Queen elizabeth national park is in the Western Region of Uganda, spanning the districts of Kasese, Kamwenge, Rubirizi, and Rukungiri. The park is approximately 400 kilometres  by road south-west of Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city.The town of Kasese is just outside the northeastern edge of the park, while the town of Rubirizi is just outside the park’s southeastern boundaries. The park includes the Maramagambo Forest and borders the Kigezi Game Reserve, the Kyambura Game Reserve, and the Kibale National Park in Uganda, and the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Queen Elizabeth National Park occupies an estimated 1,978 square kilometres .The park extends from Lake George in the north-east to Lake Edward in the south-west and includes the Kazinga Channel connecting the two lakes.The park was founded in 1952 as Kazinga National Park. It was renamed two years later to commemorate a visit by Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen elizabeth national park is known for its wildlife, including Cape buffaloes, hippopotami, crocodiles, elephants, leopards, Congo lions, and chimpanzees. It is home to 95 species of mammal and over 500 species of birds. The area around Ishasha in Rukungiri District is famous for its tree-climbing lions, whose males sport black manes. Poachers killed six elephants in the park in 2015, triggering both anger and frustration within the Ugandan conservation community.The park is also famous for its volcanic features, including volcanic cones and deep craters, many with crater lakes, such as the Kate craters, from which salt is extracted.Services in the park include a telecenter run by Conservation Through Public Health and the Uganda Wildlife Authority, neighboring the Queen’s Pavilion, park lodges, game and scenic drives, and boat launches.

About the Ishasha Sector

The remote Ishasha plains in the southwest  of Queen Elizabeth National Park though bypassed by most tour groups ranks with the most alluring game viewing areas in the country as much for its untrammelled mood as its varried wildlife.Ishasha camp the only tourist base in the area situated on the eastern bank of the Ishasha River facing the DRC is also surprisingly  accessible assuming  you have private transport and are in any case travelling  between Queen Elizabeth National Park and Bwindi National Park.Ishasha is well known for its tree climbing lion population which currently consists of around  40 individuals split across three prides.Unusual elsewhere in Africa the tree climbing behaviour at ishasha might be observed throughout the year but is most frequently encountered in the rainy seasons.The explanation for this localised behaviour is open to conjecture.Limited studies undertaken in Tanzania’s Lake Manyara Nationlal Park also noted for its tree climbing lions indicate that the custom of ascending trees is culturally ingrained rather than a response to any immediate external stimuli though it may well have been initiated to escape the attention of biting flies during an epidemic of these creatures.In Ishasha the sycamore fig  and to a lesser extent Albezia trees are favoured over other trees and the lions are mostly to be seen in arboreal action in the heat of the day descending back to the ground before dusk.

The ishasha River which can be explored on foot from the trio of campsites  along its bank supports a healthy hippo population most easily observed from campsite. The fringing forest harbours good numbers of  bushbuck and  black and white colobus monkey and an interesting  variety of birds including black bee eater,  broad billed roller and localised cassin,s grey fly catcher.A way from them river light acacia wooland  and savanna support large herds of Uganda kob, top and buffalo while elephants are seasonally common.Two main game circuits run out of Ishasha the northern and southern loops both of which are roughly 20km in length.The southern circuit is the more productive for lion sightings,since it passes through the the main kob breeding grounds as in kasenyi the predators often stick close to their prey and their presence is often revealed by the antelope’s alarm calls.The simpler northern circuit which approaches the lake Edward flats is better for general game viewing  and it also skirts an extensive swamp where bird watchers should look out for black coucal,compact weaver,fan-tailed widow and other water-associated birds.

How to get there

Ishasha can be reached from one of two directions:Kabale and Bwindi National park in the south or from katunguru on the main Mbarara –Kasese road.It is thus easily visited en route between Bwindi and Mweya in the north of Queen Elizabeth National Park,though road conditions are such that it would be difficult to explore the game viewing tracks thoroughly without spending a night there.

