe salt lake
Katwe Salt Lake is found in Kasese and it is also known as Lake Katwe is famous for salt mining and is located north of the Mweya peninsular.
Lake Katwe is found in the rift valley and salt mining is carried out by the local communities as a source of income. Flamingos in big numbers and other bird species and also different wildlife species like antelopes can also be seen around the shores of the lake.
- Maramagambo forest
Located in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park, the Maramagambo forest is among the rainforests found in Bushenyi.
The Maramagambo Forest is home to various bird species and also primates like black and white colobus monkeys, L’hoest monkeys, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys among others. There are also crater lakes in the surrounding area such as Lake Nyamisingiri and also Lake Kyasanduka.
How to get to Queen Elizabeth national park during safaris
Queen Elizabeth national park can be accessed by road and also by flight during safaris in the south western part of Uganda.
The different routes used when driving to Queen Elizabeth national park include driving from Kampala-Mbarara-Kasese route which takes about 6 hours. Another routes used for driving to the national park is the Kampala-Mityana-Mubende-Fort Portal route.
Tourists can also fly from Entebbe international airport to airstrips in Queen Elizabeth national park such as Mweya airstrip and Kasese airstrip can also be used for flights to the destination.
