The second largest national park in Uganda at 1,978 sq.km and lies north and south of the equator to the south west of Uganda.

It is contiguous with Kibale NP, Uganda Parc Nationale des Virunga, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It is a world bio-sphere reserve (UNESCO, 1979) includes a

 RAMSAR wetland site and is a classified Important Bird Area (IBA) by Birdlife International. QENP has 568 of Uganda˜s 1017 species of birds (over a quarter of Africa˜s bird species), more than any other park in Africa.

In the Queen Elizabeth Park you may see crater lakes filled with huge flocks of flamingos. You will spot eagles soaring and vultures perching.

You will view lions relaxing and elephants ambling and giant forest hog snuffling.  And, in its lakes you'll see hippos swimming and kingfishers darting. Any visitor to this park cannot fail to be amazed by the enormous diversity in each kingdom of creation. It's simply a visual feast. Take a boat trip, a game drive, a woodland walk or simply enjoy any of the myriad stunning views.

The Queen Elizabeth National Park provides an unforgettable and unique experience.

Location

Queen Elizabeth National Park is 1,978 Km2 in area and is situated astride the Equator in the Western Rift Valley of South West Uganda, close to the Southern most tip of the tabled, mist covered "Mountains of the Moon - Rwenzori Mountains and is contiguous with Virunga National Park in Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire).

It is a region of varied habitats including, open grassland with thickets, thick bush, forest, swamps and lake-shore. Queen Elizabeth National Park together with Virunga National Park in (DRC) completely encircle Lake Edward which is connected to Lake George by the Kazinga Channel.

Attractions

Launch trips on Kazinga Channel down the shore of Lake Edward provides a unique vantage for viewing savannah wildlife. A launch trip starts at Mweya the park headquarters along the Kazinga Channel, which joins Lake Edward and Lake George. Truly, this is among the most exciting and memorable experience offered by the Park. While on the trip expect to be thrilled by yawning hippos and a closer view of water birds along the shores.

In the southern part of the park is the Ishasha Sector with substantial tree climbing lions found perched on

 savannah fig trees. The concentration of game in its savannah setting, Lake Edward and River Ishasha flats, Ishasha and riverine forest, Hippo Pool and Congo escarpment provides splendid scenery. Ishasha Sector is known for its expansive savannah landscape teeming with a variety of wildlife possibly due to its continuity cross border migration of wildlife. "Missing Ishasha is simply missing QENP".

Maramagambo Forest

Maramagambo Forest is one of the largest forests in Uganda. It is a medium altitude, moist, semi-decidious forest. Characteristics of such forest are increasingly becoming rare in Africa! It has very spectacular lakes and craters. It is the only place in the Park where one could find Blue Lakes. Other features of attractions in the forest include: primates, e.g. Lhost monkeys, chimpanzees, bush baby, baboons, vervet monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, etc. Due to its location, Maramagambo has a high diversity of butterflies. The bat and the hunters cav are other pleasant experiences that the forest offers, and of course some forest birds.

Northern Crater Area

This area comprises a scenic area of explosion craters, some containing salt lakes, formed by volcanic activity some 8-10,000 years ago. Some of the craters are dry. These unique concentration of unspoiled craters forms a unique scenic vantage point and are important as dry season watering points for animals.

The crater area is such a captivating and breathtaking phenomenon. It˜s impossible to give a fair description of the crater area, there is nothing with which to compare. It is one of the wonders of Uganda/East Africa.

Kyambura River Gorge

Kyambura river gorge is situated on North-Eastern side of the Park (QENP) - 35 kms from Mweya the park headquarters. The Gorge spans a distance of 16 kms or 10 miles long and 100m/300ft deep, while the widest point is over 500 metres. The Gorge emerges between savannah grasslands. It forms an outstanding topographic feature in dramatic contrast to surrounding savannah landscape. The Gorge has a riverine virgin forest that transits to papyrus swamps towards the Kazinga Channel.

It is the only place in the Park where you can view the chimpanzees at close range - "Habituated" with other types of primates including B/W Colobus Monkey, Red-tailed monkey, baboons and vervet monkeys. The Gorge is also a habitat for concentration of birds - Peregrine Falcon, Falcon peregrinus, black be eater- Merops Mulleri and African Finfoot etc. The Gorge is an important water source for savannah animals.

Avian Diversity

Among the 568 species are a number of birds whose normal range is west and central Africa and can be found in the park at the easternmost edge of this range, not present anywhere else in East Africa. Five of the parks twelve of kingfishers are in this category. QENP is important over wintering and stopover site for a great number of European migrant species whose numbers can exceed millions at pre-migration build-up times. There are a number of globally threatened species (IUCN, 1991) which can be seen in the park and a number of regional endemics.

QENP holds a record 297 species seen in a 24 hour period, one of the highest in the world.

The Bird Observatory:

The observatory is based at Mweya, the headquarters of the park, and consists of the manager˜s house, visitor centre with a comprehensive natural history library and several field assistants. The facility is a focal point for a avian research, training and tourism development. A number of guides, field assistants, graduates and several overseas volunteers have been involved with the project since 1996.

Identifying key bird watching areas for tourist itineraries and developing a series of hides and scrapes, boardwalks and observation towers will allow diversification of the activities in the park. This provides alternative activities to traditional wildlife viewing. Uganda˜s first hide and scrape was built on the Mweya peninsula.

