Boat Cruise on Kazinga Channel

Visit Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda for a boat cruise on the lovely Kazinga Channel. The Kazinga Channel is a freshwater body that links Lake Edward and Lake George and measures 32 kilometers in length. While on the boat, you can spot over 60 bird species and various mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and butterflies. Mammals to spot include hippos, buffalos, elephants, and waterbucks. Birds include the African fish eagles, grey crowned cranes, and African skimmer to mention but a few. Reptiles include crocodiles and lizards among others. In addition to wildlife viewing and birding, you will view one of the fishing villages adjacent to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Boat cruise schedules at Kazinga Channel

At Queen Elizabeth National Park, you can enjoy either a morning boat cruise, an afternoon boat cruise, or an evening boat cruise. These occur at 10 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm respectively. There are a variety of boats to accommodate several visitors as well. The boats can carry 20-40 passengers depending on size and sitting arrangement. These are mostly two-decked boats managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority or privately owned.

The boat cruise takes 2-3 hours costing around USD 30 per person for a foreign non-resident and UGX 30,000 for East African residents. This will allow you to watch wildlife, bask beneath the afternoon heat, make friends of the same interests, and take as many pictures as you wish.

Best time to go for a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel

The dry season is the best time to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park for a boat cruise experience. This runs from June to September, and from December to February. Dry seasons have sunny weather conditions, with minimal rainfall. These are favorable conditions for outdoor activities such as boat cruises.

Also, numerous wildlife species in Queen Elizabeth National Park converge at the Kazinga Channel during the dry season to quench their thirst when water sources are scarce. This increases your chances of spotting hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffalos, and numerous bird species in one place.

Additionally, the dry season ensures that the Kazinga Channel water levels are stable to provide smoother sailing experiences compared to the rainy season when water levels rise significantly. However, you could visit Queen for boat cruise experiences throughout the year despite all the mentioned challenges and still have the best time of your life depending on your desires.

Accessing boat cruise on Kazinga Channel

Boat cruise tours start at the Mweya Peninsula and you can reach the site through the Katunguru gate. However, Queen Elizabeth National Park can be accessed by both road and air transport. By road, you can access the park for Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, or from Entebbe International Airport. The 390-kilometer scenic road trip takes 7-8 hours via Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara-Kasese.

For visitors looking for a faster and more convenient travel option, air is the best choice. You could travel for about an hour from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield to nearby airfields such as Kasese, Ishasha, or Mweya. This offers the opportunity to have aerial views of Uganda’s magnificent lakes, rivers, grasslands, valleys, forests, and woodlands to mention but a few.

Other tourist attractions besides boat cruises on the Kazinga Channel

Besides boat cruises, Queen Elizabeth National Park has other iconic tourist activities to enjoy. These include lion tracking experiences where you can track and encounter the renowned tree-climbing lions. There are birdwatching excursions where you can explore the park’s rich bird diversity including the papyrus gonolek, grey-crowned cranes, and shoebills to mention but a few.

Queen Elizabeth National Park offers a chance for a thrilling forest walking tour in the Maramagambo forest. Queen Elizabeth National Park borders the Maramagambo forest to the north to encounter numerous primate species, including the host’s monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and many others. During the forest hike, there are various butterflies, amphibians, and reptiles to view. In the Maramagambo forest, bat caves can also be explored.

Additionally, you could engage in chimpanzee tracking, to locate habituated chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge. This lush forest in the eastern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park is also a habitat for red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, and numerous bird species seen in the dense canopy.

Packing for a boat cruise tour on the Kazinga Channel

Water bottle
Binoculars
Backpack
Sun cream
Sunglasses
Rain jacket or poncho
Lightweight long-sleeved shirt, pants or blouse
Wide-brimmed hat
Personal medication
Insect repellent
Camera or smartphone
Guidebook or bird identification book
Travel documents

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.

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