Game drive is one of the major tourist activities in national parks especially the savanna national parks. Game drive in Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the best activities where you can virtually interact with animals in their national habitat. Game drive in Queen Elizabeth national park is done Kasenyi plains, Ishasha sector and Mweya peninsula. The park is a home to a variety of wildlife ranging from insects, rodents, cats, herbivores, birds and amazing sceneries and a combination of these make Queen Elizabeth national park a Medley of Wonders.
Queen Elizabeth national park is Uganda’s second largest national park, located in western Uganda bordering 4 districts which are; Kasese, Rubirizi, Rukungiri and Kamwenge. The park covers an area of about 1,978 square kilometers (764 square miles). The park is nestled adjacent to Rwenzori ranges making it more popular and attractive.
Queen Elizabeth national park is a home to a number of wildlife which can only be visible during a game drive. Some of the animals to encounter in Queen Elizabeth national park are; lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, hippopotami, Nile crocodiles, kobs, bushbucks, waterbucks, hyenas, mongooses, birds with a recorded number of birds to be over 600 bird species including the Albertine endemics and migratory birds, beautiful crater lakes, amazing kopjes and beautiful sceneries.
Game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park can be day game drive or night game drive.
Day game drives are done specifically to have an interaction with diurnals (animals which are active during the day). Day game drive can be early morning game drive to catch the animals when they are still very active. While evening game drive is done to target lazy animals that fear heat and are active during late evenings and night as well. Day game drives will expose you to a number of wildlife for example buffaloes, kobs, warthogs, bushbucks, waterbucks, birds, tree climbing lions, leopards among other others, however lions and leopards can hunt through the day, meaning they can be active during the day and night as well.
Night game drive in Queen Elizabeth national park is basically for animal that are active during night. These are termed as nocturnal animals. Queen Elizabeth is a home to nocturnal animals which can be seen during the night game drive. Night game drive in Queen Elizabeth national park is done in Mweya Peninsula this is because during day, there are a lot of tourists in Kasenyi plains and Ishasha sector, so this is done to avoid animals from being stressed by the tourists. During the night game drive, you will have an encounter with jackals, serval cats, hyenas, leopards, lions, hippos, night birds such as bats, night jars among others.
How to Access Queen Elizabeth National Park?
You can access Queen Elizabeth national park through Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara highway where you drive for about 6hours. You can access Queen Elizabeth national park through Kampala-Mubende-Fort-Portal-Kasese highway and you will drive for about 7 to 8hours. You can also use a chartered plane like Aerolink Uganda from Kajjansi to Mweya Airstrip and the flight takes about 1hour 15mins.
What is the best time to do game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park?
Queen Elizabeth national park can be accessed throughout the year, however the best time to visit Queen Elizabeth national park is during dry season between June and September, December and February. This is when the trails are dry, the vegetation is short and savanna grassland is golden, making a long stretch of your eyes to cover a wider circumference. However, during wet season between March and May and October and November, there are always a few tourists therefore if you visit during these months, you will feel like you own the park. During wet season, the vegetation is thick, the park is less occupied and everything is amazing. This season is always liked by film makers and photographers.
Game drive in Queen Elizabeth national park can be combined with chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu forest, chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge, Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale national park since the park is close to Kibale national park. You can also combine game drive in Queen Elizabeth national park with Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable national park, you can also visit Lake Bunyonyi or a 2 Days Lake Mburo national park safari.
