Queen Elizabeth National Park – “A medley of wonders”

The Uganda’s most popular national park and certainly one of its most scenic.it stretches from the crater dotted foothills of the Rwenzori range in the north, along the shores of lake Edward to the remote ishasha rive in the south.

Conservation Importance: The park is a World Bio-sphere reserve (UNESCO 1979) that includes a RAMSAR wetland site and is classified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by Birdlife International.

Specie diversity: Most area is covered water, thickets rain forests, swamps and savanna grasslands. This has provided suitable habitat for a wide range of species. At least 98 mammal,606 of birds, and various species of fish, insects & reptiles.

Tourist attraction: this park is famous for tree climbing lions in Ishasha sector, chimpanzee tracing in Kyambula, nature walks in Malamagambo forest and boat trips on the Kazinga channel to the shores of lake Edward at Mweya peninsula. While on the boat, elephants, buffaloes, hippos, Nile crocodiles, and a lot of water birds are easily seen. Game drives to Kansenyi matting grounds, or leks for kobs, are famous places for lions, leopards and hyenas. For birders, the check list of 606 species may be good enough.

Size and accessibility: This park was first gazetted in 1952 as Kazinga National Park and in 1954 re-named Queen Elizabeth National Park. Covers 1,978km² and located along the equator in South-West Uganda. The Mbarara-Kasese highway cuts through the park leaving Mweya 22km from this highway 406km from Kampala,146km from Mbarara and 40km from kasese, the closest town.

Altitude: 900m on Lake Edward to 1845M at the top of the eastern Escarpment of the western rift.

Timing: Great all the year.