Top 5 Activities to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Top 5 Activities to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Top 5 Activities to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park : Queen Elizabeth national park is Uganda’s second largest game park and most visited destination on Uganda wildlife safaris, located in Southwestern Uganda estimating 5 to 6 hours’ drive. However, the park is home to diversity of wildlife and boasts a range of attractions and activities that ranks it the finest visiting destination. Below are the highlights of activities to adventure in while on safari to Queen Elizabeth national park as follows;
Game drives
This is the most remarkable activity done here that gives you a great chance to view variety of wild animals. The most thrilling drives are best done early in the morning hours that features up close viewing of the mammals that inhabits the park in the comfort of a vehicle. You will be guided with the driver guide who will lead you to different trucks in the park and will take you in search of the different wildlife species.
During game drives, you’re likely to spot herd of elephants and a lion preying on an antelope or a hyena lazily waiting to devour the lion’s leftovers from a distance. Other groups of animals include Buffalo herds and Uganda kobs can also be seen in the game park all day long as well as leopards, warthogs, giant forest hog among others.
Bird Watching
The park is a birding paradise with over 600 bird species which can be spotted in maramangambo forest ,savannah plains and some of the bird species to sight see include ;Sacred ibis ,black crake ,shoebill ,Yellow wagtail ,African jacana ,Saddle billed stork ,Long created eagle ,Croaking cisticola ,hooded vulture ,White backed vulture ,Ripeols griffon vulture ,grey backed fiscal ,Palm but culture ,Scrub Robin ,Grey kestrel ,African wattled plover ,Martial eagle ,African crowned eagle ,African green pigeon many more.
The Tree Climbing Lions of Ishasha/Lion tracking
The tree climbing lions have attracted many tourists who visits the park since are rarely seen on safari destination. This unique species can be found only in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth national and Tanzania’s Lake Manyara national park. On your visit to the park, you will be excited of watching lions lazily hanging up on acacia and fig trees thus giving an enchanting view to behold. You will also be able to view potential prey around like the Uganda Kob that grazes in the vicinities, looking for the cool breeze in the trees has they escape from the tsetse flies on the ground below. The reason as to why the lions choose to rest up the trees remains an intriguing mystery.
It is very possible to combine the lion tracking and gorilla trekking on your bucket list since ishasha sector is the main tracking location of tree climbing lions, from Ishasha sector to Bwindi impenetrable forest it takes few driving hours to access the park. Apart from adventuring the tree climbing lions, you can also have great sights of other animals’ species in the sector such as herds of buffaloes, large numbers of elephants, warthogs and antelopes making it life changing adventure.
Chimpanzee Tracking
Chimpanzee tracking can be done in kyambura Gorge here ‘’valley of apes’’ that sits in the northern part of Queen Elizabeth national park. Chimpanzee tracking starts early in the morning as you will be first dropped to the park headquarters for briefing about dos and don’ts chimpanzee tracking. After meet the park ranger to locate you to the forest trails that leads you to this great apes, as you will be tracking you will have chances of watching other small primates like red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, bird species, green vegetation among others. Once you locate them an hour will be given to you to watch them as they feed, play around, socializing with each other as well as taking memorable photography.
Boat Cruise
This is an amazing experience that attracts most of visitors here that takes place on the kazinga Channel that connects to Lake Edward and Lake George .During the cruise ,tourists expect to enjoy the various sights of aquatic species .Kazinga channel is a home to large hippopotamuses which are seen taking their dips in the water ,Nile crocodiles can be seen basking lazily on the channel banks looking for warmth and are easily explored on the cruise .Water bird can also be viewed such as African skimmer ,Great and Long tailed cormorants ,Splendid pied kingfisher fishing ,Yellow Billed Stork ,Open-Billed stork ,African Darters ,Black Crake and Jacana ,Great White and Pink- Backed pelicans among others.
Best Time to Explore the Above Mentioned Activities
The best time to enjoy the above mentioned activities is throughout the year but the best time is during peak season which starts from June to October and December to Mid-March when roads a passable and the park is out of the water source.
