Queen Elizabeth in western Uganda is the country’s flagship national park gifted with diverse ecosystems. These include savanna, forests and sparkling lakes. The park is home to a variety of game, primate species including chimpanzees and over 600 species of birds.
The park’s main attractions are: craters carved into rolling green hills, panoramic views of the Kazinga Channel with its banks lined with hippos, buffalo and elephants and the Ishasha plains home to tree climbing lions. The diverse ecosystems, which include sprawling savanna, shady, humid forests, sparkling lakes and wetlands make the park the ideal habitat for classic big game, primates and birds.
Wake up early, enjoy a morning breakfast from the hotel after which you will be picked from there by your guide at 7:30 am who will brief you and you embark on the 6 hours journey to Queen Elizabeth. Along the way you will have few stopovers at the Equator, here you will take photographs and also the equator experience and in Mbarara town for your lunch. Thereafter proceed to the Park as you drive through the spectacular landscape characterized with open grasslands, Ankole log horned cattle, tea plantations, the Rift valley Escarpment and various woodlands. Reach the park in late afternoon and have a game drive as you drive to your lodge. Have dinner and there spend an Overnight.
Meal plan (L, D)
Accommodation. Luxury- Mweya Safari Lodge
Mid-range- Ihamba Safari Lodge
Budget – Simba Safari Camp
Wake up early, grub your cup of tea and have your breakfast parked. You have to be on the trail by 6:30 to increase your chances of photographing the sunrise and spotting lions. You will use different trails in the park including the Kasenyi trail. Along the Kasenyi trail there is a great opportunity of seeing various animals like water bucks, Uganda Kobs, elephants, buffaloes, lions, warthogs as well as various birds.
During the game rive, you branch off to the picturesque Katwe Salt Lake for landscape and people pictures.
A visit to the lake gives you the experience of meeting the local people as they go about their centuries old trade- salt mining. One nearby Crater Lake called Munyanyange (Cattle egret in the local language) attracts huge flamingo flocks not seen elsewhere in Uganda.
After the drive, go back to the hotel for lunch. Thereafter, you for a Boat Cruise along the Kazinga Channel. The channel joins Lake George to Lake Edward. Kazinga channel is an oasis for many of the fascinating species that inhabit the park. A boat cruise gives you a chance to watch schools of hippos, buffalo’s elephants and a lot of birds along the shoreline.
On the boat you will see a good number of animals like hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, warthogs, elephants, kobs among others and also a collection of birds like the malachite kingfishers, pink backed pelicans, on the banks and in trees.
Have Dinner and Overnight.
Meal plan (B, L, D)
Accommodation. Luxury- Mweya Safari Lodge
Mid-range- Ihamba Safari Lodge
Budget – Simba Safari Camp
You will enjoy a heavy and tasty breakfast and then check out of the lodge, you will use the Fort Portal- Kasese –Kampala route. You will have lunch in Fort Portal and proceed to Kampala.
Meal Plan (B, L)
