How to access Queen Elizabeth national park : Queen Elizabeth national park is a wildlife viewing destination located in the south western part of Uganda.
The neighboring district around Queen Elizabeth national park include Kasese district, Kamwenge district, Rubirirzi district and Rukungiri district and the national park is located about 410 kilometers from Kampala.
The national park is the second largest safari park in Uganda and it covers about 1978 square kilometers and is accessible by flight and also by driving from different destinations around the country. Queen Elizabeth national park is also neighbored by the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Driving to Queen Elizabeth national park
Different routes are used to access Queen Elizabeth national park and they include the Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara-Kasese route which is about 420 kilometers away from the city. Tourists can also access the national park by driving from Kampala-Mubende-Fortportal-Kasese route which is about 410 kilometers away from Kampala.
Neighboring national parks in the western part of Uganda located around Queen Elizabeth national park include Kibale forest national park, Lake Mburo national park, the Rwenzori mountains national park and also Semuliki national park.
When driving from Bwindi national park, tourists can access Queen Elizabeth national park by driving for about 5 hours via the Ishasha sector which is known for the tree climbing lions one of the wildlife attractions at the destination.
Kibale national park which is another destination close to Queen Elizabeth national park is about 3 to 4 hours drive away and tourists can combine safaris between the two national parks when exploring the western part of Uganda.
- Using public transport to Queen Elizabeth national park
During tours to Queen Elizabeth national park, tourists can use public transport routes or private transport means. The buses drive along the Kampala-Kasese route and they are an affordable option of transportation to the destination. There are other routes which can also be used to access kasese using Public transport means
Apart from buses, tourists can also use taxis as public transport means to get to Queen Elizabeth national park. However, there are scheduled for the departure times of the buses and it is important to keep time when traveling to the national park due to the fairly long distance.
Some of the buses used to get to Kasese include Link buses, Kalita buses among others.
- Using private transport to Queen Elizabeth national park
Private transportation can also be used to get to Queen Elizabeth national park. Tour operators provide transportation as part of their safari packages to the park and tourists can also choose to hire vehicles independently for their safaris.
Exploring Queen Elizabeth national park with a local guide is much better compared to driving alone since the guides are knowledgeable of the routes around the destination and how best to move around and where the attractions are found.
Car hire on the other hand maybe cheaper as compared to booking a whole safari package for Queen Elizabeth national park and it is also flexible.
Flights to Queen Elizabeth national park
Another way to access Queen Elizabeth national park during wildlife safaris in Uganda is by flights to the airstrips found at the destination.
The Mweya airstrip and Kasese airstrip can be used to access Queen Elizabeth national park through flights from Entebbe international airport. These domestic flights operate daily between Entebbe airport and the airstrips at the destination.
There are one way flights and return flights available for tourists to book as they explore Queen Elizabeth national park during their Uganda safaris. These flights are offered by domestic airlines in Uganda such as Aerolink Uganda and Bar Aviation. These airlines also offer flights to other national parks around Uganda including Murchison falls national park, Kidepo valley national park, Bwindi national park among other destinations.
Individuals can book the flights to Queen Elizabeth national park and tour operators can also reserve the flights for tourists to get to the national park. There are morning and afternoon flights offered between Entebbe airport and the national park departing at 07:00 am, 10:15 am and 01:00 pm.
However these flight times can be changed due to some factors which are communicated by the airlines. Tourists can book scheduled flights to charter flights to Queen Elizabeth national park during their safaris.
Attractions in Queen Elizabeth national park
After accessing queen Elizabeth national park, there is a lot to see during wildlife safaris around the destination and this include the various wildlife species, bird species, Kazinga channel, Mweya peninsula, Kyambura gorge, Katwe salt lakes and other crater lakes, tree climbing lions, Kalinzu forest, Ishasha sector, Maramagambo forest, Ksenyi plains among others.
Queen Elizabeth national park is surrounded by forests, savannah plains, woodlands among other habitats for wildlife and bird species which can be seen during safaris. The national park is home to about 95 different species of wildlife.
Some of the wildlife species which can be seen during safaris around Queen Elizabeth national park include elephants, lions, impalas, bushbucks, waterbucks, topi, Uganda kobs, hippos, buffalos, hyenas, warthogs, leopards, mongoose and also primates such as chimpanzees, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys among others.
Bird species which can be seen around Queen Elizabeth national park include African Fish eagles, African Skimmer, Blue Headed Bee eater, White tailed larks, Martial Eagles, Yellow Billed Storks, Hammerkops, Swamp flycatcher, Malachite Kingfishers, Rwenzori Turaco, Ross Turaco, White headed Barbet, Long-crested eagle, Broad tailed warbler, lesser and greater flamingos among others.
Activities to do around Queen Elizabeth national park
During safaris around Queen Elizabeth national park, tourists can engage in a variety of activities which include game drives, boat rides, guided nature walks, community tours, bird watching, hiking, chimpanzee trekking, lion tracking among others.
Game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park take place in the morning and afternoon in search of wildlife species like impalas, buffalos, waterbucks, lions, hyenas, hippos, leopards, elephants among others.
Chimpanzee tracking in Queen Elizabeth national park is done in Kyambura gorge. Boat rides around the destination take place along the Kazinga channel. Lion tracking in the national park is done around the Kasenyi plains.
