Queen Elizabeth Tours Uganda, Expedition, Wildlife Safari Queen Elizabeth Attractions Africa

February 27, 2008

Tourist attractions:
§    Kazinga Channel:
The channel is 40km long, connecting Lake Edward and George. Along the shoreline you can spot a  number of reptiles, mammals and birds, hence providing the loveliest wildlife spectacle. The  park set up Simba and Topi launches between the cruise of the channels entrance and Mweya Jett,  which run from 15:00 and 17:00. Also arranged voyages run at 11:00 and 13:00.

§    Katwe:
BY use of evaporation, salt has been extracted from Lake Katwe, hence leading to the development  of the salt industry up-to-date in Uganda.

Katwe Explosion Craters:
North of Mweya Safari Lodge we find the extinct cluster volcanoes, which can be explored by  crater drive for 27km between the equator gates and the main. This crater drive gives you  options to view a variety of craters, clear lakes, rift valley floor and Rwenzori.

Mweya Peninsula:
Mweya Peninsula offers a variety of accommodation and a number of tourism activities all  seasons, located in the centre of the park.
Among the activities include; the nature walks being arranged at the camp from Mweya Information  Centre, then one is given a guide to explore the Peninsula which over looks Lake Edward’s Katwe  bay and the Rift valley.

§    North Kazinga and Kasenyi:
For game viewing, North Kazinga channel is the main game viewing area. You can easily access  Buffalos and Elephants using the available tracks leading you to North Kazinga Channel covered  with grassland thickets.
However, East of Kasese road on the open Kasenyi plain, lions can be spotted where they prey on  a variety of mammals especially the Uganda kobs. Other activities are; guided game drives  especially in early morning and late afternoon.

§    Ishasha:
Ishasha is located South of Mweya (100km). This provides the park’s wilderness experience and  the true African nature of savannah woodland, Ishasha River as well as Ishasha’s famous wildlife  of tree climbing lions and rare shoebill stork along the Edward flats.

§    The Queen’s Pavilion and the Equator:
At the Northern entrance to the carter drive, there stands the Queen’s Pavilion, which hosted  the Duke of Edinburgh and HM Queen Elizabeth II later in 1954. However, it was a temporary  shelter but a paramount pavilion was built in 1959 for Queen Elizabeth the Queen mother and then  it was restored for the Duke of Edinburgh’s visit in 2007.
The equator stands along the Kasese road, marked by 2 concrete circles where visitors enjoy  making photos.

§    Kyambura Wildlife Reserve:
The reserve contains four crater lakes hosting a number of flamingos year round.
The Reserve protects the Kazinga Channel in the Southeastern banks.

§    Kyambura Gorge:
Chimpanzees line deep the gotge (100m) across the Kyambura River following the Rift valley floor  near the Kazinga channel.
The search for chimpanzees starts at 8:00 to 14:00, with the help of guides, for 3km from the  Fig tree camp in Kyambura.

§    Maramagambo Forest:
The forest is one of Uganda’s largest tropical rain forests and habitat to lots of birds and  mammals as well as primates.
With Kazinga Channel’s sunny plains around, the forest looks more clear and cool, while around  Lake Nyamusingire is where the trails explore the forest. Other sites include; the
Copper-rich blue lake and a bat cave accompanied with bat-hungry python.

Written by admin · Filed Under queen-elizabeth-park 

Lodges Queen Elizabeth National Park Accommodation Uganda Africa

February 27, 2008

Accommodation:
A range of accommodation catering for a variety of budgets such as Jacana safari lodge, Mweya  safari lodge as well as Ishasha camp catering for up market accommodation.
Camps are available in Ishasha, Maramagambo as well as Mweya for camping.
Other camps include Kichwamba escarpment, King fisher camp and a hippo hill camp near Katwe.

Written by admin · Filed Under queen-elizabeth-park 

Getting to Queen Elizabeth,Vacation Ideas, Travel and Safari Trip Africa

February 26, 2008

How to get there.
The park can be reached by air or road. However, driving is more rewarding using the tarmac road  of Mbarara-Kasese-Fort portal highway, which runs through the centre of the park. Passing  through Mweya is just 22km from the main tourism hub.

The park can also be accessible from the South via Mbarara when coming from Kampala for 420km  and 410km via Fort Portal in the North.
These two routes can be accompanied by visits to Lake Mburo and Kibale National Park as well as  Semuliki National Park.
Bwindi National Park is also another alternative for one to reach the park from the South.

The park can also be easily accessible by use of Charter flights on the airstrips of Kasese,  Ishasha and Mweya.

Flora and Fauna:
Queen Elizabeth National Park supports a tremendous diversity of 95 mammal species and 612 bird  species as well as 57 types of vegetation being categorized into 5 divisions of swamp, bushy,  grassland, acacia woodland and forests.
Habitants on the park’s grassland are elephants, Uganda kob, giant forest hog, leopard, lions,  hyena, waterbuck, Cape buffalo, warthog and giant forest hog, while in Ishasha we find the topi  as well as the forest primates in Kyambura Gorge.

Written by admin · Filed Under queen-elizabeth-park 

Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda

February 26, 2008

Queen Elizabeth covers an area of 1978km2 between Lake George and Edward.
The area is covered and supports 612 bird species and 95 species of mammals.
The diverse features described by Douglas Willocks led to its existance in 1952, over 40 years  ago. Ever since, there is still no good introduction as to why one should visit the park.

Geographically, the area covers 30 miles to the North, concentrated mountains, composites, the  Blue Rwenzori, which had exploded from the plain. Fort miles wide and 60 miles long surrounded  with a bright blue light, with a clear sky.
Across Lake Edward to the Far West in long sight is the blue too, Mitumbe hills seen up right,  but when closer are green precipitous unfriendly wooded. The calm green escarpment surrounds the  park in the Western Rift valley. The endless savannah is also surrounded by hills, mountains as  well as lakes.

The park has well protected areas like Kigezi and Kyambura 256km2 and 154km2 respectively as  well as some wildlife reserves of Kibale National Park, and Kalinzu Forest Reserve. In the  Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Virunga National Park in the mountains is also a well- protected area.

Due to the mountains surrounding the park, a dramatic scenery has been created. The park is also  surrounded by a rift valley floor raising from 480m to 710m near the Kazinga channel, to 1390m.  Since the park is located near the equator and low altitudes, temperatures keep on being warm  from 180C to 280C. However, the park receives rainfall in the months of March, May and  September-November with the total rainfall being 1250mm of rain.

Written by admin · Filed Under queen-elizabeth-park