Boat Cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park : Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in the southwest of Uganda in the districts of Kasese, Kamwenge, Rubirizi, and Rukungiri. It is the second-largest and one of the most popular national parks in the country. Queen Elizabeth national park is a habitat of various wildlife including 95 animals such as the elephants, leopards, buffaloes, hippos, waterbucks, bushbucks, Uganda kobs, warthogs, giant forest hog, crocodiles, tree climbing lions in Ishasha sector, primates like chimpanzees, baboons, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, over 600 bird species such as pied kingfisher, African fish eagle, squaccon heron, open billed stork, wattled plover among others.
Boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth national park.
The 40 km long waterway that connects Lake Edward and Lake George, Kazinga Channel, is used for boat cruise Uganda safari excursions in Queen Elizabeth National Parks. Uganda Wildlife Authority and Mweya Safari Lodge run boat safari excursions in Queen Elizabeth National Park. They are done in two sessions, with the morning session beginning at 9:00 am and the afternoon session beginning at 2:00 pm at the landing location next to Mweya Safari Lodge.
You may sail close to creatures including elephants, buffalo, warthogs, antelopes that can be spotted drinking along the water’s edge, vast herds of hippos, and crocodiles in the water while on the boat tour at Kazinga Channel. Kazinga Channel is also known as one of the best birding safari destinations in that it’s a habitat of various bird species such as long tailed cormorant, open billed stork, black crake, pied kingfisher, pink backed pelican, yellow billed stork, African jacana, African skimmer, swamp flycatcher, red capped lark, grey capped lark, slender tailed nightjar, African mourning dove among others. Additionally, you will be able to see the little fishing communities that surround Kazinga Channel, where the local fisherman store their gear overnight in order to capture fish while the hippos are feeding on land.
Cost of boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park.Â
There are two organized boat cruise safaris in the park: one in the morning and one in the afternoon, though most people choose the afternoon trip because it is more rewarding. In the morning, they typically go on a game drive across the Kasenyi Plains. For foreign nonresidents and foreign residents, the 2-hour boat tour at Kazinga Channel is $30; for East African citizens, the price is UGX 30,000.
When to go for a boat cruise safari in Queen Elizabeth national park.  Â
Although boat tours in the park can be taken at any time of the year, the best times are from June to September and from December to February, when it is dry. Because there is less rain during this time, Kazinga Channel turns into an oasis for the animals, who congregate there to cool off and drink water. This gives you the chance to see the animals up close and take plenty of pictures of them, including elephants, waterbucks, lions, buffaloes, and warthogs, among others.
Apart from the boat cruise, Queen Elizabeth national park offers other interesting safari activities which visitors on a safari can engage including,
One of the most common and well-liked activities in the park is game drives. The game drive can be conducted in the Kasenyi Plains, Ishasha Sector, or Mweya Peninsular at night or in the morning. During the game drive you can look out for animals like waterbucks, tree climbing lions, leopards, giant forest hog, buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kobs, bushbucks, warthogs, birds like African white backed vulture, martial eagle, black bellied bustard, palm-nut vulture, crowned plover, black headed Gonolek, grey capped warbler, black lored babbler among others.
One of the unique safari activities in the park allows guests to track lions using radio collars. The activity is called “Lion Research Tracking.” You will go close to the lions during lion research tracking, spend more time with them, and learn about their habits, among other things.
With almost 600 different bird species living there, Queen Elizabeth National Park is a birdwatcher’s paradise in Uganda. Birding safari in the park can be done in different areas such as Kasenyi plains, Ishasha sector, Mweya peninsular, Kazinga Channel, Maramagambo forest, Katwe area among others and you will be able to view birds like wattled plover, open billed stork, pied kingfisher, long tailed cormorant, spur winged plover, pink backed pelican, African fish eagle yellow backed weaver among others.
After going gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, chimpanzee trekking is an exciting and second-best thing to do in Uganda. In the park, chimpanzee trekking is done at the Kyambura Gorge, also referred to as the Valley of the Apes. In the eastern region of Queen Elizabeth National Park is the Kyambura Gorge, which is home to primates such chimpanzees, monkeys, baboons, and birds. Because chimpanzees like to travel far into the forest in search of food, chimpanzee trekking safari is conducted in two sessions: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. It takes from 2 to 4 hours to trek through the rainforest. Visitors will spend an hour with the chimpanzee family after they have been located, taking pictures and learning more about their routines and behavior.
A nature walk safari allows participants to explore the park on foot while enjoying a nice wind and stunning sights of various wildlife, including birds. You can go on a nature walk in Queen Elizabeth National Park via the Maramagambo Forest, where you can see black and white monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, and red-tailed monkeys, as well as along the Ishasha River and on the Mweya Peninsula, where you can see the Kazinga Channel.
What to carry for boat cruise safari in Queen Elizabeth national park.Â
Beginning at the landing spot next to the famous Mweya safari lodge, boat cruises at Kazinga Channel are available. Visitors who want to take a boat tour should bring equipment’s such as,
Camera and extra batteries, this could be used to record all the moments and to take photos of animals which will be seen along the water banks and in the water like large schools of hippopotamuses and others.
Because Kazinga Channel is one of the best birding places in the park, a pair of binoculars will be utilized to watch birds at a distance.
During your cruise, wear a hat to shield your skin from the sun.
How to get to Queen Elizabeth National Park.Â
Southwest Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park is reachable by both air and ground transportation.
Road transport: There are two routes you can take to get to the park by car. One goes from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, Bushenyi, and then on to the park. The other goes from Kampala via Mubende, Fort Portal, and Kasese, and it takes about 6 to 7 hours to get there.
The park can also be reached via the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in southwest Uganda, where you can see the renowned tree-climbing lions by driving through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. By taking a bus from Kampala to Kasese and then reserving a private taxi, you can also travel to the park via public transportation.
The flight from Entebbe Airport or Kajansi Airfield to Mweya Airstrip or Kasese Airstrip takes around an hour, and domestic airlines like Aerolink Uganda Limited and Eagle Air conduct scheduled and charter flights.
A boat cruise safari through Queen Elizabeth National Park is a must-do activity because it provides breathtaking views of various animal, plant, and bird species. It can also be combined with other safari activities like a game drive through the Kasenyi Plains, a nature walk, a hunt for mongooses or lions, birding, chimpanzee trekking, and more to create an unforgettable and interesting safari.