TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
Tourist Attractions in Queen Elizabeth National Park : Queen Elizabeth national park is the most popular game viewing destination and savannah national park in Uganda situated in the western region of Uganda and spans across 4 districts that are Kasese, Kamwenge, Rubirizi and Rukungiri.
Queen Elizabeth national park is a very rewarding Uganda safari destination covering an area of 1978 square kilometers and was established as a national park in 1952, the park has many tourist attractions which include
Wildlife
Queen Elizabeth national park is a home to a variety of wildlife species living in the various vegetation zones of the park such as endless savannah plains, Maramagambo forests and among other areas. Queen Elizabeth national park is famously or tree climbing lions and is a home to 95 mammal species including African elephant, African buffalo, Uganda kob, hippopotamus, topi, waterbuck, warthog, giant forest hog, Nile crocodiles, lions, leopards and many primates such as chimpanzees, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys and many more.
Birdlife
Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the best bird habitats in Uganda and Africa as a continent which makes it a great Uganda birding destination, the park is a home to over 600 bird species which is the second highest population in Africa. Birds in Queen Elizabeth national park inhabit the various regions of the park such as Maramagambo forest, Kasenyi plains area, Mweya peninsula among others.
Birds in Queen Elizabeth national park include African finfoot, African hobby, African skimmer, Ayres’s hawk eagle, Black bee-eater, Black-rumped buttonquail, Broad-billed roller, Caspian plover, Collared pratincole, Common sand martin, Crab-plover, Great blue turaco, Great white pelican, Grey-winged robin-chat, Heuglin’s gull, Palm-nut vulture, Papyrus gonolek, Pel’s fishing-owl, Pink-backed pelican, Red-chested sunbird, Rufous-bellied heron, Shoebill, Spotted redshank, Western banded snake eagle, White-backed night heron, White-winged tern, Yellow-bellied wattle-eye,Yellow-throated cuckoo among others.
Kasenyi plains area
Kasenyi plains area in Queen Elizabeth national park is found in the north Eastern region of the park and at times is referred to as the Mweya or Kasenyi sector, Kasenyi plains is dominated endless savannah plains inhabiting various species of wildlife and birdlife. This area offers excellent game viewing and bird watching experience.
Game drives in Kasenyi plains area offer excellent views of many animals such as Uganda Kob, antelope, lions, elephants, waterbucks, sitatunga antelopes and hippos and crocodiles in the section of Kazinga channel. During your bird watching safari in the Kasenyi plains except to enjoy watching many bird species such as Palm-nut vulture, hooded vulture, Africa white backed vulture, martial eagle, brown snake eagle, grey backed fiscal, black headed gonolek among others.
The Mweya peninsula
The Mweya peninsula is a very magnificent area located on the northern bank of Kazinga channel at the convergence of the channel with Lake Edward, Mweya peninsula area comprises of channel Track down to Katunguru gate then across to the Kabatoro gate. Mweya peninsula is dominated by dense vegetation comprising of Candelabra Thorn, the area is an ideal site for game viewing and birdwatching xperiences in Queen Elizabeth national park.
To facilitate game viewing there are a number tracks running through the peninsula used for game drives and animals such as antelopes, bush pigs, elephants are seen. The peninsula is a great habitant for birds such as African mourning dove, Diederik cuckoo, pygmy kingfisher, little bee eater, swallows, swifts, grey capped warbler, swap flycatcher among others.
Maramagambo forest
Maramagambo forest dominates the larger area of Queen Elizabeth national park along the Kicwamba escarpment on the right side of the western rift valley arm to Lake Edward, the forest is situated in the southern region of Queen Elizabeth national park and bordered by two lakes that are Lake Kyasanduka and Lake Nyamasingira.
Maramagambo Forest is a habitat to various species primates and birds, primates found in Maramagambo forest include chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, and two nocturnal species that are the Pottos and Bush babies. Some of the birds you should expect to see in Maramagambo forest include brown Illadopsis, brubru, Marsh Tchagra, western black-headed Oriole, black bishop, white-breasted Negrofinch, black headed batis, cuckoo-shrike, brown eared woodpecker among others.
