Where to see tree-climbing lions in Uganda?

Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in western part of Uganda, approximately 400 kilometers southwest of Kampala and is the most popular savannah park in Uganda. But most importantly it is the only home of the endangered tree climbing lions in Ishasha sector – the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park.

This part was officially founded in 1952 and it still ranks the best place to see tree-climbing lions. It prides itself on diverse habitats that include lakes, forests, wetlands, and savannah grasslands.

The tree-climbing lions in Ishasha Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The tree-climbing lions are seen in Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This National Park is mainly covered by savannah grassland with an ecosystem characterized by openness, grasses, scattered acacia trees, bushes, and with hot climate. Queen Elizabeth National Park savannah is not only home to climbing lions but also to other animals such as elephants, leopards, cheetahs, buffalo, Kobs, hyenas, and warthogs, etc.

In Queen Elizabeth National Park, tree-climbing lions are located in Ishasha sector, the southern part of the park. They can be spotted during game drives in the later mornings when feeding with the help of a guide. Lions live in groups called prides both young and adults. The young ones depend on their mothers for protection and feeding for the first few months.

The climbing lions are usually seen lying lazily in the big fig trees when resting and taking cover while looking out for the next meal. Tree-climbing lions also climb trees to get fresh air and cool down from the hot weather after feeding. As they relax up in the trees they hide away from the insects that disrupt their peace and spot their next meal.

Best time to see tree-climbing lions in Uganda.

Tree climbing lions in the Ishasha sector are seen all year round but are best seen in the dry seasons when the grass is short and roads are easily accessible. The dry seasons are in January, February, June, July, August, September, and October. In wet seasons grass grows tall and roads are soggy giving fewer chances of viewing these incredible climbing lions.

Where to stay in Ishasha sector?

There are various accommodation facilities to stay while on your safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park, ranging from budget to mid-range to luxury. Some of the lodges here include Ishasaha Pride Lodge, Topi Lodge, Ishasha Wilderness Camp, Tree-climbing lions lodge, Ishasha Jungle Lodge, Embogo Safari Lodge and others.

How to get to Ishasha sector Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Ishasha sector is located on the southern side of Queen Elizabeth National Park and can be accessed by road transport means where you drive from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, and to Ishasha sector which takes about 8 to 9 hours.

You can get to Ishasha by air transport where scheduled flights with Aerolink services are arranged from Entebbe International Airport to Kihihi, Kasese and Ishasha airstrips and then connect to Queen Elizabeth National Park by road.

Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Queen Elizabeth National Park offers other variety of activities that can be of interest to visitors. These activities include the following.

Game drives.

Game drives are the best way to explore the park in the comfort of your vehicle. These game drives are led by rangers that ensure your safety and give you an insert of the animals in the park. Game drives in Queen Elizabeth are carried out in two sessions one in the morning and the other in the evening. Both sessions offer a chance to spot other animals like elephants, buffaloes, hyenas, leopards, warthogs, kobs, topi, and antelopes.

Bird watching.

Queen Elizabeth National Park harbors over 600 bird species like the pink-backed pelican, papyrus gonolek, palm nut vulture, and great blue turaco among many more in the Maramagambo forest. The vast landscape and the variety of vegetation zones give the bird species the best habitats.

Boat cruise.

Bat cruises are carried out on the Kazinga channel. The Kazinga Channel is a water channel that connects Lake Edward to Lake George. While on the Kazinga channel mammals like Nile crocodiles and hippos are seen at Kasenyi landing site.

Chimpanzee tracking.

Tracking chimpanzees is one of the most popular activities done in Kyambura Gorge of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Tracking involves going through the dense vegetation of the gorge searching for the chimpanzee and spending an hour in their presence after locating them. The gorge is also home to other smaller primates like vervet monkeys and black and white colobus monkeys all seen in the park.

Visit Uganda – the pearl of Africa, for other amazing attractions and experiences.

Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa neighboring South Sudan in the north, Kenya in the east, Tanzania in the south, and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the west. Uganda has Entebbe International Airport as its international airport with Kampala as its capital city and commercial center. Kampala sits on 7 hills that is Kololo Hill, Mengo Hill the king’s palace of Buganda is at this hill, Rubaga Hill home to Rubaga Catholic Church Nakasero Hill, Makerere Hill where the great Makerere University, Namirembe Hill home to the Anglican cathedral and Old Kampala Hill. The National Museum of Uganda is located in Kampala city.

Geographically Uganda is a beautiful scenery with a diversity of hills, lakes, mountains, landscapes, and fertile soils hence Churchill naming her the Pearl of Africa. Lake Victoria which is the second largest fresh water in the world and Mountain Rwenzori snow caped yet it’s at the equator located in this beautiful pearl. The equator goes through Uganda dividing it into the northern and southern hemispheres and it’s one of the few countries in the world where the equator runs through. In Uganda, the places to explore the equator are Kayabwe, Kasese and Lake Victoria.

