Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda
Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in the western arm of the Great East African Rift Valley, and is centred around Lake Edward and Lake George. Due to the parks extensive bio-diversity of habitats it holds the most astonishing number of species, roughly 100 types of mammal and 606 different species of birds. From the volcanic craters and grassy plains to the stunning tropical forests, wetlands and rivers Queen Elizabeth National Park has a lot to offer the ambitious African traveller.
The park is split into two areas, the northern sector houses the parks headquarters at Mweya, and the southern sector has its own sub-headquarters at Ishasha. Each area is very diverse and different. The northern sector has a number of established game viewing routes and is one of the most picturesque areas. The journey along the Kasinga Channel from Mweya is one of the most interesting for game viewing, as it is said to hold the world’s largest concentration of hippo. Other wildlife includes warthogs, buffalo, waterbuck, elephant and leopard. The Maramagambo Forest, south of the Kasinga Channel is also home to large numbers of chimpanzees, plus a number of other monkey species. In the south, the rugged terrain around Ishasha is reasonably different. This area is also home to the famous tree-climbing lions, whose habit of lounging in the upper branches of old fig trees is usually not found in other lion populations.
Due the vastness of the park itself there is a selection of accomodations, however all are still able to feel completely isolated to allow a fantastic African wilderness experience. Ishasha Wilderness Camp, with its famous tree climbing lions Ishasha is an idyllic retreat ideal for those who truly enjoy the wilderness. Jacana Lodge is set on the edge of a crater lake the lodge blends in perfectly with the wooded surroundings of the Maramagambo forest. Lastly, Mweya Lodge is located on a peninsula overlooking the Kazinga Channel on one side and with spectacular views towards the Ruwenzori Mountains on the other.