Covering 1978 sq km, Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the most popular in Uganda. With landscape including savannah, bushland, wetlands and lush forests, the park is inhabited by 96 species of mammals, including healthy numbers of hippos, elephants, lions and leopard as well as chimps and hyena. The remote Ishasha sector, in the far south of the park, is famous for its tree-climbing lions. There’s also an amazing 611 bird species here; more than found in all of Great Britain.
Back in the 1970s, with its great herds of elephants, buffaloes, kob, waterbuck, hippos and topis, Queen Elizabeth was one of the premier safari parks in Africa. But during the troubled 1980s, Ugandan and Tanzanian troops (which occupied the country after Amin’s demise) did their ivory-grabbing, trophy-hunting best. Thankfully, animal populations are recovering.
Besides the usual wildlife drives, the park is well worth a visit for a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel and a walk through beautiful Kyambura (Chambura) Gorge, a little Eden brimming with chimpanzees and other primates.
