Game Drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park : Game driving is one of the most popular done activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park that gives tourists a great opportunity to adventure what makes the park most visited on Uganda Wildlife Safaris. Queen Elizabeth National Park is worth a great safari destination to encounter biodiversity of animal species because it boasts over 95 mammal species and it is truly a birding site for visitors who love birding ‘’ 600 bird species’’. More so, the park is listed on a UNESCO world heritage site, located in the western part of Uganda that is surrounded by four districts namely Rubirizi, Rukungiri, Kamwenge, and Kasese and Queen covers an area of about 1,978 square kilometers which consists of savannah grassland, forest, wetland and lakes which act as habitat for different wildlife species such as tree climbing lions, herds of elephants, buffaloes, leopards, warthogs, bushbucks, topi, hyenas, antelopes among others.
The game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park is scheduled in three sessions; Morning, afternoon –evening, and night game drive. In the park game drive can be conducted can be done in different sectors within the park; Kasenyi plains, Mweya peninsula, and Ishasha sector in the southern part of the Park.
Morning game drive is the most rewarding session allowing you to sightsee several animals on the hunt and big cats before they return to their hides such as spotted hyenas, leopards, lions, hippos, elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks many more.
Evening game drive is the second attracting session tourists to engage in, as many animals can be spotted around waterbodies quenching for the thirsty ‘Kazinga Channel or ‘’Lake Edward’’, especially during the dry season that tends to happen from June to September and December to February.
Night game drives also offer a great night adventure of nocturnal species and it can be done with spotlight torches. This activity in the park is only done in Mweya Peninsula because the Kasenyi plains are usually full of several visitors during the day. Therefore, night game drives are prohibited as a way to minimize stress on the animals. On the night game drive, expect to view nocturnal animal species like; serval cats, leopards, lions, view hippos feeding around among others.
The best recommendable safari vehicle on game drive safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park is either the use of a 4 WD tour company c
ar or an Uganda Wildlife Authority vehicle. The safari vehicle must have a pop-up roof to view different animals clearly and take beautiful pictures.
The best time to do a game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park can be carried out throughout the year though the best time to do the activity is during the dry season that starts from June, July, August, September, and December, January, and February. During dry seasons roads can be easily accessed for activity in the park. Other months can be wet seasons which makes the road to the park and game drive tracks to be impassable due to the muddy and slippery roads.
Visiting in the dry season, allows you to have clear views of high concentrations of animals around water bodies as well as offering beautiful pictures.
Getting there; Queen Elizabeth National Park lies in the southwestern region of Uganda and can be accessed by passing through different beautiful towns, and attractions among others. The road transport from Kampala to the park takes about 5 to 6 hours’ drive.
By air transport; The park can also be reached by air transport whereby, you will book a domestic scheduled or charter domestic flights with Aerolink Uganda or Bar Aviation from ‘’EBB’’ Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield to land at Mweya or Kasese Airstrip and then connect to the park headquarters by road.
Accommodations in Queen Elizabeth National Park;
Queen Elizabeth National Park has got quality comfortable lodges and hotel that overlooks the stunning summit of the Rwenzori mountains. However, the park boasts a range of Luxury, Mid-range, and Budget accommodations with good amenities visitors want. Some of the accommodations include; Mweya Safari Lodge, Marafiki safari lodge, Kasenyi Safari camp, Elephant Plains lodge, Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge, Engiri Safari lodge, Kitandara Hippo Hill Lodge, Parkview safari lodge, Pumba safari cottages among others.
Lastly, you can decide to combine game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park with other activities like chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge, a boat cruise on Kazinga channel, guided nature walks, birding, cultural tours, or lion tracking experience among others, or take a visit to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for Gorilla Trekking Tours and a visit to Batwa pygmies. For more information about game drive adventure in Queen Elizabeth National Park, don’t hesitate to contact us at Achieve Global Safaris for more details.
