4x4 Adventures Guide to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda's most renowned and frequented wildlife protection area. The park is situated in the western region of Uganda, encompassing the districts of Kamwenge, Rukungiri, Rubirizi, and Kasese. Queen Elizabeth National Park presently encompasses around 764 square miles. The park adjoins Uganda's Kibale National Park and serves as an extension of Congo's Virunga National Park. The Kyambura Gorge, Maramagambo Forest, Kazinga Channel, and portions of Lake George and Lake Edward comprise the park.

A safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park.Upon its establishment in 1952, the park was designated as Kazinga National Park. The visit of Queen Elizabeth II of Britain in the early 1950s greatly pleased the administration, leading to the park being named in her honor. Queen Elizabeth National Park does not endure prolonged droughts, unlike the Maasai Mara or Serengeti, due to its position within the rain shadow of the Rwenzori mountain ranges. Consequently, it has verdant landscapes throughout most of the year. Even in the absence of wildlife, tourists would remain captivated by the remarkable natural beauty with extensive woods, woodlands, plains, lakes, rivers, gorges, and various volcanic characteristics such as craters and volcanic cones. 95 mammal species have been recorded in the park including the waterbuck, warthogs, topi, Uganda Kobs, spotted hyenas, sitatunga, Serval cats, mangoose, leopards, large forest pigs, L’Hoest’s monkeys, Jackal, hippopotamus, genial, elephants, crocodiles, civet, chimpanzee, Buffaloes, black and white colobus monkeys.

Queen Elizabeth National Park serves as a lion conservation area, housing around 200 lions, including the notable tree-climbing lions. More than 490 avian species have been observed in the park.

The primary indigenous groups residing adjacent to the park's limits are the Banyankore, Bakiga, and Bakonjo. The Bakiga and Bakonjo rely on subsistence agriculture, whereas the Banyankore are recognized as pastoralists. Salt mining is a prevalent economic endeavor, particularly among the Bakiga residing near the park. The Uganda Wildlife Authority administers the park and collaborates with many wildlife conservation organizations and teams of both international and local researchers. Queen Elizabeth National Park is in proximity to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Kibale Forest National Park, and Mgahinga National Park. This indicates that guests can integrate a comprehensive wildlife safari with gorilla trekking in Bwindi Forest.

How to Get to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Visitors can access the park via air or car. The route from Kampala to the park via Mbarara is around 420 kilometers and requires about 8 hours of driving. The travel duration from Lake Mburo National Park is six hours, whereas from Fort Portal town, it is four hours. The primary roads are all well-paved with asphalt, whereas those leading to and within the park consist of compacted earth.

Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park Access to the park gate is permitted via public or private cars; however, public commercial vehicles are prohibited within the park. Public buses commence departures from the bus park in Kampala to Kasese early each morning, seven days a week. The fare for a bus from Kampala to Kasese is approximately $4. Public buses in Uganda require some time to reach full capacity and infrequently adhere to their schedules. The arrival time is contingent upon the bus reaching full capacity promptly and the prevailing traffic conditions en route to the destination. Furthermore, the majority of buses make regular stops to disembark and embark passengers in the small towns en route.

Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda As previously mentioned, public transportation do not service the park. It is necessary to rent a taxi or motorcycle from the main highway to the Katunguru park gate or Mweya at an additional expense. The most effective method to reach Queen Elizabeth National Park is by utilizing the services of a tour operator. This is the most secure, pleasant, and dependable method of reaching the park and ensuring the safari proceeds as intended. Tour operators prioritize punctuality and strive to enhance the travel experience for the customer. They possess comprehensive knowledge of the park, including the appropriate contacts for any eventualities.

Visitors seeking to circumvent the extended driving duration from Entebbe may procure a chartered flight from Kajjansi airfield or Entebbe International Airport to airstrips in Ishasha, Kasese, or Mweya. It is necessary to obtain a private vehicle to transport individuals to the park offices or their accommodation from the airfield. Tour operators typically dispatch a driver/guide to await passengers and facilitate their transfer from the runway to the park or lodge.