Activities in queen Elizabeth national park
Activities in queen Elizabeth national park : Queen Elizabeth national park is the second largest national park in Uganda, spanning over 2000 square kilometers. The national park is among one of the oldest national parks in the country following its establishment in 1952. This national park was originally called Kazinga National Park and later renamed Queen Elizabeth national park after the Queen’s visit to the park.
The national park is famous for its tree climbing lions in the Ishasha sector, which is found in the southern part of the park. The park is a haven for wildlife viewing, with lots of savannah wildlife animals roaming the parks grasslands.
Queen Elizabeth national park is home to over 600 species of birds and 95 mammal species. Among some of the wildlife animals that visitors are likely to view in the park include; the African bush elephant, lions, leopards, antelopes, hyenas, waterbucks, buffaloes, crocodiles, hippos, and various primate species like monkeys and chimpanzees.
Among some of the other attractions in Queen Elizabeth national park include; the Kazinga Channel on which boat cruises are conducted, chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge, crater lakes in Kyambura Wildlife Reserve, lake Katwe, Kasenyi Plains, Lake George and the Maramagambo Forest to mention but a few.
Activities done in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
There are plenty of activities that visitors can take part in while on holiday in Queen Elizabeth national park, and these include;
Lion Tracking Experience:
Getting to see the tree climbing lions in the Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth national park is the best experience that one could ask for. Queen Elizabeth is the only national park in Uganda where visitors have the opportunity to see tree climbing lions. This activity involves tracking the whereabouts of the lions in the national park, and visitors are always accompanied by a team of research experts. The lion tracking experience in Queen can be done twice a day, in the morning and evening hours. This activity costs USD 50 dollars per person. Visitors interested in this activity are advised to book in advance using either through a trusted tour operator company or via the Visitor Information Center located in Mweya.
Chimpanzee Tracking in Kyambura Gorge:
Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park is among one of the most exciting and adventure thrilling activities that visitors can take part in during their visit to the national park. Queen Elizabeth national park is the second most popular destination for chimpanzee trekking activities in Uganda after Kibale National park in southwestern Uganda. The national park has a group of habituated chimpanzee families that visitors can safely track. Chimpanzee trekking in Queen Elizabeth national park costs USD 50 dollars per person and is done in a group of a maximum of 6 members per chimpanzee family. Trekking chimpanzees in Queen Elizabeth national park can take between 2 to 3 hours, inclusive of one hour that visitors get to spend with the chimpanzees once they have been located. Chimpanzee tracking activities in the national park begin at 8am, after visitors have been given a briefing and placed in tracking groups. During chimpanzee trekking activities, visitors also have a chance to sight other primate species such as; the red-tailed monkeys, the black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, and baboons among others.
Game Drives:
Among some of the most commonly done activities in Queen Elizabeth national park are the guided game drives. The national park offers its visitors both day and night guided game drives, with the night games drives being the best for viewing nocturnal wildlife animals like lions, leopards, serval cats and others. During a day game drive in Queen, visitors are likely to sight wildlife such as elephants, buffaloes, oribis, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, the Uganda Kob among others. Game drives in the national park are done in Kasenyi plains, since it is home to a large number of wildlife animals. Other common sights for game drives include the Mweya peninsula, where visitors can easily sight the banded mongoose and the Ishasha sector, where visitors can view the famous tree climbing. Day game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park cost USD 30 dollars per person while the night game drives cost USD 40 dollars. Visitors who wish to hire the services of an UWA guide will be required to pay an extra fee of USD 25 dollars. Visitors can also get an opportunity to sight some bird species such as; the African Jacana, the black bellied bustard, and the purple heron among others.
Birding:
Birding in Queen Elizabeth national park is such a wonderful experience. The national park is the ideal destination for bird watching activities in Uganda, with over 600 bird species residing with the national park. Some of the bird species that are sighted in the national park include; flamingos, the Papyrus Gonolek, Black bee-eaters, the Martial Eagle, the White backed vulture, the African Skimmer, the Wattled Plover and the Chapin’s flycatcher among others. Bird watching in Queen Elizabeth national park can be best done early in the morning hours in the months of March to May and September to November, which are wet seasons in the national park. Common birding sites in the national park include; Mweya Peninsular, Lake Katwe, Kazinga Channel, Maramagambo Forest, and Kasenyi Plains.
Boat cruise:
Visitors travelling to Queen Elizabeth National Park can take part in boat cruise activities that are offered in the park. All boat cruise trips in the national park are conducted on the Kazinga Channel. This channel joins Lake Edward and Lake George which are the two lakes situated within the national park. The launch cruise in Queen Elizabeth national park begins at 9am in every morning and at 2pm every afternoon. Visitors on a boat cruise in the national park have an opportunity to view wildlife such as Hippos, crocodiles, Monitor lizards, elephants, giraffes and even bird species like the Long-tailed cormorant, the Open billed stork, the King fisher, Falcons, the Black crake and the highly sought after Shoebill stork. The boat cruise on Kazinga Channel lasts about 2 hours and is such an interesting way for visitors to explore the national park. Visitors can combine a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel with either a game drive or guided nature walk in the national park.
Guided Nature Walks:
Tourists visiting Queen Elizabeth national park can take part in guided nature walks which are commonly conducted in Kyambura Gorge. It is here that visitors have a chance to view the habituated chimpanzee families that reside within the forests in Kyambura Gorge. Aside from chimpanzees, visitors on a nature walk are likely to also spot other primates like the black and white colobus monkeys, the red-tailed monkeys, baboons and vervet monkeys among others. Nature walks in Queen Elizabeth national park are also conducted on the shores of Lake Kyasanduka, Lake Nyamasingiri, and Mweya Peninsular, along the Kazinga Channel and also in Maramagambo Forest. Guided nature walks in the national park can also be done along the Ishasha River, which is well known for its large concentration of hippopotami.
Mongoose Tracking:
Mongoose tracking in Queen Elizabeth national park is such an exceptional activity that every visitors should take part in while on safari in the national park. During this activity, visitors can spend time amongst banded Mongoose that can be tracked in groups with a maximum of 4 people. Tracking these banded mongoose can take between 1 to 4 hours, and tracking is done using location devices just like those used to track lions. The activity is done within the Mweya Peninsular, which is believed to have an estimated population of about 400 Mongoose mammals that live in 12 habituated groups.
Community Cultural Tours:
Visitors on safari in Queen Elizabeth national park should not miss out on the cultural encounters offered by the national park. Tourists who embark on these community cultural tours have an opportunity to learn about some of the cultural tribes living near the national park, and can get an opportunity to interact with the local people living within these communities. One of the dominate ethnic tribes living around the park are the Bakonjo. Visitors are usually entertained by traditional dance groups, told folk stories and songs, visit local craft shops in the community and even get to share a meal with one of the homesteads in the local community. Such cultural encounters are fun thrilling and a great way for visitors to get an insight into some of the various cultures that exist in Uganda.
Queen Elizabeth national park offers visitors a wide range of activities that are adventurous and exciting to take part in. this national park is one of the 10 national parks that tourists can visit while on Uganda Safaris Tours. Visitors can also combine a trip to Queen Elizabeth National Park with gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or even Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale National Park.
Book with us a wildlife tour to Queen Elizabeth National Park and get an opportunity to see the famous tree climbing lions of Ishasha.