Maramagambo forest in a perfect destination for bird watching and hiking safaris in Queen Elizabeth national park.
Katwe area
The Katwe area is a magnificent area with a chain of crater lakes and swamps such as Lake Katwe and Lake Munyanyange and others, Lake Katwe is famous for salt mining and when you visit the lake you will enjoy watching the local way of mining salt, at Lake Munyanyange is a famous site for water birds such as little stint, curlew sandpiper, lesser black-backed gull, gull-bellied tern, redp-capped lark, African Moustached warbler, croaking cisticola, southern red bishop, pallid harrier, Avocet, common Greenshank among others.
Ishasha sector
The Ishasha sector is a remarkable area in Queen Elizabeth national park famous for the tree climbing lions, this area is situated in the southern sector of the park and is a renowned habitat for the tree climbing lions which are spotted during game viewing experience. Ishasha sector is a home for the exceptional lions with black manes which you will enjoy spotting lounging on the branches of fig trees, apart from lions the sector is a home to a huge population of bird species such as brown snake eagle, helmeted Guineafowl, white-browed robin-chat, grey-backed fiscal, yellow-billed oxpecker, Senegal plover, African wattled plover, African white-backed vulture, Ruppell’s Griffon vulture, Africa crake, Double-toothed Barbet among others.
Lake Kikorongo
Lake Kikorongo in Queen Elizabeth national park is a great birding site perfect for Uganda birding safaris, the lake is an extension of Lake George and is a habitat of several species of waders which you will be amazed to encounter and these include Africa Jacana, Shoe bill, Sacred Ibis, knob-bellied duck, saddle-billed stork, common Squacco Heron, yellow wagtail, greater swamp warbler, white-winged warbler, greater swamp warbler among others.
Katunguru Bridge area
Katunguru Bridge area is situated around the Katunguru Bridge across the Kazinga Channel from the Kasese district to the Rubirizi district, under the bridge there is a papyrus swamp inhabiting various species of birds which male it a great site for Uganda birding safaris in Queen Elizabeth national park.
Some of the bird species to see in the Katunguru Bridge area include papyrus Gonolek, lesser swamp warbler, malachite kingfisher, greater swamp warbler, Carruther’s cisticola, lesser swamp warbler, white-winged tern, and pink-blacked pelican among others.
Kazinga channel
Kazinga channel is a fascinating feature in Queen Elizabeth national park, the channel is a 40 meters long channel connecting Lake George in the East to Lake Edward in the west. Kazinga channel is an excellent site for wildlife viewing in Queen Elizabeth national park and is best explored on a boat cruise, on the boat cruise you will get to spot a number of animals such as elephants, rhinos, buffaloes and many birds on the shores of the channel.
Equator
Equator is a remarkable imaginary line dividing the world into two and Queen Elizabeth national park is one of few destination crossed by this imaginary line, in the park there is a landmark where you get to stand and take amazing pictures. It is a very entertaining to stand in a site where the world is divided into two that is north and south hemisphere and Equator Water Experiment is performed where you will see water turn into different directions in the south and north hemispheres.
Kyambura gorge
Kyambura gorge is a habitat for primates in Queen Elizabeth national park situated in the eastern corner of Queen Elizabeth national park, the gorge is of over 1 kilometers width, over 100 meters deep and drained by River Kyambura. Kyambura Gorge is also referred to as a primate haven as it is a home to various species of primates such as chimpanzees, olive baboons and others, the gorge is dominated by a rich tropical rain forests and in forest various species of birds and wild animals call it home.
The tree canopy of Kyambura gorge forms a dark like sight which will fascinate you during your Uganda safari in Queen Elizabeth national park and in the gorge.
All these beautiful tourist attractions can be watched during a Uganda wildlife safari in Queen Elizabeth national park