4 Days Queen Elizabeth National Park Safari

The major activities to engage in while on this 3 days Queen Elizabeth safari are: –

1. Chimpanzee tracking at Kyambura Gorge
2. Game viewing
3. A boat trip in Kazinga Channel
4. Observing tree climbing lions in Ishasha
5. Stopover at the equator monument

Day 1: Travel to Queen Elizabeth national park – Stopovers – Evening game drive

This will be the first day of your safari. You will be picked by our company driver at either your hotel or the airport in the morning. You will then begin the journey to Queen Elizabeth National park via Kampala city. While traveling to the park, you will make a stopover at the equator monument along Masaka road to take photos and buy souvenirs in the nearby artisan shops. The equator pillar has the equator line pass through it allowing tourists to take photos with one leg in the northern hemisphere and another in the Southern hemisphere. After spending time at the equator crossing, you will then proceed to Mbarara for lunch at the Igongo Cultural Centre.

After lunch, you will continue to Kasese District where the park is found. This part of the journey will reward you with even better scenery. The Rwenzori mountains can be sighted in the horizon while the local people will be tending to their intriguing long horned Ankole cattle. You will check in to your hotel, have a quick shower and go for an evening game drive to see some of the animals before retiring to your hotel.

Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge (Executive), Park View Lodge (Mid-range) and Engazi Lodge (Budget).

Day 2:  Game Viewing in the Morning – Afternoon Boat Ride at the Kazinga Channel

At sunrise, you will have breakfast and embark on a morning game drive within the Kasenyi plains. The Kasenyi plains are very popular for game drives while in Queen Elizabeth National park. These plains allow tourists to spot animals like elephants, lions, hyenas, buffaloes, elands, oribis, Uganda kobs, reedbucks, mongooses and birds. There are over 610 recorded species of birds in Queen Elizabeth national park. Birders will be left very impressed if they can visit the Maramagambo forest, Kazinga channel and the Kyambura gorge. The game drive will take between 3 to 4 hours. After that, you will go back to the lodge for lunch.

After the lunch break, you will be driven to the Kazinga channel to start the boat cruise at 2pm. The boat cruise normally starts at Lake Edward and sails through the Kazinga channel to Lake George before returning to the starting point. The Kazinga channel is like a magnet to wildlife and you will discover this while on the boat ride. Expect to see lots of marine animals like hippos, waterbucks, crocodiles, different water birds and many more animals.  The park Guide will share information about the three water bodies and help identify all the different wildlife species you will encounter. The boat ride takes 2 hours and normally ends at 5 pm.

Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge (Executive), Park View Lodge (Mid-range) and Engazi Lodge (Budget).

Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge and game drive at Kazinga plains

You will wake up early in the morning and take breakfast as you wait for the company driver. The driver will take you to the Kyambura gorge offices for the briefing about chimpanzee trekking. After the briefing, you will go down into the underground forest to search for man’s closest relatives. The gorge is not all about chimps. You will also randomly encounter other small primates like the red-tailed monkey, colobus monkeys and vervet monkeys. Before going down the gorge, you would already be hearing the distant cries of the chimps. After hiking down the valley for about one hour, you will finally meet them in a group of about 30 individuals.  They will size you up and see if you come in peace or are a threat. Once they get comfortable with your presence, they will go about their normal business and let you take as many photos as you can. Chimp behavior is very similar to that of humans. They can show compassion among each other but are also very competitive with a lot of politics in the group. You are only allowed one hour once you find the primates. After that, you will get out of the gorge and head back to the hotel for lunch.

After lunch, you will have rest, freshen up and wait to be taken for an afternoon game drive at the Kazinga plains. Expect to see animals that you might have bot encountered earlier or in the previous day’s game drive. The Kazinga plains will offer a different experience because of the landscape and dominant species available. After this particular game drive, you should head back to the lodge.

Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge (Executive), Park View Lodge (Mid-range) and Engazi Lodge (Budget).

Day 4: Game drive to see tree climbing lions in Ishasha – Travel back to Kampala or Entebbe

Before departing for Kampala, you will have a final game drive in the Ishasha sector of the park to track tree climbing lions. Tree climbing lions are very rare. Most lions prefer to stay on the ground and only climb trees if they went to view distant game or if threatened by larger mammals. Apart from Queen Elizabeth National Park, tree climbing lions can also be seen in Kruger National Park of South Africa and Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania.  In Ishasha, they can be seen resting on top of acacia and fig trees. You will have all the time to take photos and videos of the lions resting on top of the trees before proceeding to Kampala.

End of Tour

The cost of this  4 days Queen Elizabeth tour includes: –

• Park and vehicle entrances
• 3 Nights accommodation with meals and water
• A full-time English speaking Driver/Guide
• A boat ride at the Kazinga Channel
• Game drives
• Park ranger fees
• A 4×4 vehicle for ground transportation
• Meals and refreshment

Exclusions: Accommodation before/after the trip, visa fees, air ticket fees and travel insurance. The trip also excludes personal expenses on alcoholic beverages, tips, souvenir and laundry services.

Mweya safari lodge: Mweya is one of the most popular safari lodges in Queen Elizabeth National park. it is located near the main visitor information center. It is a luxury accommodation facility with world class services. You can sense quality in the rooms and food offered. Other extra services offered by the lodge include conference facilities, a swimming pool, gym and sauna. The lodge is close to Lake Edward and the Kazinga channel hence offering guests beautiful views while sitting on their room verandahs.  Tourists book with Mweya safari lodge because they have been in business for the last three decades and have a reputation as the place to be while visiting Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Engazi Lodge: This is a budget safari lodge located in the north eastern part of the park. It is built on top of a hill overlooking Queen Elizabeth national park. The architecture of Engazi Lodge is African with a grass thatched roof and other Eco-friendly materials. The rooms are very spacious with a comfortable bed, mosquito nets and a bath tab among other facilities. There is a bar/restaurant with drinks and delicious cuisines for guests. Engazi is an excellent lodge for those who want to explore the park but have a tight budget.

Parkview Safari Lodge: Parkview Safari Lodge is our favorite mid-range lodge while visiting Queen Elizabeth National Park. The lodge has spacious cottages with bathrooms, sitting areas, working tables, large beds, toilets and much more. There is also a swimming pool, steam bath, sauna and massage. The restaurant serves both international and local dishes. Parkview Safari Lodge is an ideal base for tourists who have come to visit the park for  game drives in the Kasenyi plains, a boat ride at the Kazinga channel and chimpanzee tracking at Kyambura gorge. All these these activities can easily be done while residing at the lodge.