Queen Elizabeth National Park

Situated close to mountain Rwenzori, the park’s sites include several beautiful crates lakes that winding through the rolling hills,

 the panoramic display of the Kazinga channel with an awesome view of the hippos, buffaloes, elephants and several bird species lined up at the shores. With a continuation towards ishasha sector plains, another surprise of tree climbing lions resting on trees waiting to pounce on the Uganda Kobs and other preys will blow one a way.

Besides the remarkable wildlife attraction, Queen Elizabeth national park also boasts of attractive heritage/ culture history. There are numerous opportunities for traveler and tourists to visit the local population   who are entertaining in terms of local music and cultural dances.  With all such attractions queen Elizabeth national park tours leave  tourists wanting for more.

History of queen Elizabeth national park

This amazing national park derives its name from the queen of England.  Ironically the park present area was formerly grazing area for the local Basongora cattle keepers whose life entirely was dependent cattle grazing/ pastoralism.  When the British explorers namely H.M Stanley and Captain FD Lugard explored the area towards the end last century, both made confirmatory report that the area had become depopulated as a result of cattle raiding from Bunyoro and Buganda. Other causes of the depopulation included epidemics such as small pox and render pests. The Basongora could not contain such calamity compelling and making the area completely to become depopulated.  The remnants turned to fishing to earn a living. As a result of the Basongora departure, the wildlife and vegetation thrived significantly hence leading to the creation of the queen Elizabeth national park in the British protectorate government in the year 1906. Part of northern Lake George area was also declared a game reserve to avoid what   terms as un regulated hunting by British and African and later had to venture into cotton growing.

In the year 1912 the area of Lake George and Ishasha had been declared restricted/controlled areas. The local communities that were involved in fishing and agriculture also left the area and moved to other favorable areas there by making the area more depopulated. Additionally the outburst of diseases like sleeping sickness continued up to 1930. The national park decree was approved and on 31^st march 1952 queen Elizabeth national park then called Kazinga national park was gazetted that year. After a serious lobbying by the chief warden at the time, Bruce Kinloch and the governor.  Due to that, the land mass with the areas Lake George and game reserve was extended to embrace big areas in Lake Edward and Kazinga channel.

Queen Elizabeth national parks is undoubtedly Uganda’s most famous national park and traveler’s destination. The presence of varied bionetwork to mention the beautiful lakes, extensive savanna,the natural forests and fertile swamps hence making it the best place the big games,  ten primate species  of course including chimps , 600 bird species.

Situated close to mountain Rwenzori, the park’s sites include several beautiful crates lakes that winding through the rolling hills, the panoramic display of the Kazinga channel with an awesome view of the hippos, buffaloes, elephants and several bird species lined up at the shores. With a continuation towards ishasha sector plains, another surprise of tree climbing lions resting on trees waiting to pounce on the Uganda Kobs and other preys will blow one a way.

Besides the remarkable wildlife attraction, Queen Elizabeth national park also boasts of attractive heritage/ culture history. There are numerous opportunities for traveler and tourists to visit the local population   who are entertaining in terms of local music and cultural dances.  With all such attractions queen Elizabeth national park tours leave  tourists wanting for more.

History of queen Elizabeth national park

This amazing national park derives its name from the queen of England.  Ironically the park present area was formerly grazing area for the local Basongora cattle keepers whose life entirely was dependent cattle grazing/ pastoralism.  When the British explorers namely H.M Stanley and Captain FD Lugard explored the area towards the end last century, both made confirmatory report that the area had become depopulated as a result of cattle raiding from Bunyoro and Buganda. Other causes of the depopulation included epidemics such as small pox and render pests. The Basongora could not contain such calamity compelling and making the area completely to become depopulated.  The remnants turned to fishing to earn a living. As a result of the Basongora departure, the wildlife and vegetation thrived significantly hence leading to the creation of the queen Elizabeth national park in the British protectorate government in the year 1906. Part of northern Lake George area was also declared a game reserve to avoid what   terms as un regulated hunting by British and African and later had to venture into cotton growing.

