Queen Elizabeth National Park

A park with several personalities

Queen Elizabeth changes character as you move through it. Around the Mweya Peninsula, it’s a water park, where hippos and buffalo gather at the Kazinga Channel. On the Kasenyi plains, it’s open savanna with Uganda kob antelope and lions. In the south, the Ishasha sector is wooded plains where lions climb trees, and in the east, Kyambura Gorge is a hidden forest with chimps.

That variety means two or three nights is well spent, and it makes the park a natural halfway point between Kibale and Bwindi.

The Kazinga Channel

The boat cruise is a highlight. You travel on a shallow, natural channel that joins Lake George to Lake Edward, and animals come to drink at the water’s edge. Hippos are always present, often in dozens. Elephants, buffalo and waterbuck line the banks, and the birdlife includes pied kingfishers, African fish eagles and, at times, huge flocks of migratory birds. Guides on the boat point out species, and it’s easy to photograph from the low deck.

Ishasha’s tree-climbing lions

Ishasha is famous for its lions that climb fig trees, probably to escape heat and biting flies. In the middle of the day, you can often find them stretched along a branch. The sector is remote and quiet, and it’s on the way if you’re driving from Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi.

Kyambura Gorge

Kyambura Gorge is a steep, forested gorge cut into the plains. A small community of habituated chimps lives here, and the trek involves descending into the forest and walking under a dense canopy. Sightings are not as reliable as at Kibale, but it’s an unusual and scenic trek.

When to go

June to September and December to February are the drier, easier months. Game drives are more productive when the grass is short. The wet seasons, March to May and October to November, are greener, cheaper and quieter, but roads can be muddy.

Getting there

From Kampala, the drive is about five to six hours by road. Domestic flights from Entebbe to Mweya take about 1.5 hours. From Kibale, the drive is roughly two hours. The Ishasha sector is roughly two to three hours from Bwindi. Many travellers combine Queen Elizabeth, Kibale and Bwindi in a 7 to 10 day loop.

Costs

Entry fees for foreign non-residents are set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority per person per day, and they’re revised from time to time. Boat cruises and lion tracking are extra. Accommodation runs from budget guesthouses and campsites to luxury lodges overlooking the Kazinga Channel.