Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the premier parks of Uganda and should definitely be on your list of places if you are looking for Uganda Safari experiences. We landed in Entebbe International Airport from Nairobi, Kenya and stayed in Kampala, which is the capital city, for overnight. The following morning, we started pretty early in the morning finishing our breakfast at ease. You can either do a separate trip from Kampala to Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda or club it with Gorilla Trekking Uganda. This Uganda Travel Blog should help you plan for one of the best national park in Uganda, Queen Elizabeth National Park Accommodation, things to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park, budget for Queen Elizabeth National Park, boat safari in Kazinga Channel and finding the elusive tree climbing lions in Ishasha.
Day 2
From Kampala we drove for one and half hour and approximately 75 kilometres and reached the equator point which is situated at a place called Kayabwe in Mpigi District. It’s a great place for a stopover and stretch. Also there are a loads of local shops available to buy souvenirs and plenty of options for food and drinks. So we had spent almost 30-45min and then headed our way directly to Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Things to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda : Uganda Travel Blog
1. Take a boat safari in Kazinga Channel
Queen Elizabeth National Park occupies an estimated 1,980 sq km. The park extends from Lake George in the north-east to Lake Edward in the south-west and includes the Kazinga channel which is 32km channel, that links the two lakes, and which is one of the world’s largest home for hippos and Nile crocodiles.
It was almost 4pm when we reached the Kazinga channel and also had an advanced boat ride booked which is very popular tourist attraction. We recommend booking Kazinga Channel tours ahead of time to secure your spot and time.
The boat took us for 2hr ride and trust us, that was one of the most beautiful evening we had. Our tour guide had the best knowledge of various birds, animals and their habits. We were really impressed. We spotted wide range of birds right from the start, and ended up witnessing 1000 of hippos and some Cape Buffalo (One of African big5). The best part was during the dusk there was a herd of Bush Elephant (One of African big5) who came to drink water in the channel. The overall experience of 2 hours was just amazing and nothing less than wildlife safari, we wish we could have spent some more time honestly.
2. Visit the Nyamunuka Crater Lake
Queen Elizabeth National Park contains a series of volcanic explosions, and many of them has turned to be salt water crater lakes. Many wild animals and buffalo’s come here to gaze and drink water. However, we were not allowed to go near the lake and hence witnessed the beautiful sunset from the top.
There are similar crater lakes in Queen Elizabeth National Park which you can definitely check out.
- Bunyampaka
- Kikorongo
- Ndali-Kasekende
- Katwe
3. Queen Elizabeth National Park Accommodation: Stay at a Camp overlooking the park and rift valley
So by 7pm we headed back to our hotel room where we enjoyed our supper and dosed of after such a tiring day. We stayed at Pumba Safari Lodge which was a budget stay option. The staff there were extremely helpful and went out of their way to make us at comfort. The best part was the view from the balcony of the room overlooking Queen Elizabeth National Park and rift valley.
4. Go for Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 3
Even on this day we had to start quite early in the morning. The hotel served us breakfast by 7am and we started our journey towards Queen Elizabeth National Park by 7.45am. We had to finish the game drive by 12pm and directly head towards Bwindi Impenetrable forest for Gorilla trekking which was almost a drive of 7-8 hrs.
The Queen Elizabeth National Park was named after Queen Elizabeth II to commemorate her visit in 1954. The Park is known for its wildlife and over 90 species of mammal and 500 bird species live within the park perimeter, among these are Elephants, Leopards, Hippopotamus, Jackal, Hyena and Lions and many others to name.
5. Track the Tree Climbing Lions of Ishasha
We entered from the area called Ishasha which is in Rukungiri District and also is famous for its tree-climbing lions. That is a very unique and rare feature in lions which can be only be found in Queen Elizabeth national part in the Ishasha sector, and we recommend you should not miss watching that. There are currently around 45 lions living in this area which are split over 3 prides and if you’re lucky enough you can definitely watch some of them.
Best Budget Tour Companies in Uganda for Safari : Uganda Travel Blog
Uganda as a country is slightly difficult for self-driving and specially if you are looking for safaris in parks then you need to opt for Tour Companies in Uganda. We partnered with African Adventure Travellers for our trip and had one of the best experience throughout. They can provide for customized safari experience according to your need and have some of the best guides available (ask for Moses specially if you can, he is just amazing).
Budget for Queen Elizabeth Uganda Safaris : Uganda Travel Blog
We clubbed Queen Elizabeth National Park safari with Gorilla Trekking experience. Would highly suggest for this itinerary. However if you want to only visit Queen Elizabeth National Park from Kampala and do all the activities that we have suggested the cost should range between 400$ to 600$ for a couple with budget stay.
Planning for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda. Find our complete guide here.
Looking for best time to visit Uganda. Find our suggestions here.