In the year 1912 the area of Lake George and Ishasha had been declared restricted/controlled areas. The local communities that were involved in fishing and agriculture also left the area and moved to other favorable areas there by making the area more depopulated. Additionally the outburst of diseases like sleeping sickness continued up to 1930. The national park decree was approved and on 31^st march 1952 queen Elizabeth national park then called Kazinga national park was gazetted that year. After a serious lobbying by the chief warden at the time, Bruce Kinloch and the governor.  Due to that, the land mass with the areas Lake George and game reserve was extended to embrace big areas in Lake Edward and Kazinga channel.

The park is home to over 95 mammal species, which are the main attraction of the visitors to the park. It has four of the ‘Big Five’ namely Elephant, Leopard, Lion and Buffalo. It is home to thousands of hippos that populate the water shores of Kazinga Channel, which connects Lake George to Lake Edward – known to have the largest herd of hippos. The park is an open Savannah spread with acacia and euphorbia trees that provide a habitat for leopards, elephants, lions, Uganda kobs, Topi, hyenas, and big herds of buffaloes, large families of banded mongoose, warthogs, bushbucks and waterbucks.

Chimpanzees and other primates are found in the adjacent Kyambura gorge and ‘underground forest’. Look for the black-and-white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons etc.

The park is home to over 95 mammal species, which are the main attraction of the visitors to the park. It has four of

the ‘Big Five’ namely Elephant, Leopard, Lion and Buffalo. It is home to thousands of hippos that populate the water shores of Kazinga Channel, which connects Lake George to Lake Edward – known to have the largest herd of hippos. The park is an open Savannah spread with acacia and euphorbia trees that provide a habitat for leopards, elephants, lions, Uganda kobs, Topi, hyenas, and big herds of buffaloes, large families of banded mongoose, warthogs, bushbucks and waterbucks.

Chimpanzees and other primates are found in the adjacent Kyambura gorge and ‘underground forest’. Look for the black-and-white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons etc.

Game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park can be split into two areas, the Channel Drive Circuit and the Kasenyi Plains.

The Channel Drive Circuit follows the northern shore of the Kazinga Channel, the roads wind between tangled thickets interspersed with the cactuslike euphorbia trees. The most common large mammals seen here are warthog,bushbuck, waterbuck, elephants, hippos and frequently lions. Leopardsare also a common sight in this section of the park and due to them beingunusually habituated; they provide a rare opportunity to get up close andpersonal to these magnificent animals. This is also one of the few places inAfrica where the rare giant forest hog is regularly seen during daylight hours.

The Kasenyi Plains stretching towards Lake George is a typical African Savannah. These rolling plains support some of the largest concentrations of game anywhere in Queen Elizabeth National Park and offer a different selection of animals then that seen on the Channel Drive Circuit. According to the guides it is said to be the most reliable place in Uganda to see lions. This section of the park alongside the wonderful variety of game and predator species boosts an interesting selection of grassland birds, including grey-crowned crane, red-throated spurfowl and yellow-throated longclaw.

The park hosts the Kyambura gorge which is an ‘underground’ forest 100m below the Kichwaba escarpment. It is home to ten primate species including the famed chimpanzees, olive baboons, black-and-white colobus monkeys, etc. Chimpanzee tracking has to be booked in advance from the park headquarters. The chances of sighting the chimpanzees are not high but nevertheless the experience trekking through the forest is amazing as you have many other sightings of beautiful birds and other primates.

Kazinga channel is a stretch of water connecting Lake Edward and Lake George provides a fantastic game and bird viewing experience. You have sightings of Elephant as they take water and schools of Hippos as they guard their territories. There are boat safaris happening from the jetty that last between 2 – 3 hours leaving both in the morning and the afternoon. There are shared boats but you can choose to hire private boats for you and your party.

Other animals you are likely to see are monitor lizards, crocodiles, waterbucks, buffaloes, Elephants, bushbucks etc. The bird life is excellent with numerous bird species. The launch trips are twice daily i.e. morning and afternoons but for birding trip we recommend the morning boat which gives you better opportunities for bird watching.

Katwe Crater Lakes are a cluster of ten crater lakes formed from extinct volcanoes. The lakes are situated north of Mweya Safari Lodge and can be explored down the winding 27km Crater Drive. These lakes offer stunning scenery and breathtaking views across Queen Elizabeth National Park and also on a clear day the neighbouring mountains of Congo. Some of the lakes are filled with water and provide ample opportunity to observe animals coming down to the water’s edge to drink