While at the equator you will have a chance of standing into hemispheres of the northern and the southern at the same time hence having a body light weight.
Uganda has a lot to offer from history to culture to nature to wonderful wildlife and Rift Valley. She is home to the western rift valley running through East Africa. Ugandan history is rich with different kingdoms like the Buganda Kingdom, Ankole Kingdom, Bunyoro Kingdom, and Toro Kingdom. Buganda kingdom is headed by Kabaka, Ankole kingdom is headed by Omukama, Bunyoro is headed by Omukama, and Toro is headed by Omukama.
Uganda is a welcoming country with joyful hospitable Ugandans.

From the time you arrive in the country through Entebbe International Airport, you are welcomed with smiling faces, and dances in different communities and cultures. Respect for visitors is displayed, and the safety of the visitors is guaranteed.

Sándor Jakubinyi

14:31 22 Feb 24

2019 megigazulás

12:45 21 Feb 24

We went on a two-week trip with my family, organised by Coleb from Standard Safaris.

I had my concerns about organised trips, but this one didn’t justify any of those. Everything went very smoothly, even when some problems arose with one of the cars it got fixed by next morning, the accomodations were clean and comfortable, the programs were exciting and well-balanced - everything was done to a truly high standard.

If you plan to visit Uganda and are looking for a guide, I warmly recommend Coleb and his team. In case you have a choice of drivers, go for Godwin, his presence made this trip even more enjoyable - cheerful, helpful, good sense of humour, generally a great person. Just look for the guy with a big smile and big heart:)

Bert Simoens

09:38 08 Jan 24

We recently embarked on a safari adventure with Standard Safaris in Uganda, which was truly exceptional. Our guide, Yonah, was outstanding - his kindness, knowledge, and discretion significantly enhanced our experience. He was the heart of our trip.

The local company's planning was offering a tailor-made journey that matched our interests. We saw an array of wildlife in Murchison, enjoyed rafting at Jinja, and experienced mountain biking at Sipi. A visit to Kidepo National Park was a highlight and comes highly recommended.

The vehicle provided was comfortable and reliable. We highly recommend Standard Safaris for anyone seeking an unforgettable safari in Uganda. Their professionalism and the exceptional guidance of staff like Yonah make them an great choice.

Michał Kostrzewa

00:41 15 Nov 23

We are all extremely grateful Standard Safaris for an incredible East Africa experience. I recently booked a custom trip for group of 8 people, including an 8-year-old boy, from Kampala through Queen Elizabeth National Park and on to Rwanda and Burundi. Coleb delivered on everything that was discussed and agreed upon beforehand.

The car provided was in great condition and our driver Meddy went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, informed, and had the best possible time. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. All local services were inlcuded in (reasonable) price that we agreed, so there was no need to worry about payments during the 6 day trip. Also Standard Safaris agreed took care about safety and security by helping us organize armed ranger while in the park.

The whole trip was hassle-free and smooth. We saw amazing wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP, took in the sights of Rwanda and Burundi, and made lifelong memories.

I would happily book with Standard Safaris again in a heartbeat and recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone looking for the best East Africa trip. They provide top-notch service while ensuring you have an incredible, customized experience. If you want a hassle-free, flawlessly organized African adventure, Standard Safaris is the tour operator to book with.

Ivan Nammanda

18:31 27 Oct 23

Very organized travel operator who chose awesome guide to make our trip wonderful.

We booked a nine days trip with Standard Safaris and all was perfect from start to finish. Coleb was very prompt at replying and easy to liaise with ahead of the trip. We had done a lot of research and had an itinerary in mind and Coleb helped us to put everything together to make this happen for a very reasonable price.  On the trip we had a private vehicle for the whole tour which was exactly what we wanted. Bryan was our driver and an amazing guide - really friendly and knowledgable, working hard to find the things that we wanted to see and quickly understanding what was of interest to us/how much information to give.

Would highly recommend a trip to Uganda with Standard Safaris. We are definitely coming back soon!

MUGAIGA KENNETH

18:01 27 Oct 23

The company has very courteous tour guides with wide knowledge of fauna and frola in the whole of East Africa.
The choice of safari Lodges is good with first class treatment.
Game drive security is assured.
Almost The whole of September I was traversing through DRC, Uganda,and Rwanda on a gorilla tour and wildlife expedition.
Everything was arranged and booked perfectly by Standard Safaris.
The owner, Coleb was always helpful whenever we needed to ask questions about this gorilla safari in Uganda and beyond.
It was a complex expedition but Standard safaris and Coleb made it look amazingly easy.
I’ll recommend Standard safaris 200%, for all gorilla safaris in Uganda, Rwanda and wildlife tours in east africa.

travel uganda

16:35 27 Oct 23

This is so far the best gorilla trekking company in Uganda, and africa, by far. I had a wonderful time with Standard Safaris as a solo traveler.
My guide was excellent and our safari planner, Coleb was quick with responses and the prices were very friendly.
I’ll definitely book with Standard safaris on my next gorilla tour in Rwanda and Uganda.