QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s second biggest national park after Murchison Falls occupying close to 1,978 km square. In 1952 it was gazetted into a national park known as Queen Elizabeth National Park. The national park together with the Kyambura and Kigezi wild life reserves covers 2475 square kilometers.
A World bio-sphere reserve with a RAMSAR wetland site, the park is situated astride the equator and located in south western Uganda lying on the base of the rift valley between Lakes George and Edward.
The national park borders Democratic Republic of Congo on its western side. It is sometimes referred to as the pearl of Africa. In Uganda; Queen Elizabeth National Park is basically known for the big four animals that is the Elephants, Lions, Buffaloes and the Leopards. It is also classified as an Important Birding Area (IBA) by Birdlife International.
Biodiversity
Queen Elizabeth National park boasts of a wide range of habitats ranging from savanna and wetlands to river line and low land forest. The area is dominantly covered with water and 250 square kilometers of Lake Shores. Lake George, Lake Edward, The Kazinga Channels, Ishasha River and a series of crater lakes provide a rich habitat for both mammals and birds offering a brilliant wildlife viewing opportunities to visitors. Added to all this is the beautiful scenic spectacular panorama and terrain.
The park has 10 primate species, including chimpanzee, black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, red tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys. The park also has predators like lion, leopard, spotted hyena, side stripped jackal and also numerous antelope like bush back, water buck, oribi, topi, the shy and semi aquatic sitatunga and four species of duiker. Mammals in this park include; buffalo, elephant, hippo, mangoose.
Getting there
This park can be accessed most easily from Kampala. The tarmac road from Kampala via Mbarara town-Bushenyi leads to the par centre passing a mere 22 km from Mweya Peninsular, the main tourism hub .Approaching the park from the south via Mbarara covers a distance of 420km while the north through Fort Portal covers a total of 410 km.
En-route to the famed park, visitors have the opportunity to enjoy short detours to Lake Mburo National Park, Kibale National park renowned for chimpanzee tracking .
The park can also be accessed from the south from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park .
Air travel
Charter flights can be arranged to existing air strips of Kasese, Mweya and Ishasha.
Accommodation
A variety of accommodation caters for all budgets .They include
Mweya Safari Lodge
Jacana Safari Lodge
Ishasha Wilderness Camp for up market accommodation while Mweya Hostel and Ishasha bandas provide budget accommodation. Other accommodation facilities include Katara Lodge,Simba Safari Camp,Mweya Institute of Ecology Hostels, Hippo Hill Camp and Ihamba Safari Lodge
When to visit
The park can be visited at t any time of the year the best being between December –February and the tour can be for at least 2-3 days. It has recorded about 95mammal species and 606 bird species.
Main activities and attractions in QENP
Game drives:
Launch cruise on the Kazinga channel.
Chimpanzee tracking
Bird Watching
Traditional Salt Work Visit
Maramagambo Forest.
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