The Kazinga channel is a 40km natural stream of water joining lakes Edward and George situated within the spectacular Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is relatively shallow with a depth of 3 to 4meters, the channel is the dominant attraction of Queen Elizabeth National Park with two parts north Kazinga and the Kasenyi plains. Both the parts of the Kazinga Channel are very good points of viewing game. The Kazinga plains are ideal for lion tracking. It is lined with a swamp on its northern shores beneath the Mweya peninsula, it’s a wet land registered and protected by the ramsar sites rights conservation of wetlands in Africa.
A boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel is a must for many visitors to Queen Elizabeth National Park and it provides a contrast to a land based tour with different animals concentrated near the water. The channel is a home to a variety of land, air, and water based animals including; hippos, elephants, crocodiles, buffaloes, and countless bird species on a typical hot day, the banks attract a fusion of animals that come to drink water and eat fresh grass, along the channel. Predators are rare like lions, hyenas, leopards they only come briefly to drink water and go. The park offers a great opportunity to get close to the big game on the water edge and water bank without worrying about safety.
Kazinga channel is a home to several bird species in different sizes and colors thriving together in harmony along the channel. Some of the common birds include; malachite king fisher, cormorants, pelicans, fish eagles, skimmers, ducks, gulls.
The channel is well known for boat cruise, down the course of the channel the boat cruise is operated between 11am in the morning and 1pm in the afternoon local time. Evening / Afternoon cruise starts at 3pm to 5pm local time. The trip costs 10USD per person. Bookings can be made through a Uganda Tour Company or at Mweya Safari Lodge located on the Mweya peninsular within Queen Elizabeth National Park.
The boat ride offers wonderful views of the amazing scenery of the park in all directions including the distant views of the Virunga Mountains in the Democratic Republic of Congo. During the boat cruise, there is a chance to see the fishing villages overlooking the streams such as the Kasenyi plains. It has a great view of hundreds of water birds, huge mammals, like hippos, elephant’s, buffalos and sometimes lions and leopards on the bank.
Accommodation is available in Queen Elizabeth National Park a lot of lodges, hostels, and camps are within the park. These include; Mweya Safari Lodge, Simba Safari Camp, Kyambura Tented Lodge, Ishasha Bandas, Kingfisher Camp, Ihamba Safari Lodge among others.
The Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise is a major highlight of most Uganda Safaris to Queen Elizabeth National Park and most visitors like to experience it as they marvel at the beauty of the Pearl of Africa. The channel is s historical attraction and one of the most famous tourism areas in Uganda due to the many activities that visitors can do when they visit the park.
