Experience the wonders of Queen Elizabeth National Park without draining your wallet with affordable car rentals in Uganda. Encounter diverse wildlife and stunning landscapes without overspending. Queen Elizabeth National Park lies against the backdrop of the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains in the western side of Uganda and extends for an area of 1978 square kilometers. This enormous National Park was established in 1952 as Kazinga National Park but gained its current name two years later following the visit of Queen Elizabeth II in Uganda.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is characterized by varying elevations with the Katwe Explosion Crater being the highest point of the Park with over 1350 meters above sea level and Lake Edward being the lowest point with only 910 meters above sea level. Its diverse ecosystems (ranging from wetlands, rolling lush hills, vast Craters, lakes, forests to vast savannah plains) are responsible for the classic wildlife and birdlife found in the Park.
Attractions in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Besides the outstanding wildlife and avifauna, The park has other mind-blowing attractions that can make your safari experience complete.
Crater Lakes
This National park is situated with the Rift valley with over 10 Crater Lakes including Katwe and Nyamunuka which are also habitats for migratory bird species.
The Equator
Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the few places in the world crossed by the Equator.
Other magnificent places to visit in the park are the Kazinga Channel, Kyambura Game Reserve, Maramagambo Forest as well as people and their culture among others.
Activities within Queen Elizabeth National Park
Birding
Queen Elizabeth National Park alone contains more than half of Uganda’s total bird species and is one of the top 10 Important Birding Areas in the country with the top birding sites being the Katwe area, Kasenyi area, Mweya Peninsula, Ishasha sector, Maramagambo forest, and Lake Kikorongo among others. The popular bird species to expect in these areas are the papyrus gonolek, pink-backed pelicans, Pied and malachite kingfishers, gull-billed terns, lesser swamp warblers, common Squacco herons, sacred ibis, great Honeyguide, broad-billed rollers, grey woodpecker, stripped kingfisher, African-crowned eagles, shoebill storks, Martial eagles, and African fish eagles among others.
Chimpanzee tracking
Chimpanzee tracking in the park is conducted within the Kyambura gorge from 8:00 am and 2:00 pm lasting 1-3 hours. Other primates are also expected during chimpanzee tracking especially the black and white colobus monkeys and vervet monkeys among others.
Game drives
The game drive is another important activity enjoyed by tourists visiting the park where both day and night game drives are offered. Game tracks through the areas of northern Kasenyi plains, Ishasha sector, and Katwe offers guaranteed opportunities of encountering the African elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, Topis, warthogs, and waterbucks among others. The night game drives in this Park are mainly conducted in the company of armed ranger/guides through the areas of the Mweya peninsula between the Lake Edward and Kazinga Channel for chances of spotting the nocturnal animals, especially leopards, lions, spotted hyenas, and even snakes as they cross the roads.
Experiential tourism
This interesting activity is only unique to Queen Elizabeth National Park and involves tourists involving themselves in monitoring some identified mammal species using sophisticated locator devices. It is conducted in the presence of researchers and currently, the experiential tourist activities available are lion tracking, Hippo Census, Banded Mongoose tracking, and Bird counts.
Boat cruises
Boat cruises in Queen Elizabeth National Park are conducted within the Kazinga Channel, along the natural channel of 40 kilometers connecting Lake George to Lake Edward. Beginning at 9:00 am or 2:00 pm, the boat cruises are conducted in the company of Park guides and last between 2-3 hours.
Expect to see the Nile crocodiles and Hippos in the waters but if the activity is conducted in the afternoon, there are also chances of seeing the antelopes, elephants, and buffaloes drinking water or cooling themselves from the banks of the channel. Also expect to see bird species such as pink-backed pelicans, cormorants, African fish eagles, and papyrus gonolek during the boat cruise.
Nature walks
Walking on foot is a perfect way of discovering the real and detailed beauty of a destination. In the park it is conducted in the company of an armed ranger/guide through areas of Mweya Peninsula, Maramagambo forest, and around Ishasha River where hippos, warthogs, elands, and Uganda kobs are a must-see.
Cultural tours
Cultural tours allow visitors to see and experience different cultures from the ones they are used to. During these visits, be entertained in traditional dances, taste some of the local dishes and participate in the daily activities of the locals. As for Queen Elizabeth National Park, cultural tours are undertaken from the leopard village, Kikorongo Women Community, Katwe Tourism Information center, Agro-tour walk, Nayanz’ibiri Cave Community, and many others.
Places to stay
Queen Elizabeth National Park boasts of a variety of accommodation facilities ranging from the up-market, midrange to budget facilities that make tourists’ visits memorable. The popular luxury Safari Lodges to book during your visit are Mweya Safari Lodge, Hippo Safari Lodge, Jacana Safari Lodge, Kyambura Game Lodge, Kyambura Gorge Lodge, Ishasha Wilderness Camp, and many others.
The best midrange accommodation facilities to stay in when you visit the park are Enganzi game Lodge, Bush Lodge, Marafiki Safari Lodge, and many others.
Some of the budget accommodation facilities in the park include Pumba Safari Cottages, River Ishasha Safari camp, Kazinga Channel View Resort, Mweya Hostel and Cottages, Simba Safari camp, and Tembo Safari Lodge among others.
How to Get There
Queen Elizabeth National Park is about 420 kilometers from Kampala and can be reached through road and air transport. For air, chartered flights are arranged by Aerolink from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip to Mweya, Ishasha, and Kasese airstrips thereby continuing to the Park by road (if landed at Kasese).
Two routes lead visitors to the park the first one being Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara-Bushenyi-Kasese then to the heart of the Park. This route is about 420 kilometers while the second one is 410 kilometers through Fort Portal.
Tourists from trekking the Mountain gorillas from the northern sector of Buhoma can connect to Queen Elizabeth National Park through the Ishasha sector.
Experience the wonders of Queen Elizabeth National Park without breaking the bank with cheap car rentals in Uganda. Encounter diverse wildlife and stunning landscapes without overspending. Book your budget-friendly car rental today and embark on an unforgettable adventure through Queen Elizabeth National Park.