From Kabale via kihihi,ishasha can be approached from kabale or Bwindi national park via kihihi.Coming directly from kabale take the road towards  Bwindi roughly 75km but instead of turning left at kanyantorogo for Bwindi continue straight to kihihi.Coming from Bwindi you must retrace the 30km to kanyantorogo then turn left towards kihihi.The dirt road between kanyantorogo and ishasha is generally in good condition,you can get through in an hour or so in private vehicle though it might take longer after heavy rain.

The small town of kihihi,10-15km north of kanyantorogo appears on few maps but it is neverthless quite a jacked up little place with a filling station the only reliable source of fuel .There is no regular public transport  along this road.

When you arrive at the T-junction turn left in the unlikely event that you are  heading towards the congolese border and right if you are heading towards ishasha camp.From the junction its just 15km to the park entrance gate.

From Kampala via Rukungiri.If coming directly from kampala,the best option is to turn off the main Mbarara-Kabale road at Ntungamo and follow the new 45km tarmac road to Rukungiri.Beyond Rukungiri its 70km along murram roads to ishasha via kihihi.However a right turn about 4km out of Rukungiri provides a shorter route stepping down in several stages on to the Rift Valley floor before passing through the grasslands of kigezi Wildlife Reserves and joining the katunguru ishasha road about 15km from the sector gate.

Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Birding

This is the most known important area for birding in that it is home to 600 species.The park’s confluence of savanna and forest, linking to the expansive forests of the DR Congo allow visitors to spot East as well as Central African species.The park is comprised of water birds,woodland and forest dwellers in maramagambo forest.Mostly found species include martial eagle,African skimmer,pinkbacked pelican,African broadbill,Verreaux’s Eagle Owl,Papyrus Gonolek,Shoebill,White-winged Warbler,Corncrake.For your best birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park, don’t miss these birding hot spots:
Kazinga Channel, Kasenyi Area, Mweya Peninsula, Maramagambo Forest, Ishasha Sector, Lake Kikorongo, Katunguru Bridge area and Katwe Area Tours.

Caving

Tucked beneath the shady canopy of the Maramagambo Forest is the “Bat Cave”. The cave has a viewing room built through funding from the Center for Disease Control in which visitors can observe the bats as well as the pythons that live alongside them… did you know that these serpents live amongst their prey.For a more cultural cave experience, how about a trip to the historic cave at Nyanz’ibiri community, where a local guide will explain to you how it was once used for offering sacrifices and cleansing misfortunes.

Chimpanzee Tracking

Kyambura Gorge experience is more than discovering chimpanzees in their natural environment: it teaches visitors about the ecosystems of Kyambura Gorge’s atmospheric
“underground” rainforest, including vegetation types; bird identification and behavior; and chimp and monkey ecology.

Cultural Encounters

See the energyetic dances of the kikorongo equator cultural performers,workers harvesting salt on katwe salt lake.Atraditional Banyaraguru hut or an agricultural village.Visitors can tour places of the traditional huts of the Banyabindi, Bakonzo, and Basongora ethnic groups, watch traditional song and dance performances, and purchase handicrafts made by local communities.

If you choose to go for Longer visits it  includes conversations with community members about the challenges and opportunities they face living next to the park, visits to local schools, and discussions about traditional village life and solutions for human-wildlife conflict. We can work with tour groups to create a customized program.

Game Drives

If you want to gain a classic African safari experience, the tracks through Kasenyi, the North Kazinga Plains and the Ishasha Sector offer virtually guaranteed buffalo, antelope and elephant sightings, along with warthogs and baboons. Taking an experienced guide in the early morning  is the most successful way to track down a pride of lions, and maybe even the odd leopard.
Guides are available from 6:30am onwards; morning game drives should be booked the day before and are the most better as recommended to visitors

Nature Walks

These natural treks are one of the more active ways to explore the landscapes and wildlife of Queen Elizabeth.Locations include the shady Maramagambo forest,Mweya peninsula with its scenic views and ishasha river,where you may spot avariety of forest and savanna species as well as having aunique opportunity to get extremely close to hippos.

Launch Trips

Kazinga channel is an oasis for many of the fascinating species that inhabit the park and taking aboat tour along it gives visitors the chance to cruise just meters from hundreds of enormous hippos and buffalos while elephants linger on the shore line.