Activities to do in Queen Elizabeth Park during the Dry Season
Activities to do in Queen Elizabeth Park during the dry season, which is one of Uganda’s top savannah parks that offers excellent wildlife adventure activities all year round. However, the dry season offers the best experience with high crowds, since visitors have higher chances of engaging in a variety of activities scheduled compared to those scheduled during the rainy season. Considering the dry season in the park, it is proven to offer the best time to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park, and it’s from this climatic and busy time zone that the season is dubbed the high season or peak season.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in Uganda’s western region, which experiences two distinct climates. Although there are two dry seasons and two rainy seasons in the park, the dry season is thought to be the best time of year to visit. Most of the park activities are favoured by the dry season, which lasts from June to September and December to February. This is attributed to the little rainfall received during these months.
When does the dry season occur in Queen Elizabeth National Park
In Queen Elizabeth National Park, the dry season is defined as the months with little to no rainfall, warm temperatures, and constant sunshine. In this park, the dry season occurs twice a year, from June to September and December to February. The best time to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park is during these months because there is little to no rainfall, which dries out the game tracks and short vegetation cover.
Activities are best done in Queen Elizabeth National Park during the dry season.
Game drives
The best experience comes from game drives during the dry season, when visitors can vividly see a wide range of wildlife species, including animals and birds, in the sparse vegetation. The game tracks are dry and navigable during the dry season, allowing visitors to explore every part of the park. The activities are always conducted as planned because there is little to no rainfall. During game drives, visitors can have the chance to see some members of the Big Five, including the elephant, lion, buffalo, and leopard.
Visitors who wish to witness sightings of nocturnal creatures can do so at Queen Elizabeth National Park, which offers both nocturnal and diurnal species during night game drives. The evening and morning game drives are strictly conducted during the day. Buffaloes, lions, leopards, topis, side-striped jackals, defassa waterbucks, Uganda kobs, elephants, spotted hyenas, bushbucks, leopards, olive baboons, monkeys, and many more creatures can be seen during the game drives, which take place in the Mweya Peninsula, Ishasha, and Kasenyi regions.
Boat cruise
The Kazinga Channel is a stretch of water that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. It takes a 2-to 3-hour boat ride in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The best time to conduct the activity is during the dry season, when there is little to no rainfall and low water levels. Tourists can see park creatures including elephants, buffalo, Uganda kobs, antelopes, and water birds during the dry season since many park animals congregate along the shoreline seeking fresh vegetation and drinking water.
Chimpanzee trekking
Chimpanzee trekking is one of the activities to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park during the dry season. This is carried out in the Kyambura Gorge in the park’s eastern part, where some chimpanzees have adapted and are available for trekking. Since the trekking trails are dry and the vegetation is not thick, the activity offers visitors the best chance to see chimpanzees during the dry season.
Nature walks
If you want to explore the park on foot, nature walk tours are the best option. Since the trekking trails are dry and accessible, with the vegetation being sparse, offering stunning views of wildlife, nature walks are best enjoyed during the dry season. Visitors can see various creatures, primates, birds, water bodies, and vegetation zones while on the nature walks.
How is the experience in Queen Elizabeth National Park during the dry season
The dry months of June, July, August, September, December, January, and February offer excellent experiences during activities such as boat cruises, chimpanzee trekking, birdwatching, game drives, and nature walks, among others. This is due to the short vegetation cover, which allows for unobstructed wildlife sightings. More still, during these months, tracking and trekking trails are always dry and accessible, receiving sunshine with favourable temperatures that favour most park activities.
In the dry season, some game tracks tend to get muddy and slick when it rains, but this is temporary because the sun dries them out and makes them navigable, allowing visitors to access different parts of the park. Due to the much sunshine during the dry season, the vegetation is usually sparse and short, but tourists will still be able to see various wildlife species clearly, even at a distance.
Accessing Queen Elizabeth National Park in the dry season
It is easily accessible since the roads are in superb shape due to little rainfall, which keeps them dry, making the dry season the best time to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park. Except for a few sections from the main road to the park, which are constructed using murram, the roads leading to most of Uganda’s national parks, including Queen Elizabeth, are well-built using tarmac (asphalt).
Road transportation from Kampala or Entebbe to Queen Elizabeth National Park takes about 7 to 8 hours. Route one connects you to Queen Elizabeth Park from Kampala along Masaka, Mbarara, Bushenyi, to Kasese in the park’s southern region. The second route travels north of the park via Mubende, Kyenjonjo, Fort Portal, and Kasese from Kampala/Entebbe.
Travellers can enjoy breathtaking views of the equator, lakes, rivers, plantations, mountains, and locals along any of the routes leading to Queen Elizabeth Park. There are stops along the way where visitors can purchase souvenirs, take photos, and have refreshments.
What are the challenges of visiting Queen Elizabeth National Park in the dry season
One of the few challenges encountered when visiting the park during the dry season is the limited choice of lodging options. Due to high crowds in the park during the dry season, accommodation tends to become a serious challenge to visitors who prefer to spend a night or more after the day’s taxing activities. Therefore, travellers are always advised to book in advance to avoid missing out or disappointment.
