The Kazinga Channel
The Kazinga Channel
Kazinga Channel shores attract a lot of wildlife in Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is the nearest and easy to reach water body in the park. Kazinga Channel is located in the Kasese district; within Queen Elizabeth National Park, it is about 420km away from Kampala City. It has an estimated terrain of about 914m above sea level.
It is a wide and long natural channel of 32km that links two freshwater lakes, George and Lake Edward. Kazinga Channel is the dominant attraction in the whole of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Parts of the channel
Kazinga channel has two parts; North Kazinga and the Kasenyi Plains. Both parts of the Kazinga channel are very cool points for viewing the game; the Kasenyi Plains are ideal for lion tracking.
The northern shore of the Kazinga Channel features a swamp that extends beneath the Mweya Peninsula. This area, known as the Kazinga Channel Wetland, is registered and protected as a Ramsar site. This safeguards the conservation rights of wetlands in Africa. The wetland serves as a habitat for crocodiles, various bird species, as well as both water and land-dwelling antelopes such as the Sitatunga and waterbucks.
The old buffaloes when chased from their herds, find comfort at the shore of Kazinga Channel. During the Mweya Boat Cruise, you will see several individual buffaloes bathing in mad. The act of “mad bathing”, is called wallowing. Wild animals like buffaloes wallow in mad to get rid of ticks and other biting insects from their bodies.
In the afternoon, numerous animals gather along the Kazinga Channel to quench their thirst. Visitors can observe elephants, buffaloes, and monitor lizards, including the giant monitor lizard, which is the largest lizard species found in Africa.
Tourism
Kazinga Channel is also termed as the most popular tourism area in Uganda due to the many activities that visitors can do when they visit Queen Elizabeth National Park.
In 1948, the renowned American photographer George Roger captured a black and white photograph of a small group of zebras in Kazinga National Park, now known as Queen Elizabeth National Park. The image gained widespread popularity and was preserved by Art Space, a photography company.
Lake George, one of Uganda’s largest freshwater lakes, borders the Kazinga Channel on its eastern side. Fed by numerous tributaries originating from Mount Rwenzori, Lake George spans over 2000 square kilometers. It serves as the primary source of drainage for both the Kazinga Channel and the nearby Lake Edward.
The shores of Kazinga Channel draw large numbers of wildlife like Hippos, Crocodiles, Statunga Antelopes, Bird Species, Waterbucks, Buffaloes, and elephants among others. It attracts wildlife throughout the year with the biggest population of Hippos and numerous Crocodiles in the whole world.
During the boat cruise, you will get a chance to see the fishing villages overlooking the stream such as Kasenyi Plains. On the boat, you are able to see fishermen washing their fishing nets in the river. You can also have a chance to see small boys catching fish using a more rudiment method and traditional method; hook fishing.
When observing the stream leading to the fishing villages, one can witness fishermen repairing their boats and women mending fishing nets, preparing them for the next fishing expedition.
Boat Cruise
A boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel offers a splendid view of the surrounding scenery. It is the most popular excursion in Uganda. The morning cruise operates from 11 am to 1 pm local time, while an evening cruise is available from 3 pm to 5 pm local time. Visitors to Queen Elizabeth National Park can choose between these two options based on their preferences. Bookings can be made at Mweya Safari Lodge, situated on Mweya Peninsula within the national park.
You don’t need to worry about accommodation because Queen Elizabeth National Park offers plenty of lodges, hostels, and camps, ensuring a wide range of options for visitors.
Mweya Safari Lodge and
Jacana Lodge, these two are the luxury accommodation facilities you book; they have excellent services.
Ishasha Wilderness Camp is a lavish facility
Mweya Hostels and Cottages
Ishasha Bandas are budget accommodation facilities with average standards. They are affordable to all visitors
Hippo Hill Camp
King Fisher Camp
Kyambura Lodge
Simba Safari Camp
Queen Elizabeth Safari Camp
Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge
Kyambura Tented Lodge
Ishasha Tented Camp
Ishasha Ntungwe River Camp
Ihamba Safari Lodge
How can you get to Kazinga Channel?
Mweya Peninsular is where the boat cruise starts from. Mweya Peninsular is 20km west of Kasese- Mbarara Road (Main Road). Normal vehicle itineraries between Mbarara and Kasese go through Katunguru. You can also hire a special taxi at Katunguru Trading Centre for a one-way fare drive to Mweya Safari Lodge. Here, you book a boat cruise down the course of the Kazinga Channel.
You will enjoy a classic safari in Africa if you include some activities within Queen Elizabeth National Park. But, only the Kazinga Channel and its associated to-do list will bring you back to Africa with a friend or friends.
Safari Vacations and Travel Services is a Local tour operator based in Uganda with its head offices in Entebbe. Moreover, Safari Vacations and Travel Services is a business for a Ugandan native, we specialize in life-changing experiences and sustainable tours and holidays to all East African countries. We are members of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators and with registration from the Uganda Tourism Board. We have a good and long working relationship with Uganda Wildlife Authority making it easy to book your gorilla permits and gorilla trekking safari. Safari Vacations and Travel Services is also high in Trip Advisor reviews.
