Queen Elizabeth National Park

Location:

414 km from Kampala via Masaka-Mbarara – Kasese Road.

303.10 km (188.34 mi) West of Kampala.

161 km from Buhoma Bwindi via Kihihi – Katunguru to Mweya.

93 km (57.79 mi) North of Buhoma Bwindi.

Coordinates: -0.1920887, 29.8944855 (Mweya)

Tucked on the floor of the western arm of the Great East African Rift Valley in western Uganda, between Lakes Edward and George, is a medley of wonders – Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park is gifted with a mosaic of ecosystems that has enabled it to have the highest bio diversity ratings of any National Park in the world.

Its remarkable variety of ecosystems range from semi-deciduous tropical forest to green meadows, savannah and swamps, sparkling lakes and craters carved into rolling green hills.

The varied habitats of the park are home to over 90 mammal species along with over 612 species of birds which is a record bird count of any park in Africa.

Measuring 1978 Km2, the park is part of the wider 3460 Km2 Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area made up of the Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Kyambura Wildlife and Kigezi Wildlife Game Reserves respectively.

The park commands a magnificent view of the rift valley floor that occupies Lakes Edward and George which are linked by the Kazinga channel. The channel’s banks are lined with hippos, buffalo and elephants. The Mweya peninsula at the heart of the park has panoramic views of the snow- capped peaks of Rwenzori Mountains.

Because of its unique characteristics that include over 10 fishing communities within its borders, Queen Elizabeth National Park was designated a Biosphere Reserve under UNESCO auspices thus the name Medley of Wonders.

The diverse ecosystems within the park, which include sprawling savanna. Shady humid forests, sparkling lakes and wetlands, make Queen Elizabeth the ideal destination for boat cruises, birding, community tourism, nature walks, chimpanzee tracking and a must visit for classic big game safaris.

People and culture

Africa’s oldest industry

Since the 16^th Centuary in Uganda, he Katwe-Kabatoro community in Queen Elizabeth National Park has been traditionally mining salt from Katwe Salt Lake. To be called a man culturally, you must own at least one salt pan in the lake.

Salt mining is the primary economic activity in the Katwe area, specifically at Lake Katwe, a lake formed by a volcanic eruption.

The best time for salt mining is during the dry season, which includes January, February, June, July, August, and September. While still a significant activity, it’s less profitable than in the past.

A visit to Lake Katwe gives you the experience of meeting the local people as they go about their centuries old trade- salt mining.

Birds in Katwe

The neighboring Lake Munyanyange is a bird sanctuary and a migratory location for the lesser flamingo from August to November.

Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park

With over 600 bird species, Queen Elizabeth National Park has the biggest number of birds of any protected area in East Africa. The Kazinga Channel is a haven for water birds that are easily seen during a boat cruise. Hundreds of both lesser and greater flamingos can be seasonally found around Lake Munyanyange, one of the many crater lakes in the park.

The world famous shoebill can be watched in the wetlands of Ishasha in the southern sector of the park.

Here are some of the water birds seen during a boat cruise:

Great and Long-tailed Cormorants, Common Squaco Heron, White-faced Whistling and Knob-billed Ducks, African Fish Eagle, Great-white and Pink-backed Pelicans, African open-billed Stork, Water Thick-knee, Malachite and Pied kingfishers, Swamp flycatchers and Yellow backed Weavers, Black Crake, African Jacana, Spur-winged and African Wattled Plovers.

A comprehensive list of birds in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Source: eBird

Queen Elizabeth National Park

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