Boat Cruise on Kazinga Channel | Queen Elizabeth National Park

Boat Cruise on Kazinga Channel: Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth national park is a narrow waterway which is 40 kilometers long connecting Lake Edward in the west and Lake George in the east. It is one of the major tourist attractions in the park.

The Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth national park is situated within the Mweya peninsula and is a habit of different wildlife species. It is known for harboring the highest number of hippos in the whole world. There are other animal species which are usually seen on the water banks drinking water like the elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, monitor lizards, Nile crocodiles among others.

Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth national park is a great spot for bird watching activities because it shelters over 58 bird species which can be seen during the boat cruise on the lake. Bird species seen include African shoebill, Pink backed pelican, Yellow billed stork, Malachite kingfisher, Fish eagle, Pied kingfisher, Papyrus Gonolek, African spoonbills, Martial eagle, Long tailed cormorant, Black bee-eater, Black crake, African skimmer among others.

Boat cruise on Kazinga Channel

Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth national park has been in existence since 1952. It offers the best and exciting boat cruise expeditions in Uganda. During the boat cruise on Kazinga channel, visitors will be able to explore the water body and cruise near different attractions like birds, animals, plants among others. Kazinga channel offers two cruise options where one is operated by Mweya safari lodge and another boat cruise operated by Uganda Wildlife Authority.

The boat cruise operated by Mweya safari lodge is the best in that it’s comfortable and luxurious compared to the double decker which is operated by Uganda Wildlife Authority. Boat cruise on Kazinga channel starts at a landing site near Mweya safari lodge and usually organizes two scheduled trips the one in the morning which starts at 9:00am and the afternoon boat cruise which sets off at 2:00pm with professional guides. In case you want to go at your own time there is an option of hiring a private boat at Mweya safari lodge.

Each scheduled boat trip on Kazinga channel takes about 2 hours and the best boat cruise is the one for the afternoon where will get an opportunity to view different bird and animal species which will be seen along the water banks drinking water. During the afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga channel you will also be able to see the fishing villages on the southern bank of Kazinga channel where the fisher men will be preparing their fishing gears for the night. Fishermen on Kazinga channel do not fish during the day due to hippos which stay in water during day time and graze in savannah vegetation at night.

Best time to go for a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth national park can be visited anytime of the year; however, the best time is during the dry season in the months of June to September and December to February. During the dry time the channel becomes an oasis which gathers large numbers of animals which come to bathe feed and drink water. These animals will be seen gathering on the shores of Kazinga channel and they include elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, hippos, Nile crocodiles, monitor lizards and sometimes if you are lucky you might spot the lions and leopards.

Visitors can also visit during the wet season in the months of March to May and December to February though it is considered to be ideal for bird viewing because it’s the breeding season for the birds and there is always plenty of fruits and food for the birds during the wet season.

Accommodation near Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

There are a number of luxury, midrange and budget lodges located near Kazinga channel where visitors on a safari in the park can spend a night or two and these include; Mweya safari lodge, Kazinga Channel view resort, Tembo safari lodge, Mweya hostel among others. The lodges offer comfortable shelter to visitors, free internet, quality local and international dishes, and great views of Kazinga channel hence making the visitors feel at home while on the safari in Uganda.

What other activities can one do besides a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel?

Aside from the boat cruise on Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth national park, visitors can take part in other interesting activities that are offered by the national park such as;

Game drives; Game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park are best done in the morning in Kasenyi plains where you will be able to view various bird and animal species like the Elephants, Oribis, Uganda kobs, Buffaloes, Bushbucks, Leopards, Lions, Waterbucks among others. Queen Elizabeth also offers night game drives to visitors on a safari in Uganda where you will use spotlight torches so as to have a clear view of the nocturnal animals such as the Lions, Leopards, Hyenas, Genal cats, Civets and many others.
Bird watching; Queen Elizabeth national park is home to over 658 bird species which can be found in different areas namely Maramagambo forest, Kyambura Gorge, Ishasha river, Mweya peninsula, Kasenyi plains, Kazinga channel among others
Chimpanzee trekking; Visitors can take part in chimpanzee trekking activities in Queen national park. Chimpanzee trekking in Queen Elizabeth national park is conducted in Kyambura Gorge but can also be done in Kalinzu forest which is located outside the park. Visitors will be able to view other primate species during chimpanzee trekking such as Red tailed monkeys, Baboons, Vervet monkeys, Black and white monkeys among others.
Lion tracking experience; This is a popular activity that is conducted in Queen Elizabeth national park and gives visitors an opportunity to track lions using tracking devices. Here, visitors are guaranteed of seeing the lions and also get to learn more about the behavior and habits of the lions in the park.
Mongoose tracking; Mongoose tracking in Queen Elizabeth national park is also an interesting activity which is done at Mweya peninsula where visitors track the banded mongoose and during the process also get an opportunity to learn about them.
Nature walk; this is a breathtaking activity in Queen Elizabeth national park where visitors get out of the vehicle and move on foot within the park as they experience nature and to refresh their minds. Nature walks in the park are commonly done in Maramagambo forest, Kyambura Gorge among others.
Crater lakes visit; Queen Elizabeth national park has about 10 crater lakes such as Lake Katwe salt lake where local people extract rock salt, Lake Bunyaruguru, Lake Munyanyange which is a great destination for bird watching, Lake Nyamunuka which is believed to have healing water for the sick animals among others. Each Crater Lake in Queen Elizabeth national park has a different story to tell that is worth listening.

How to get to Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth national park can either be reached by road or air transport

Air transport

When getting to Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth national park, you will book for schedule or chartered domestic flights like Aero-link from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi Airfield to Kasese Airstrip or Mweya Airstrip which is located inside the park.

Road transport

When travelling to Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth national park, you will drive from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, fort portal, Kasese and then to Queen Elizabeth national park taking about 6 to 7 hours’ drive on a tarmac road. You can also use public means of transport where you will board a bus from Kampala via Mubende, Fort Portal, from Kasese town you will hire a taxi to the park.