Best time to visit Queen Elizabeth national park
Best time to visit Queen Elizabeth national park; Queen Elizabeth national park is the second largest and one of the most visited national parks in Uganda. The national park is located in western region in four districts namely Kasese, Rubirizi, Kamwenge and Rukungiri. Queen Elizabeth national park is known for harboring about 95 mammals including the famous tree climbing lions in ishasha sector, other animals like buffaloes, leopards, elephants, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, bushbucks, topi, giant forest hogs, hyenas, warthogs, hippo, Nile crocodiles, primates like chimpanzees, l’hoest monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons and over 600 bird species.
Best time to visit Queen Elizabeth national park
Queen Elizabeth national park can be visited anytime throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season also known as the peak season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February because during this period there is less or little rainfall in the national park therefore vegetation will be short which allows you to spot different animals easily.
During the dry season many animals gather around the water bodies to drink water which gives you an opportunity to view abundant wildlife species along the water shores.
During the dry season, game drive tracks, nature walk and chimpanzee trekking trails will be dry and passable which makes game drives and chimpanzee trekking easy compared to the rainy season when the game tracks and hiking trails are muddy and slippery which makes it hard to drive through and chimpanzee trekking becomes difficult.
Despite being a dry season, it can rain anytime of the day in Queen Elizabeth national park and the dry season on the other hand has some setbacks or challenges for example the park will be crowded by many tourists and lodges will be more expensive and also get fully booked quickly.
Queen Elizabeth national park can also be visited in the low or rainy season during the months of march, April, may, October and November. The low season is characterized by heavy rainfall which makes the chimpanzee trekking trails, nature walk trails and game drive tracks muddy and slippery however it has some advantages for example the park will have few visitors which gives you an opportunity to explore the park with less crowds and also more time with the animals during the game drives.
The low season is the best period for bird watching where bird lovers will be able to view colorful and migratory bird species from Europe and also some lodges offer discounts as a way to attract visitors which favors budget tourists.
Safari activities in Queen Elizabeth national park
Queen Elizabeth national park offers a number of safari activities that you can engage in during the safari including game drives where you will be able to view different animals, boat cruise on Kazinga channel where you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, bird watching where you will be able to view variety of bird species, chimpanzee trekking where you will be able to spend one hour with chimpanzees, cultural tour where you will be able to interact with the local people, guided nature walk where you will be able to get up-close and personal with different wildlife species among others.
Where to stay in Queen Elizabeth national park
Queen Elizabeth national park has a wide range of accommodation facilities raging from budget, midrange and luxury where you can stay during the safari including Elephant Plains Lodge, Aardvark Safari Lodge, Buffalo Safari Lodge, Twin Lakes Safari Lodge, Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge, Elephant Hub Lodge, Queen Elizabeth Safari Lodge, Topi Lodge, Irungu Forest Safari Lodge, Lake Munyanyange Cave Resort, Marafiki Safari Lodge, Ishasha Jungle Lodge, Pumba Safari Cottages, Kasenyi Safari Camp, Ishasha Wilderness Camp, Enganzi Lodge, Parkview Safari Lodge, Simba Safari Camp, Mweya Safari Lodge, Kyambura Gorge Lodge, Lake Chibwera Camp, Mweya Hostels, Katara Lodge, Kingfisher Lodge Kichwamba, Ishasha Tented Camp, Ishasha Ntungwe River Camp, Ihamba Safari Lodge, Ishasha Jungle Lodge, Kitandara Hippo Hill Lodge among others.
How to get to Queen Elizabeth national park
Queen Elizabeth national park is located in western part of Uganda and can be accessed by road transport means where you will drive from Kampala via masaka, Mbarara or Mubende, Fort Portal to the park headquarters which takes about 7 to 8 hours’ drive in a safari vehicle.
Queen Elizabeth national park can also be accessed by air transport means where you will book scheduled or charter domestic flights with Aerolink Uganda from Entebbe international airport to Kasese or Mweya airstrips and then connect to the park headquarters by road.
You can as well access Queen Elizabeth national park from Kibale forest national park which takes about 2 to 3 hours’ drive in a safari vehicle.
Packing list for Queen Elizabeth national park
When planning to visit Queen Elizabeth national park, there are a number of items that you should pack for your safari including the right clothes for example long sleeved and light clothes, right footwear, insect repellent, camera and extra batteries, a pair of binoculars, a hat and sunglasses, sunscreen, warm sweater among others.
Queen Elizabeth national park is an interesting destination that can be visited all year round whether the dry season or the low season depending on your preference. For more information, you can reach out to us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website for various Uganda safari packages.
