Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda's most popular game reserve and certainly one of the most scenic. It stretches from the crater-dotted foothills of the Rwenzori range in the north, along the shores of Lake Edward to the remote Ishasha River in the south, incorporating a wide variety of habitats that range from savanna and wetlands to gallery and lowland forest. Almost 100 mammal species and a remarkable 606 bird species makes this superb safari territory, with elephant, a profusion of hippos, the elusive giant forest hog and handsome Uganda Kob all regularly sighted around the tourist village on the Mweya Peninsula - which also boasts a marvelous waterfront setting in the shadow of the Rwenzori Mountains.

Elsewhere, the remote Ishasha Sector is famed for its tree-climbing lions, the Kyambura Gorge harbours habituated chimps, the Maramagambo Forest is home to an alluring selection of forest monkeys and birds, and flocks of flamingo are resident on the crater lakes.

Game safaris start from your doorstep and one of the main routes from Mweya is the 'Kob Route' or 'Plains Route'. This is where all the breeding Ugandan Kobs are located and since Kob are the favourite prey of Lions in this area; you stand a reasonable chance of seeing these elusive predators. There is also another route known as 'Leopard Loop' for obvious reasons. This is a good track to take in the late afternoon, possible after you have taken a boat ride along the Kazinga channel.

The Kazinga channel boat cruise is one of the highlights of a visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park. There are four departures per day with the first leaving at 09:00 and the last at 17:00. Although the light can be harsh in the middle of the day, this tends to be the time that large numbers of elephant are drawn to the water to quench their thirst. You will observe a large number of hippos, elephant, buffalo and crocodiles. The Kazinga channel is a magnet for water birds a launch cruise reveals species such as great-white and pink-backed Pelicans, great and long-tailed Cormorants, common Squaco Heron, African open-billed Stork and African fishing Eagle.