Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in South Western part of Uganda close to Rwenzori Mountain and Kibale Forest National Parks. To all tourists interested in visiting Uganda, Queen Elizabeth National Park is always a must visit destination given the fact that it is one of the best wildlife viewing spots in East Africa.
In this park, you will have a chance to see all the Big 4 animals among other savannah wild animals. It is as well a great place for birders given it hosts over 600 bird species, great for sightseeing and photography most especially the sprawling beautiful savannah grasslands and crater lakes.
Major activities to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park include game drives for wildlife viewing, boat cruise on Kazinga Channel which is always a highlight of your safari in this park, community visits, birding, chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge among others. For those who have more time you can as well opt to visit Ishasha sector located on the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park where you can do game drives to search for Tree climbing lions among other wildlife.
Queen Elizabeth National Park – At a Glance
- Queen Elizabeth National Park covers 1,978km2.
- The park spans the equator line; monuments on either side of the road mark the exact spot where it crosses latitude 00.
- The park was founded in 1952 as Kazinga National Park, and renamed two years later to commemorate a visit by Queen Elizabeth II.
- The park is home to 95 mammal species and over 600 bird species.
- The main vegetation habitats include forest, grassland, bushy grassland, Acacia woodland, and lakeshore/swamp vegetation.
- The Katwe explosion craters mark the park’s highest point at 1,350m, while the lowest point is 910m, at Lake Edward.
- The average temperature ranges from 18°C – 28°C.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is the second largest in Uganda after Murchison Falls National Park. The park is situated in western Uganda, lies on the floor of Africa’s western Rift Valley, which runs from northern Uganda to Malawi. Nearby attractions include “Mountains of the moon” Mt. Rwenzori. Queen Elizabeth is dominated by savannah grassland and woodland so, game drive is inevitable while in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Highlights
QENP is one of Uganda’s oldest parks but it was officially formed along with Murchison Falls National Park in 1952. It was initially known as ‘Kazinga National Park’ before it was renamed in 1954 to commemorate a visit by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.
QENP contains 95 species of mammal – more than any other park in Uganda. Hippos are efficient lawn mowers. They prefer to graze short grass, each animal eating about 40kg each night.
From the lodge terrace, it’s almost impossible to tell which way the Kazinga Channel is flowing. It actually flows west (to your right) from Lake George to Lake Edward. But since the change is water level along the 36km Channel is just 40cm it moves extremely slowly.
Location: Western Uganda (44 km from Kampala, 350 km from Kigali)
Size: 2000 kilometers squared
Famous for: game viewing, hot air balloon rides, tree-climbing lions
As one of the outstanding treasures of Uganda, Queen Elizabeth National Park has recently been designated a Biosphere Reserve for Humanity under UNESCO. The national park is also a wetland reserve and arguably the most popular and easily accessible game reserve in Uganda. The national park has remarkable varieties of ecosystems; from semi-deciduous tropical forest to green meadows, savannah and swamps.
Fauna
95 mammal species has been recorded here, This National Park has the highest recorded number of mammalian species (contains 95 recorded mammalian species) of all Ugandan national parks. It is the home of the famous tree-climbing lions, the Uganda Kob and other antelope species, as well as elephants, buffalos, hippos, baboons and chimpanzees. The Rare Giant Forest Hog is often seen here. 612 bird species have been sighted in Queen Elizabeth, making this park truly unique for it has one of the highest number in the world for such a relatively small reserve. The species include the Shoebill Stork, Black Bee-Eater, 11 types of kingfishers and a variety of raptors, including several falcons and eagles.
Flora
In the crater lakes, spectacular flocks of flamingos gather, creating the image of a moving pink carpet. The launch trip along the Kazinga Channel connecting Lakes Edward and George is a memorable way to view the abundant game in Queen Elizabeth and to see an astounding number of bird species. In the eastern section of the park is Kyambura Gorge where visitors can climb down the 100 meter deep gorge through tropical forest and catch sight of a variety of primates, especially chimpanzees. In the more isolated Ishasha sector of the park, visitors can move through the woodlands in search of tree-climbing lions perched on the boughs of ancient fig trees. Large herds of elephants and Uganda Kob are also seen here.