Also known as the ‘’Medley of Wonders’’ Queen Elizabeth National Park is the second largest and one of the most popular or most visited national parks in Uganda. Queen Elizabeth National Park was originally founded in the year 1952 as Kazinga National Park and was later renamed to Queen Elizabeth National Park to commemorate the visit of Queen Elizabeth II of England. Blessed with a variety of attractions and good climatic conditions that favor outdoor activities, Queen Elizabeth National Park is a Medley of Wonders, and below are some of the facts and frequently asked questions about Queen Elizabeth National Park that you should get to know before visiting Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Where is Queen Elizabeth National Park located / Found?
Queen Elizabeth National Park is located or found in the western part of Uganda, made up of or covering part of Kasese district, Rubirizi district, Kamwenge district, and Rukungiri district, with a land coverage of approximately 1,978 square kilometers.
What to see / attractions in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Indeed, the Medley of Wounders, Queen Elizabeth National Park, happens to have a variety of attractions, beginning with the landscapes, wildlife, lakes, crater lakes, and birds, to name a few.
Lakes in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Lakes are some of the many wonders that make up Queen Elizabeth National Park, which happens to attract several visitors or tourists, and these include Lake Katwe, which is known for salt mining, Lake Munyanyange, which is known for hosting flamingoes along with other migratory birds, Lake Nyamunuka, known as the animal clinic Lake Edward, which is joined with the famous Kazinga channel to lake Gorge which is famous for boat cruise in this park. Along the shores of these water bodies or within their waters, you will be able to spot different wildlife like hippos, crocodiles, different bird species, elephants, and antelopes, to name a few.
Wildlife in Queen Elizabeth National Park
When it comes to wildlife, Queen Elizabeth National Park has a variety of the with the major attraction being the tree-climbing lions, which are a unique species and are only found in two travel destinations worldwide, and Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of them. Apart from the famous tree-climbing lions found in the Ishasha sector of the park, other wildlife you can see in Queen Elizabeth National Park include buffaloes, antelopes, leopards, hippos, elephants, warthogs, spotted hyenas, side-striped jackals, primates (chimpanzees, monkeys, and baboons), to name a few.
Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Kyambura Gorge is located or found in the southwest of Uganda, bordering the southeast of Kazinga channel and the southern shore of Lake Gorge. Home to approximately 80 chimpanzees, with about 20- 30 habituated chimpanzees.
Birds in Queen Elizabeth National Park
There are a variety of bird species found or that can be spotted in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Over 900 bird species call this park home, making it a perfect birding spot for bird lovers. Some of these bird species include the Gray crowned crane, Great Blue Turaco, long crested Eagle, flamingoes, little Egret, Cattle Egret, Black Heron, African Scared Ibis, African Spoon Bill, Glossy Ibis, Eastern Plantain Eater, African Fin Foot, Black Crake, African Cuckoo Hawk, Lappet-faced Vulture, Hooded Vulture, Black-chested snake Eagle, Brown snake Eagle, Martial Eagle, Pingping Hornbill, white-headed- barbet, Yellow-Rumped Tinkerbird, Double toothed Barbet, Nubian Wood packer, African Jacan African Skimmers, White- Winged Terns, Water Thick Knee, Black- Winged Stilt Crested, Blue Quail, Red-Winged Francolin, Common Waxbill, Black-Headed Gonolek, Red-Headed Sunbird, Bronze Sunbird, Little Green Sunbird, Beautiful Sunbird, Compact Weaver, Red-collard Widowbird, Southern Red Bishop, Crested Malimbe, Forest Weaver, Little weaver, to name a few.
Kalinzu Forest in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Kalinzu forest is one of the perfect travel destinations in Uganda for tourists or visitors who would love less crowded travel destinations for primate tracking (Chimpanzee, Baboons, and Monkeys). Located in Queen Elizabeth National Park, approximately 10 kilometers away from Ishaka. Apart from primates, other attractions can be spotted or seen in Kalinzu Forest during your visit, and these include different bird species, different tree species, and different butterfly species, to name but a few.
Cultural experiences in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park offers cultural experiences in different communities, which include the Bakonzo community, the Basongora community, and the Banyabindi community, which give tourists or visitors a chance to experience cultural dances being performed, listen to stories, and learn about the historical background of these communities, learn about their ways of life, and also get to interact with the local people as well.
Breathtaking landscape in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Are you a photogenic person love appreciating nature and its beauty? Well, Queen Elizabeth National Park has very beautiful scenery to begin with, the vegetation cover made of open grassland, moist and woody trees, thorny acacia woodlands, and Candelabra shrubs, to the beautiful Kyambura gorge, along with the hills. All these beautiful physical features give you a perfect backdrop or background for taking photos.
The Equator in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Located at the edge of Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kikorongo, offering tourists or visitors a perfect spot for photography and a chance to carry out the equator water experiment for both the south and north poles.
What is the best time to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park?
Queen Elizabeth National Park is always open for visitors or tourists to visit throughout the whole year, though the best time or most favorable time to visit is during the dry season. The dry season is from January to February and from June to September. This is the best time to visit the park because during this time of the year, the weather is very favorable for outdoor activities, and accessibility to different destinations within the park is easier than during the wet season, where the routes tend to be slippery, hence limiting accessibility. Also during the dry season, spotting of wild life is easier than during the wet season because when it rains these wild animals seek for shelter in bushes and under tress which makes it hard to spot, plus when it rains the park is filled with a lot of water ponds where the animals drink water from while in the dry season the only source of water in the park tend to be the big water bodies and each animal is expected to drink water from them hence their gathering during afternoon hours giving visitors and tourists a chance to spot them easily.
For more information or questions about Queen Elizabeth National Park, feel free to inquire from our group of experts or consultants who are always ready to help you in any way possible. For bookings or free custom-made itineraries that include Queen Elizabeth National Park as a destination on a Uganda safari, you should also feel free to contact us. We shall be glad to help.