Article by:
Vicki Brown
Unlike Kruger, the Serengeti or the Masai Mara, Queen Elizabeth National Park is hardly a household name. But not only does its wildlife rival that of any other African national park, its volcanic backdrops put safaris here into a whole other league. Yes, it has four of the Big Five strolling across its bright green savannah, but it also has crater lakes, flocks of flamingos, and a chimp-inhabited underground forest. The trumpeting of elephants echoes around ancient craters, and bounces off the steep walls of the Kichwamba Escarpment. Buffalos cluster in huge herds, framed by the dark, knuckle-like silhouette of the Rwenzori Mountains – the ‘Mountains of the Moon’. Come to Uganda for its gorillas, by all means, but don’t fall for the idea that there is nothing else to see.
Most tours enter the park from the north, taking you through the Kasenyi region, a favourite for game drives, and onto the Kyambura Gorge. Pause at Mweya Peninsula for views across the park and Lake Edward, and an afternoon cruise up the Kazinga Channel. Continuing south through Ishasha, you’ll seek out the tree climbing lions and topi. Tours that spend several days in the region may also venture out to visit neighbouring Toro and Ankole communities. The area around the park is lush and heavily populated, and you can meet craftspeople and salt harvesters, learn how to weave baskets or make recycled paper jewellery, and enjoy colourful cultural performances with lively dancing to the sound of hand carved wooden xylophones. Read the full travel article here.
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