Queen Elizabeth National Park

About Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park spreads across the floor of the Albertine Rift in western Uganda, between Lake George and Lake Edward and below the Rwenzori Mountains, with the equator running right through it. Its variety is striking: open savannah, papyrus swamp, explosion craters, a forested gorge and the Kazinga Channel, a natural waterway linking the two lakes.

A boat trip along the Kazinga Channel is the highlight for many: hippos packed shoulder to shoulder, buffalo and elephants wading in to drink, crocodiles on the banks, and kingfishers, pelicans and skimmers everywhere. On the Kasenyi plains, lions stalk Uganda kob at dawn. In the remote southern Ishasha sector, lions climb into big fig trees to rest through the heat, and in Kyambura Gorge you can track chimpanzees through a sunken strip of forest. Its bird list is one of the longest of any park in Africa.

June to September and December to February are the driest months, with easier roads, though the park rewards a visit at any time. Fly from Entebbe to Kasese or Mweya, or drive from Kibale in a few hours. The road south through Ishasha leads to Bwindi's gorillas, so you can look for lions in the fig trees on the way to your trek.