Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park: There are quite a number of things to do in Queen Elizabeth national park for tourists visiting like;

Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Game drive

This is one of the most popular activities done by tourists visiting Queen Elizabeth national park. Game drives in the park can be done in the morning when the animals are still active or late afternoon when the animals are going back to their resting places. Game drive in the park is done in different areas such as Kasenyi plains which harbors large concentration of animals, Mweya peninsular and Ishasha sector which harbors the tree climbing lions which are viewed lying up in the tree branches looking down on the antelopes grazing in the savannah plains. The game drive is done in the comfort of a safari vehicle and during the game drive you will be able to view animals like Uganda kobs, elephants, lions, leopards, warthogs, waterbucks, bushbucks, buffaloes, giant forest hogs among others.

Boat cruise

Boat cruise safaris in Queen Elizabeth national park offer visitors a unique and thrilling experience. Boat cruises are conducted on Kazinga channel and a best when combined with a game drive in the national park. A boat cruise in the park is done in sessions where the first session starts at 9:00am and the second session at 2:00pm and each session takes about 2 hours. During the boat cruise you will be able to view crocodiles and large concentration of hippos in water. Kazinga channel is known for harbors the highest number of hippos in Africa. You will also cruse near animals like elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, Uganda kobs which will be drinking water on the water shores and also view bird species such as pied kingfisher, black crake, African jacana, saddle billed stork, yellow billed stork, and the long tailed cormorant among others.

boat cruise in queen Elizabeth national park

Night game drive 

Queen Elizabeth national park also offers visitors night game drives, also referred to as nocturnal game drives. Night game drive is an interesting activity that is carried out in the park at night with an armed park ranger and spotlight torches for clear viewing. Night game drive in the park is mainly conducted in Mweya peninsular because Kasenyi plains receive large numbers of visitors during the day hence that’s the reason why night game drives are not conducted in the area in order not to stress the animals. During the night game drive you will be able to view nocturnal animals like the lions, leopards, hyenas, civet Genal, serval cats, hippos grazing and other animals like the antelopes, elephants which will be resting.

Nature walk

Nature walks in Queen Elizabeth National Park give visitors the chance to explore the park on foot as you explore and enjoy cool environment, fresh air among others. Nature walks in the park can be done in Maramagambo forest, Kyambura gorge, Mweya peninsular among others. During the nature walk you will have a close view of wildlife including the elephants, buffaloes, chimpanzees, L’Hoest monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, and bird species like honey guide greenbul, scaly breasted illadopsis, chestnut wattle eye, wood pecker, medicinal trees and plants among others. 

Birding

Queen Elizabeth national park is the best national park to conducted birding safaris in Uganda because the park hosts over 619 bird species which makes it a birders paradise for bird lovers. Top birding areas in the park include Maramagambo forest, Kasenyi plains, Kazinga channel, Katwe area, Mweya peninsular, Kyambura gorge, Katunguru Bridge, Lake Kikorongo among others. During birding you can look out for animal species like saddle billed stork, African shoebill, yellow wagtail, black crake, knob billed duck, common squacco heron, pink backed pelican, gull billed tern, black coucal, black bee-eater, honey guide greenbul, blue throated roller, blue breasted kingfisher, black cuckoo, African fin foot, pygmy kingfisher, swamp flycatcher, slender tailed nightjar, African mourning dove, palm nut vulture, hooded vulture, lappet faced vulture, brown snake eagle among others. 

Chimpanzee trekking

Chimpanzee trekking in Queen Elizabeth national park is conducted in Kyambura gorge which is also known as the valley of apes. It is located in the eastern part of the national park and offers spectacular views of the park and various wildlife species. Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park is done in two sessions that is the morning session and the afternoon session, both sessions start with a briefing about the expectations, rules and regulations. After the briefing you will be grouped into 6 people and then start trekking which takes about 2 to 3 hours. during chimpanzee trekking you will view primates like baboons, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, bird species among others and once the chimpanzees have been found, you will spend one hour with them in their natural habitat taking photos, recording the moments, learning about their habits, behaviors, lifestyles among others.

chimpanzee trekking in queen Elizabeth national park

Cultural Encounters

Cultural encounters in Queen Elizabeth national park are the best way for visitors to experience some of the many unique ethnic cultures that exist in Uganda and around the national park. Visit some of the Bakonzo communities that stay near the park and get an opportunity to interact with the locals.

Lion Tracking Experiential Tour.

One of the main highlights of any safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park is the lion-tracking experiential tour. Lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth national park will guarantee that you get to see the famous tree climbing lions in the park. The activity is conducted by the Uganda Carnivore Project in collaboration with Uganda Wildlife Authority. Lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth national park costs USD 110 per person.

lion tracking in  queen Elizabeth national

Banded Mongoose Tracking

Tourists visiting Queen Elizabeth national park can also do banded mongoose tracking if you are interested. The activity costs USD 30 dollars for both Foreign Residents and Foreign Non-Residents. 

Conclusion: Queen Elizabeth National Park has a lot to offer visitors and one can always combine a visit to the park with other activities in nearby national parks like gorilla trekking in Bwindi Forest national park and chimpanzee trekking in Kibale national park.

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