Safari experience in Queen Elizabeth National Park; Queen Elizabeth National Park is a popular safari destination all because being rich for its big cats that is the rare tree climbing lions and leopards. Game drives allows you to adventure the park range of big game including elephants, buffalos, antelopes and warthogs among others. You can do boat safari in Queen which takes you across the impressive Kazinga Channel that connects Lake Edwards and George.
Queen Elizabeth National Park ‘’QENP’’ is known as Uganda’s most touristic and visited game park and is often arranged with Gorilla trekking in Bwindi or Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest or even you combine it with a visit a famous grassland parks of Kenya and Tanzania. More so, the park is one of the best destinations to see the big cats including the tree climbing lions and leopards among others. It is also a birders haven hosing over 600 species of birds recorded.
What to expect;
Queens Elizabeth National Park has a beautiful landscape and home to diversity of wildlife species with over 95 mammals and over 600 bird species.
Queen Elizabeth National Park Entry Fees;
One to have a safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park, has to pay a small conservation fee as you enter the park. The fee is used to support the conservation project of the ‘’UWA’’ Uganda Wildlife Authority.
The fees varies for different groups and always remember to take identification; You will be required to show their passports, foreign born Ugandans must show a one -year work permit and Uganda citizens/East African Citizens are required to show their valid ‘’ID’s’’ National Identification Cards.
The park entrances fees; Foreign nonresidents pay USD40, Foreign residents pay USD30 and Uganda citizens are charged UGX150,000 per person per day. All you need is book with reliable tour operator -tour company like we Achieve Global Safaris who will make sure your Uganda Wildlife safari goes on well.
Wildlife in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to large mammal species with over 95 mammals and over 600 bird species including; white-backed night heron, western banded snake eagle, Crab-plover, Great blue turaco, Great white pelican, Heuglin’s gull, Palm-nut vulture, Papyrus gonolek, Pink-backed pelican, Red-chested sunbird, Rufous-bellied heron, Shoebill, Grey-winged robin-chat, Yellow-throated cuckoo, Yellow-bellied wattle -eye, white -winged tern, White backed night heron among others. Thus, becoming the most bio-diverse place in Uganda. They are habitat of grassland, woodland, moist tropical forest and wetlands, both fresh water rivers and lakes and saline lakes. Almost 40,000 hectares is covered by medium altitude semi-deciduous forest.
Well, the park is home to plenty of big game which estimate 5,000hippos,2,500 elephants and 10,000 buffalo. Queen has got the most popular sector which visitors loves most whenever there on their trip to the park, known as Ishasha sector a home to unique tree climbing lions. Also, a great location to see chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge and truly a birder hoven.
Things to do /Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Kazinga boat cruise
Boat cruise in Queen Elizebeth National Park is one of some awesome activity like to do by the number tourists on safari here. Well, boat cruise along the impressive Kazinga channel is the best rewardable experience where you get to learn a lot about African wildlife such as; the African elephants, cape buffaloes, hippos and crocodiles with a lot of bird species. There is two session of boat cruise in a day ‘’three times on a high pick season day’’.
You can either book the morning boat cruise that starts at 11am to 1pm in afternoon. Or go for evening shift that starts at 3pm in the afternoon and ends at 5pm in the evening. Boat cruise booking are done at Mweya offices and you can book a shift according to your preferences.
Game drives
This is the most incredible activity done in the park where you get to visit the endless plains of the park with expectation of seeing diversity of wildlife species roaming around in an open savanna grassland. The best season for the game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park is during dry season when the park is out of slippery and muddy which usually happens between the months of June to September and January to February. During dry season the grass is short thus allowing easy spotting of animals in their habitant. If you visit the Ishasha sectors – you will have a great chance to see the tree climbing lions of Ishasha or you can opt to do lion tracking research in the Kasenyi plains. Along game drive experience, you will be able to wide range of herds of buffaloes, Kobs, elephants, hippos, warthogs among others.
Chimpanzee Tracking /Trekking
Chimpanzee tracking is an amazing activity carried out in Kyambura gorge of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The activity can take about 30 to 5 hours depending on their location in their natural habitat. Once you allocate them, you will be given one hour to spend with them as learn on how they survive in the forest, feed, play, capture videos and taking photography.
Birding
In fact, Queen is one of the top birding sites on Uganda Birding Tours, it is because it hosts over 600 bird species which are recognized by the international birding association ‘’IBA’’. The adaptability of the birds comes from the presence of a wide range of inhabits right from savannah woodland, the forest like Maramagambo forest and Kalinzu forest near the park and wetlands. Other bird like water species can be viewed along Kazinga boat cruise such as; the Cormorants, Kingfishers the black Bee eaters, Fly catchers and the majestic African fish eagle many more.
Lion tracking
Lion tracking research is another fabulous activity loved by many visitors. This activity involves in tracking lions with the radiators in Kasenyi plains. The research is conducted by professional researchers from the Uganda carnivore program ‘’UCP’’.
Lion tracking is mainly done in Kasenyi plains. The research involves in learning a lot about the African lions and getting a closer look at the king of the Jungle himself as well as enjoying a great adventure of these pride of the jungle on hunting their prey the ‘’Kobs’’
Note; Lion tracking is done by a limited number of people to avoid interference with the natural balance of the wilderness as well as learning about their habits.
Other activities to do include; Cultural encounter, fishing experience, hiking and guided nature walks among others.
Where to stay:
Queen Elizabeth National Park has got classic accommodation for tourist’s comfortable stay while in the middle of the jungle. They range from Luxury, Mid-range and Budget lodge or hotels. They include; Ishasha safari camp, Kasenyi safari lodge, Jacana lodges, Mweya safari lodge, Mweya hostels, elephant lodge among others.
Best time for safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park;
Queen Elizabeth National Park can be visited all year round but the best time for safari without destruction of rain; happens from June to Mid- September and December to February.
You can decide to combine Uganda wildlife safari with Kenya safari a visit to Masai Mara or Tsavo National Park for game viewing or great migration wildebeest event in Mara which usually occurs from July to early October.
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