As Uganda’s second largest National Park, after Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth National Park is a place of outstanding beauty and extreme biodiversity. About 1,978 square kilometres in area, it straddles the equator in South Uganda at the base of the rift Valley, bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the West.
Stretching from the crater foothills of the Rwenzori Range, down to the remote Ishasha in the south, wildlife changes as you travel. A birder’s paradise, there are hundreds and hundreds (over 600) bird species, some rare, others endemic and many odd, including the pouting shoebill which stands at a huge 4ft tall. In Kyamburu Gorge you will find, among the hanging vines and dense treetops, social chimpanzees and in Ishasha, the famous tree-climbing lions, sultry leopards and migratory elephants which cross over from the DRC. Flamingos loiter round the crater lakes in the north, and you will find what is said to be the largest concentration of hippos lounging in the Kazinga channel. Other wildlife you may encounter includes warthog, giant forest hog, rare aquatic sitatunga and waterbuck.
activities
Activities vary and include game drives and nature walks, as well as boat trips down the Kazinga Channel for a unique vantage point on the savannah wildlife. You can also embark on chimpanzee tracking, as well as cultural tours and birding trips. Queen Elizabeth National Park offers a complete change from the heavily forested National Park of Bwindi where most people who head to Uganda will track the endangered mountain gorillas.
It makes a great addition to any gorilla tracking safari in either Uganda or Rwanda, ensuring a varied and wholly African itinerary and experience.
Ishasha wilderness luxury tented camp in southern Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to the tree climbing lions.
Offering optimum access to chimpanzee tracking, the lodge is in Queen Elizabeth National Park, with views into Kyambura Gorge.
Mweya Safari Lodge provides the quickest access to Queen Elizabeth National Park and also the Kazinga Channel.
Accommodation varies, with the option of camps or lodges, most of which have spectacular views and amazing access to wildlife. Mweya Safari Lodge offers the ability to have a relaxing swim whilst looking out over the plains, whereas Kyambura Gorge Lodge offers intimacy and luxury in the prime chimp tracking area.
Contact one of our Destination Specialists to start planning your journey to Uganda. Please note we recommend a budget of from £7,000 / $10,000 USD per person for our style of trip to this destination.