What to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park

What to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park, this is the second biggest national park and the most visited in Uganda, this park famous for four main tourist activities which are morning and evening game drives, chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge, and boat cruise on Kazinga channel connecting Lake George and Lake Edward, Queen Elizabeth National park is located in Western Uganda on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Queen Elizabeth national park is home to a variety of wildlife making it truly gifted by nature. Kisoro tours Uganda provides with all you need to know about the activities to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge

Chimp trek in Kyambura Gorge is one of the activities found in the Northern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park, chimpanzees in Kyambura gorge are habituated which means they have been accustomed to tourists/human presence. Kyambura gorge is a rainforest that makes excellent protection from the African sunshine as one of the beauties of nature hidden there in the Kyambura gorge. While in Queen Elizabeth national park, you will enjoy savannah grasslands as you drive to the gorge, apart from chimpanzees while in Kyambura gorge you will also see red-tailed monkeys, baboons, vervet monkeys, Black and White Colobus Monkeys, and different bird species.

Also apart from chimps and other primates, Kyambura has one of the best hiking/natural walking trails which gives more opportunity to explore more of this gorge.

Boat launch/cruise on Kazinga Channel

Boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel is one of the highlights of Queen Elizabeth national park, this boat ride is done along a natural water channel connecting Lake Edward to Lake George is an exciting event for the tourist and other visitors visiting Queen Elizabeth national park.

During this boat cruise on the Kazinga channel, you will get to enjoy the various sights and sounds that the Queen Elizabeth park’s rich aquatic life ranging from the large hippopotamuses taking their dips in the waters, the famous Nile crocodiles sunbathing on the channel banks for a feel of the warm, this is some of the life experiences you will encounter on the Kazinga Channel boat cruise.

Morning & Evening game drives

Game viewing is the major highlight of all tourists visiting Queen Elizabeth national park, the scenic game drives give you the opportunity to view even the most elusive of the park’s fauna, the best time to go for the game drive is during the morning and evening hours which allows getting close viewing of the wildlife which inhabits of the Queen Elizabeth Park in the comfort of your tourist vehicle. The guide/driver knows the best trucks in the park and he/she will take you in search of the different wildlife of Queen Elizabeth Park.

During the game drives, you could spot an elephant, the largest land mammal cleverly using its trunk to feed, a lion hutting on antelopes, leopards, a hyena, and other different types/groups of animals like big herds of Buffalo, Uganda kobs, warthogs and giant forest hog are among many other animals found in this park,

Other activities to do in Queen Elizabeth Park

Tree climbing lions in the ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth Park?

There are few places in the in Africa and the world where you see a tree-climbing lion, so if you ever find yourself being chased by a lion don’t think that climbing a tree will make you safe, anyway not when you are in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda, here lions climb up on fig trees and acacia trees which is an enchanting sight to behold.

It is believed that one the reason to why lions in Ishasha sector climb trees is for their better view of their surrounding environment which includes the better view of potential prey like the big herds of Uganda Kob and Buffalos that grazes in the vicinities and also lions in this sector enjoys the cool breeze in the trees and also trying to escape from the notorious bites of the tsetse flies but the main reason for the lions in this area choosing to spend most of their time up in the trees remains an interesting secret.

Bird watching in Queen Elizabeth National Park?

When it comes to bird watching, Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of Uganda’s best bird-watching spots with over 600 bird species making it one the bird watchers’ major destinations in Uganda. Some of the birds likely to see include the; Pink-backed Pelican, Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, Yellow-throated Cuckoo Sedge warbles, Papyrus canary, the martial eagle among other, and you may as well see the seasonal flamingos found at the Katwe salt lakes.

Banded Mongoose Tracking in Queen Elizabeth Park?

Mongoose trekking or tracking is one of the little known about activities in Queen Elizabeth Park, Mongoose tracking is a new activity which was introduced a few years ago by the Mongoose Research team bast at Mweya Peninsula where Mongoose tracking is done.

You can as well go for Mongoose filming and photography for TV crews and media houses, Mongoose tracking is a 3-hour guided activity giving you a chance to observe the Banded Mongoose and learn about their habits and this activity it can be done any day through the year but you have to book in advance.

During this fascinating activity of Banded Mongoose, you will see other different wildlife and birds along the Kazinga Channel on the Mweya Peninsula. Banded Mongoose tracking can be included in any of your Uganda safari itineraries. Note Banded Mongoose tracking is on foot guided walk along the Mweya Peninsula overlooking the Kazinga Channel so one must have some level of fitness.

Lion Research Experience Tracking in Queen Elizabeth Park

This is also a new activity which it was introduced about 3 years ago, Lion research track can be in the morning or late afternoon every day, this gives you the opportunity to take part in a Lion Tracking Research Experience in Queen Elizabeth National Park, lion tracking last for about two to three hours.

The tracks lions who have radio-collars attached to them, on this activity you will be guided by the professional lion researchers, this gives a chance to learn the habits of the Lions in Queen Elizabeth Park. if interested please book in advance, because lion tracking experience is limited to just a few tourists, and this activity, can be added to any of your Uganda safari programs.