Queen Elizabeth National Park Safari : Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the most popular safari destinations located in south western Uganda, offering a diverse range of wildlife and stunning landscapes.
Safaris in Queen Elizabeth national park offer amazing wildlife encounters since the national park is the second largest national park of Uganda. The national park was named after the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth 11.
The national park is known for its diverse wildlife, including the famous tree-climbing lions that can be spotted in the Ishasha sector of the park. Other animals that can be seen on a safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park include elephants, buffalos, leopards, hippos, impalas, hyenas, warthogs, Uganda kob, waterbuck, topi among others.
Queen Elizabeth national park also boasts an impressive bird population with over 600 bird species recorded, making it a paradise for birdwatchers in Uganda.
Attractions to see during Queen Elizabeth national park safaris
There are different places to explore during a safari in Queen Elizabeth national park and they include the Ishasha sector, Kyambura gorge, Kasenyi plains, Katwe salt mines, Kazinga channel, Mweya peninsular, Kalinzu forest among others.
The Ishasha sector in the southern part of the national park is popular during Queen Elizabeth national park safaris because of the unique tree climbing lions which can be seen in the sector. It is one of the 2 places where the tree climbing lions are found.
Kazinga channel is another place to visit during safaris in Queen Elizabeth national park and is known for boat safaris. Lake Edward and Lake George form the Kazinga channel where tourists can enjoy boat rides in the morning and in the afternoon while seeing different wildlife species by the water shores such as buffalos, hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants and a variety of bird species.
Another attraction in Queen Elizabeth national park is the Mweya peninsular which is famous for game drives as it is home to numerous wildlife species including many elephants which can be seen on the way to the Kazinga channel during safaris in Uganda.
Tourists can also visit the Katwe salt mines where the locals living around Queen Elizabeth national park engage in salt mining. Bird species such as flamingos are also found along the shores of the lake where mining is done. There are also local craft shops near the salt mines.
The Kyambura gorge is another place to visit during Queen Elizabeth safaris and is known for bring home to chimpanzees in the national park, It is also a location where chimpanzee trekking, hiking can be done as well as guided nature walks in the forest and elephant trenches.
The Kasenyi plains in Queen Elizabeth national park is famous for game drives in search of the different wildlife species including the many species of antelopes found in the savannah plains.
Cost of Queen Elizabeth national park safaris
The cost of a safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park can vary depending on several factors such as the type of safari, the duration of the trip, number of people on safari, type of accommodation, the time of year.
When it comes to accommodation costs, the price of the safari in Queen Elizabeth national park varies depending on the type of the lodge where the tourists stay which can be Budget lodges which range from 50 USD to 100 USD per night, Mid-range lodges ranging between 150 to 300 USD per night, Luxury lodges ranging from 300 to 600 USD per person per night.
Transportation during safaris in Queen Elizabeth national park can be private transportation or shared transport and also self drives. 4×4 safari vehicles are used during the safaris and cost about 50 to 100 USD per day for renting.
Park entrance fee is another cost incurred during tours in Queen Elizabeth national park and it is valid for 24 hours upon entry into the national park. Foreign nonresidents pay park fee of 40 USD, foreign residents are charged a fee of 30 USD and East Africans pay park fees of 20,000 Uganda shillings.
Activities in Queen Elizabeth national park are also charged separately such as boat rides which cost 30 USD, chimpanzee tracking which costs 50 USD, lion tracking which costs 100 USD.
Meal costs are also encountered during visits in Queen Elizabeth national park and they are about 30 USD per person for each meal and can be part of the accommodation charge or a separate cost.
Activities to do during a safari in Queen Elizabeth national park
During Queen Elizabeth national park safaris, there are various activities which can be done and they include game drives, boat safaris, bird watching, chimpanzee tracking and community tours.
Game drives are part of the wildlife safari experience that takes place in Queen Elizabeth national park and the drives can be done in the morning and in the afternoon during the search for wildlife species such as elephants, lions, buffalos, antelopes, leopards among others.
Tourists can also take part in exciting lion tracking experiences in Kasenyi plains to search for the lions around Queen Elizabeth national park. The activity takes place in the morning and in the afternoon.
Bird watching is another activity in Queen Elizabeth national park and is done in different parts of the national park with some of the popular birding spots like the Kazinga channel where various water birds can be spotted including Kingfishers, African fish eagles, cormorants among others.
Boat safaris can also be done during Queen Elizabeth national park safaris along the Kazinga channel. The boat rides take place in the morning and in the afternoon and take tourists close to the wildlife species by the water shores like elephants, buffalos, hippos and Nile crocodiles.
Chimpanzee tracking is another activity to do in Queen Elizabeth national park and it takes place in the Kyambura gorge. The encounter with the chimpanzees can be done in the morning and also in the afternoon.
Interactions with the local communities around Queen Elizabeth national park is another activity to do which involves getting to know about the way of life of the locals and an insight into their culture.
