Queen Elizabeth National Park

Explore Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park occupies an estimated 1,978 square kilometres (764 sq mi). It extends from Lake George in the northeast to Lake Edward in the southwest and includes the Kazinga Channel, which connects the two lakes.

 

The park was founded in 1952 as Kazinga National Park. It was renamed two years later to commemorate a visit by Queen Elizabeth II.

 

Queen Elizabeth National Park boasts a huge wildlife population. It includes Cape buffaloes, hippopotami, crocodiles, elephants, leopards, Uganda lions, and chimpanzees. It is home to 95 species of mammals and over 500 species of birds. The area around Ishasha in Rukungiri District is famous for its tree-climbing lions.

The park is also famous for its volcanic features, including volcanic cones and deep craters of which the latter feature crater lakes such as Katwe craters from which salt is extracted.

 

Twinning

Queen Elizabeth National Park and Queen Elizabeth Country Park in England are twinned in a project called, “Cultural Exchange and Mutual Support.” The main emphasis of the project is to support conservation by working closely with the local communities and empowering them.

Things to do

Game viewing

Famed for its wildlife, Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to more than 90 species of mammals which include Cape buffaloes, hippopotami, crocodiles, elephants, leopards, Uganda lions, and chimpanzees. The park is also a bird’s paradise with over 500 bird species recorded. While hyenas can occasionally be spotted in the park, giraffes and zebras are absent. There are many interesting antelope species such as Uganda kob, topi and bush-bucks. Troops of chimpanzees habituated for tracking can also be observed in the park. Nine more primate species can be found, including the black-and-white colobus monkey.

Boat Rides – Kazinga Channel

If getting up close and personal with wildlife is anything to go by, Kazinga channel is the place to be. The 40km-long channel connects Lake George to Lake Edward – providing the park with a vantage position from which visitors can marvel at various form of wildlife abounding in. Its shoreline attracts large numbers of birds, mammals and reptiles all year round. While on the channel, expect to be thrilled by yawning hippos and enthralling views of beautiful water birds lazing by the shores. Truly, this is the most exciting and memorable experience, the best that the park has to offer to any discerning traveller.

Tree Climbing Lions – Ishasha

Ishasha’s diverse habitat comprises of Ishasha river flats, savanna woodlands and Lake Edward Flats which support a variety of wildlife, including the famous tree-climbing lions and some rare shoe bill storks. The hippo pools in the Ishasha’s river and Congo escarpment provide such a beautiful scenery.

Katwe Explosions Crater

The huge round basins scattered across the equator are evidence of the Albertine Rift’s bubbling volcanic activity in medieval times. A past not long ago and which occurred around the times in which the Egyptian pyramids were built. A 27km drive between Kabatoro gate and Queen Elizabeth’s Pavilion affords the visitors breathtaking views of the humongous craters, circular lakes, the vast Rift Valley escarpment, Kazinga channel, Lake George and Lake Edward – all with a view of the Rwenzori Mountains (‘Mountains of the Moon’).

Maramagambo Forest

This is one of the largest forests in Uganda. It is at a medium altitude, moist and a semi-deciduous forest. Characteristics of such a pristine forest are increasingly becoming rare in Africa.  The forest has very spectacular lakes and craters. It is the only place in the park where blue lakes can be found. Other features of attraction in the forest include; primates e.g. L’hoest’s monkeys, chimpanzees, bush-babies, baboons, blue-balled monkeys (vervet monkeys), red-tailed monkeys, etc.