Kazinga!

We left the primate lodge at 8am and started our drive to the Queen Elizabeth park. We passed through the gorgeous mountains with fields of coffee, tea and cocoa. Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most popular and biodiverse safari destination, with breathtaking landscapes, so much wildlife, and little towns scattered throughout. Straddling the equator, the park features monuments marking the exact spot where it crosses latitude 00!

Originally founded as Kazinga National Park in 1952, it was renamed in 1954 to commemorate a visit by Queen Elizabeth II of England. Today, it stands as one of Africa’s greatest wildlife havens, home to over 95 mammal species and an astonishing 600+ bird species (see that bird thing again)—making it a paradise for nature enthusiasts. We noticed a large number of camps on the outskirts of the park and Timothy told us- The UNHCR presence near the Ishasha sector specifically hosts refugees from the DRC. These settlements are managed by the Ugandan government and humanitarian organizations like the UNHCR and the Danish Refugee Council. We were RIGHT on the border to the DRC – so not surprising. We were also – for the first time – stopped at a road block. This was thorny bushes strewn accross the road! Timothy had a quick converstaion with the police officer (money changed hands) and then we were let through.
An eventful journey and then we arrived at elephant plains lodge overlooking lake George. Our room had the most stunning vistas – although it was a pretty hazy day as apparently the way the winds were blowing, they blow in the sand from the Sahara. A quick lunch and then we were off for our boat safari on the Kazinga canal. The Kazinga Channel in Uganda is a wide, 32-kilometre long natural channel that links Lake Edward and Lake George, which are part of the African Great Lakes system. The channel is a dominant feature of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The channel attracts a varied range of animals and birds, boasting one of the world’s largest concentration of hippos and numerous Nile crocs!
Well we saw more animals than you could imagine! Herds of elephants frolicking; schools and schools of hippos – including a baby hanging out on the river bank! Warthogs, Nile crocs, water buffalo galore and birds – oh so many birds. The bonus on the way back- we had the roof down and had to stop for elephants casually crossing the road- what a site to see. The topper was seeing a leopard hanging out in a candelabra cactus tree. What a day – we sat at dinner on our hilltop just trying to process the beauty all around us and the sights we had seen all day.