Queen Elizabeth National Park : East Africa is one of the finest tourist destination for wildlife safaris, beach holidays, birding, cultural tours and many other activities, which leave tourists with an unending thirst of knowing more about this masterpiece of Africa. Apart from, Kenya and Tanzania which are well-known for the Great Migration, Uganda is another promising destination for doing a lot of activities.
Uganda is crossed by the equator at zero latitude, and wonderful enough, the equator line crosses through the Queen Elizabeth National Park. Visitors usually stop there for photo taking to create an unforgettable history in their safari life.
Why is Queen Elizabeth National Park famous?
Firstly, it is crossed by the equator at zero latitude thus making it a perfect place for photography and memories. Secondly, it is home to the tree-climbing lions, which can’t be spotted elsewhere in the world except in this park, and in Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania and Kruger National Park in South Africa. Last but not least, Queen Elizabeth National Park is rich in diverse wildlife.
Attractions in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Tree climbing lions: Dubbed as the “king of the African jungle”, lion is an intelligent predator. However, these tree climbing lions are very unique as compared to other lions. This is because they have ability to climb on trees for resting, and are usually spotted on acacia branches. These lions also, use their tree-climbing skills when hiding to catch their prey, which are always kobs and antelopes.
Diverse wildlife: Endowed with more than 95 mammals, Queen Elizabeth National Park is a spectacular destination for wildlife viewers. Some of such species include spotted hyenas, chimpanzees, warthogs, stripped jackals, Uganda kobs, serval cats, topis, civet, waterbucks and the rare sitatunga antelope. This mysterious park is also home to four animals that make the Big Five animals which are lions, elephants, buffalos, and leopards.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is also home to the largest concentration of hippos, which can be spotted in Kazinga Channel alongside with the crocodiles.
Queen Elizabeth National Park also hosts over 600 bird species, which makes it a fantastic destination for birders. Other species that can be encountered in Queen Elizabeth National Park include reptiles, reptiles, insects and bats.
Kazinga Channel: Before being renamed to its current name, Queen Elizabeth National Park was named after this channel. Kazinga Channel is a picturesque feature within Queen Elizabeth National Park which connects Lake Albert and Lake George. It also offers sensational views of aquatic such as hippos and crocodiles. Some terrestrial wild animals such as buffalos, elephants, antelopes, and predators like lions and leopards are usually found close to this channel. Water related activities such as swimming, canoeing and launch trips can also be conducted in Kazinga Channel.
Landscape: The landscape of Queen Elizabeth National Park is fascinating as it is made of splendid savannahs, wetlands, humid forests, and crater lakes. The Kyambura Escarpment is another icon of this park, which builds on a 100-meter deep valley. It is hosts a huge number of chimpanzees, which make it a nice place of chimpanzee trekking.
Getting to Queen Elizabeth National Park
This park is located in Kasese District, about 410 kilometers west of Kampala. If you want to reach there by road, you can take a 7 to 8-hours’ drive. The journey may involves other iconic parks along the way, and this depends on your itinerary.
If you want to get Queen Elizabeth National Park by air, flights from the Entebbe International Airport and Kajjansi Airfield which is near Kampala, are available. The destinations of chartered flights from these locations are Kasese, Mweya or Kihihi airstrips, which are very close to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
If you want to spend your night in the wilderness of Queen Elizabeth National Park, this thriving park has world-class accommodation facilities. The night is calming. You will sleep while enjoying the noisy nature of the night. These include Ishasha Wilderness Camp, Mweya Safari Lodge, Kyambura Tented Camp, and Jacana Safari Lodge.
Generally speaking, the decision of where to spend your holiday is very potential because it dictates whether your safari will be amazing or boring. You are the one who choose to have an unforgettable journey by making sure you pick the marvelous destination for your Uganda safari. However, a safari through the mysterious attractions of Queen Elizabeth National Park can’t be forgotten.