Mist-netting and ringing:

This is the standard census technique used by the bird observatory where birds are caught and individually fitted with a ring and unique number. In addition, a series of bio-metrics are taken before release.

To date, approximately 100,000 birds have been caught and 10,000 processed of 200 species. Good recoveries of birds ringed in QENP, both Afro-tropical (resident) and palearctic (Northern) migrants) species have been made over a period of 3 years. There is the opportunity for a significant number of qualified amateur ornithologists, to spend time in QE at peak migration periods, assisting to take greater samples of paleartic birds, increasing the chances of international recoveries. These "ringing holidays" are operational in West Africa and Kenya and have proved a huge success.

Training:

With the ever increasing number of bird watchers looking for new destinations, there is a need to supply a proficient and skilled guide service to the tourist industry giving visitors a first class experience. Research in QE is ongoing and w9ll always require individuals to continue the work. They therefore need to undergo a training period within the bird observatory to learn the relevant and necessary census techniques.

Within the park are a number of villages which rely on fishing for income, however most of these villages are situated in very beautiful locations with extremely rich local bird communities. There is an ideal opportunity to develop a series of community based tourist activities at the respective sites giving the necessary support and training in nature interpretation to willing and promising individuals.

Habitats:

The reason for such great species diversity in OE is the variety of habitats: one of the most important of these are the wetlands.

Surrounding Lakes George and Edward are vast papyrus swamps with lagoons, rivers and streams. Throughout the park are marshes and seasonal inundations and a number of saline lakes. The vast and hardly explored Songo swamp is the RAMSAR site. The savannah, due to the high rainfall and rich grazing, at one time supported the largest bio-mass and mammals anywhere in the world. The pockets of Acacia woodland hold a particularly great diversity of birds.

The semi-deciduous, mid-altitudinal moist tropical forests are represented by the great expanse of the Maramagambo forest which is contiguous with the Kalinsu/Kasyoha-Kitoni forest reserves.

Tourist development:

Most protected areas hold great asset such as the falls at Murchison and the Gorillas at Bwindi, but there are a great many features hardly known. For example, the Mpanga Falls on L. George or the great wetlands with rare and endemic species such as the Shoebill stork or the salt lakes which hold some 20,000 lesser flamingos.

All these special features need to be realised from a tourism perspective, in order to diversify and open up more opportunities for visitors. One important and increasingly popular feature are guided walks, where trained guides would be invaluable in providing the visitor with meaningful information.

A great deal of exploratory research into the park˜s hidden secrets has been and still needs to be done.

Research:

As birds are indicators of environmental change, conducting a series of census techniques produces data thereby allowing an accurate monitoring of relative abundance of species over time. This in turn can indicate the stability of habitats, showing where changes in conditions due to alterations in land use, fragmentation, etc. are having damaging consequences. Census techniques are therefore extremely useful tools for determining where management is required for conservation.

There is the opportunity for a wide variety of students to conduct their relevant studies.

Fauna

The checklist of mammals of QENP include 66 species. The larger mammalian fauna of the park is characterized by a few species furnishing an exceptionally high biomass. During the late 1960s, the biomass densities recorded from the park exceeded those published for any wildlife community anywhere in the world. To date, the Park main biomass contributors includes: hippotamus, leopard, elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, topi, bushbucks, waterbucks, rare giant forest hogs, advarks, porcupines, pangolins, bush pigs, and warthogs, lions, hyenas, civets, etc.

Reptiles

The Nile Crocodiles can be sighted along the Kazinga Channel and Lake Edward. African rock python, monitor lizards, spitting cobra, buffer adder, black mamba, Gabon viper, green snakes can be sighted, etc.

Access

By road, the Park Headquarters is 64 kms from Kasese, which is 418 kms from Kampala via Mbarara and Katunguru. The journey takes approximately 6 hours. Air charter services are possible to the landing strip near Mweya Safari Lodge, Kasese Aerodrome and Ishasha Sector Airstrip.

Tourist Activities

A launch cruise along the Kazinga Channel, bird watching at the bird hides and in the wild, game viewing drives in the park, chimpanzee viewing in Kyambura River Gorge, walking safaris, picnicking, nature walks into Maramagambo Forests and a visit to Katwe Traditional salt works.

Season of visiting:

Queen Elizabeth National Park is visited year round. Rain gears, insect repellant, pair of binoculars and safari shoes, campers should come with tents.

A four wheel vehicle may do better in some parts of the park during wet season. (i.e. if a visitor opts to come with own vehicle).

 Accommodation

Mweya Safari Lodge built on a peninsular and almost surrounded by water has stunning views of this magnificent

 panorama. A luxury lodge in the old style with a restaurant, bar, a terrace, suit bedrooms, conference theatre and swimming pool. The bedrooms are self contained with such comfort that one could ever need! The lodge is located in the prime area for the park˜s attraction; it is the door gate for the entire of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The Jacan Safari Lodge is situated on the margin of Maramagambo Forest close to Lake Nyamusingiri and Kyasanduka. The log cabins built in an African way stretch from the woods up to the great views of Lake Nyamusingiri and the forest. Above all, these cabins are self contained. There is a restaurant, waterside bar, swimming pool and offers a boat trip on Lake Nyamusingiri which is encircled by a blanket of forest.