Crater drives in Queen Elizabeth: Queen Elizabeth National Park is a savanna grassland park in the country’s west. The park covers approximately 1,970 square kilometers and is considered Uganda’s second largest national park. Game viewing in the Kasenyi, Mweya, and Ishasha Sectors, nature walks, chimp trekking in the exhilarating Kyambura Gorge, a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, birding, and other activities are available in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Water bodies, savanna grasslands, primates, mammals, and bird species are among the wildlife that can be seen during these activities.
Queen Elizabeth National Park contains a number of crater lakes formed as a result of the vulcanization of molten rock (lava), which involves a violent eruption that reaches the top of a volcano cone, which is then blown off, forming a large basin surrounded by lava, a harsh realm, and rock debris. The crater’s end results are quite interesting, and a trip to Queen Elizabeth is rewarding because you get to see so much beauty in one place.
Crater drives in Queen Elizabeth
This crater drives in Queen Elizabeth are known as the Explosion Crater drives and last around two hours. Experiencing the magnificence of these craters is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You should travel early in the morning or late at night, when visibility is optimum and temperatures are at their lowest. Lake Katwe, a large body of water next to Lake Edward, is well-known for its salt mining history. Visitors may learn about the process of salt mining in the area, from the installation of the salt pans to the actual entry into the water, at this lake.
Visitors may also view how salt is manufactured from super-concentrated salty water at the lake’s ancient salt factory and works during the dry season. As you drive through the carters, you will be able to observe the craters, the Rwenzori Mountains, the Kazinga channel that connects Lake George to Lake Edward, the two lakes, and a variety of species that dwell in the craters.
Elephants, buffaloes, and other hippos may be seen nearby. This crater tour requires a 4WD vehicle because the route may be rough, rock-strewn, and slippery when it rains. When the weather is nice, driving about the Crater lakes is enjoyable.
Other Safari Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Game drives
Several game drives at Queen Elizabeth National Park will allow you to observe a range of interesting things during your Uganda safari tour. In the Park, safari game drives are done in three sessions: morning, afternoon, and evening game drives. The morning game drive, which begins at 06:30 a.m., allows you to see a variety of herbivores in the park catching their first feed of the day. You will also be able to catch the predators when they return to their hideouts. Expect to see elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, oribis, impalas, lions, leopards, and a variety of other spectacular animals.
During night game drives at Queen Elizabeth National Park, you will get the opportunity to see a variety of nocturnal species, such as lions, leopards, and hyenas, capturing their prey in the wild. You may also join in nocturnal game drives while in the park to observe how the park comes to life when the sun goes down. Night jars are among the prominent bird species that might be spotted during night game drives.
Boat cruise on The Kazinga Channel
The Kazinga Channel part of Queen Elizabeth National Park offers a totally unique experience for all tourists to Africa. The Kazinga canal is a waterway that links Lake George with Lake Edward. It’s a 40-kilometer-long river that runs beneath the famed Mweya peninsular, near the Mweya safari resort.
The Kazinga channel boat ride will be unlike any other experience you’ve experienced in Africa. “The boat tour in Kazinga channel is the highlight of every Uganda Safari,” many visitors to Queen Elizabeth National Park remark.
The boat excursion lasts 3-4 hours and is conducted by trained guides with extensive experience. The guides will offer you with all of the information you need about the boat trip and the history of Kazinga channel, as well as all of the explanations you need about the animals along the canal’s sides, throughout the boat cruise. The guides are quite informed and will answer any questions you may have about the animals and birds, the surrounding vegetation, the color of the water, and so on. They will also enlighten you about the villages near the Kazinga canal. What a plethora of knowledge to go along with your boat excursion!
Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge
Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura canyon is not difficult, but it does involve walking up and down slopes in search of chimps, which can be easily spotted because to their loud shouts and hooting that can be heard from afar. You can track their footprints if no sounds are heard. When the Chimps are sighted, they may be seen playing, interacting with one another, and mating. When they notice people, these chimps usually climb down the trees, allowing you to get up close and personal with them.
In Kyambura gorge, chimp trekking is organized into two sessions: morning and afternoon. Only eight permits are allowed every session, for a total of sixteen permits per day. If you include this hike in your schedule, you will be assigned a guide who will accompany you to the gorge after a briefing. The full activity takes about 2-3 hours.
