Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park, almost 2,000 sq. km, is bordered to the North by the Rwenzori mountains and to the West by Lake Edward, and is divided into a Northern and Southern sector. It used to be one of the most beautiful and richest parks in East Africa. Unfortunately, like other Ugandan parks much of the Wildlife was slaughtered during the country’s troubled past. The beauty remains though, with sprawling cacti, savannah, forests, rivers and lakes. Now that the country is at peace, the game is recovering from the onslaught and the park is steadily regaining its past grandeur.
The park is well worth a visit even if just to see the hippos and the birds on the Kazinga Channel, which links Lake Edward and Lake George. From the launch trip on the Channel, one can watch hundreds of Hippos at close range, spreading their mouths wide and rushing to the water. The birdlife is spectacular and includes pelicans, fish eagles, kingfishers, cormorants and saddlebill storks. Buffalos and waterbucks come to the water to cool off, and you may see elephant, lion and crocodile.
The park's northern section is particularly scenic. When the weather permits, there are tremendous views of the Rwenzori peaks from its plains, which are decorated with giant candelabra euphoria trees.
Chambura Gorge, where visitors can take a walking safari along a river through tropical forest is a popular visitors spot, here Black and White Colobus, Redtail Monkeys and Chimpanzees can often be seen. Chambura also has resident populations of lion and leopard
The Southern sector around Ishasha is renowned for its "tree climbing" lions, whose habit of lounging in the upper branches of old fig trees is not usually found in other lion populations. You can also see hippo, herds of buffalo, Uganda kob, topi, and many elephant.
A Uganda safari circuit could combine Queen Elizabeth National Park with Murchison Falls, Semliki Valley, Kidepo Valley and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to make a very varied and exciting safari holiday in Uganda.