Queen Elizabeth National Park
“A Medley of Wonders” 
Set majestically in the shadow and milieu of the jagged Rwenzori Mountains, flanked by lakes Edward and George, idyllic craters, extensive savannas and humid forests supporting enormous population of wildlife, it is no doubt that Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most popular tourist destination. It is Uganda’s second largest protected area and National Park covering over 1978km2, it is neighbored by Semliki, Kibale Forest and Rwenzori National Parks.
The park was founded in 1952 as Kazinga National Park and two years later, it was renamed Queen Elizabeth National Park to commemorate the visit by Queen Elizabeth II during when the country was under the British Administration.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in the Western part of the country, in the western tourism circuit. The park enjoys a fabulous Rift Valley location, positioned at the base of the “Mountains of the Moon” the Rwenzori between lakes of Edward and George. It is undeniably a medley of beauty and wonders, its glorious vistas include oodles of enormous craters carved dramatically into undulating green hills, panoramic sights of the Mweya Peninsular and Kazinga Channel a 32km waterway crammed with wildlife. Its diverse ecosystem supports variety of wildlife with over 90mammal species including the Big Game and 600bird species.

Queen Elizabeth conservation area includes the Kigezi wildlife reserve in the southern sector and Kyambura in the Northeast as well as Maramagambo and Kalinzu Forests; offering birding and primate tracking opportunities to visitors in the park. The southern sector of the park (Ishasha) is known for is resident tree climbing Lions usually seen lying in tree branches keeping a close eye on their prey, the park is also another prime spot for the line Latitude 00; the Equator.

Accessibility
Queen Elizabeth National Park can be accessed through two main routes from Kampala City. The southern route via Mbarara town and Bushenyi leads to the centre of the park, covering over 420km a journey that is approximately 7hours. This route passes via the Equator-00 latitude, Lake Mburo National Park and Igongo Cultural centre/museum and therefore; visitors can enjoy short tours en-route.
The second route via Fort Portal leads to the park through the northern section and also takes approximately 7hours with a distance of over 410km. This route rewards you with backdrop sights of the Rwenzori Mountains and visitors can also have short tours to the Ndali-Kasende crater field and Kibale Forest known for its diversity of Primates including Chimpanzees.
Alternatively, the park can be accessed using a domestic flight from Kajjansi Airfield or Entebbe, either Charter or Scheduled to existing airstrips of Kasese, Mweya or Ishasha rewarding one with scenic views of Uganda from above.

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