Mweya Peninsular | Queen Elizabeth National Park
Mweya Peninsular: When planning your trip to Queen Elizabeth national park in Uganda, you just can’t miss out on exploring the Mweya peninsular. It is located within the national park on the northeastern shores of Lake Edward at the point where the Kazinga channel connects to the lake in western Uganda.
Queen Elizabeth national park in western Uganda is the second largest national park in the country, spanning over a radius of 1,978 square kilometers. The national park is rich in various wildlife species and biodiversity.
Mweya peninsular in Queen Elizabeth national park is a great destination to explore during your visit to the national park. It is composed of thick vegetation cover which makes wildlife viewing challenging. Mweya peninsular offers great scenic views of Katwe bay of Lake Edward, Kazinga Channel, Rwenzori mountain ranges, Wildlife, Savanna vegetation and several activities which visitors can engage in while on a safari in the national park like bird watching, game drives, nature walks, mongoose tracking among others.
What to see when exploring the Mweya Peninsular in Queen Elizabeth national park.
Birds; The Mweya peninsular in Queen Elizabeth national park host different species of birds namely malachite kingfisher, black bee-eater, Verreaux’s eagle owl, black headed Gonolek, yellow backed weaver, slender billed weaver, swamp flycatcher among others.
Wildlife; The Mweya peninsular is blessed with a variety of wildlife species which can be seen during the game drive and nature walks such as elephants, hyenas, waterbucks, buffaloes, warthogs, giant forest hogs, hippos, leopards in the scrubby thickets, mongoose, butterflies and many others.
Mweya Airstrip; Mweya airstrip is quite a small landing strip for small aircrafts flying to and from Queen Elizabeth national park. It is located at Mweya peninsular near Mweya safari lodge where visitors who use chartered flights from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi airfield in Kampala.
Mweya Information Centre; The Mweya information Centre provides visitors with all the necessary information about Queen Elizabeth national park as well as the Mweya peninsular. Here you can read maps of the park, books for sell, information about the activities in the park like lion tracking experience, wildlife, birds, and accommodations with in and around the park among others.
What to do when exploring the Mweya Peninsular in Queen Elizabeth national park.
Bird watching
Bird watching in the Mweya Peninsular is like no other. The activity offers visitors a unique experience with lots of different bird species to spot during birding expeditions in the peninsular. Bird watching in the Mweya Peninsular is commonly carried out early in the morning around the savanna woodland areas which are situated between Kazinga channel and lake Edward. During bird watching at Mweya peninsular, you will be able to view different bird species which include red chested sunbird, tailed nightjar, grey headed kingfisher, pygmy kingfisher, Blue napped mouse bird, Nubian woodpecker, grey capped warbler, yellow backed weaver, slender billed weaver, scarlet chested sunbird, malachite kingfisher among others hence giving you great experience on your safari.
Mongoose Tracking
Mongoose tracking in the Mweya peninsular is among one of the unique activities that are offered in Queen Elizabeth national park. Mongoose are interesting animals characterized by large heads, small ears, long tails and long claws which is used for defense and digging a ground den. Mongoose tracking is an interesting activity carried out at Mweya peninsular where visitors get an opportunity to track the banded mongoose with a team of researchers.
Mweya peninsular harbors about 400 banded mongoose which live in 12 groups where each group sleeps together at night in a communal underground den. Mongoose tracking at Mweya peninsular allows a group of 4 visitors who will be accompanied by researchers to make a study about the mongoose. During mongoose tracking you will be able to record the behaviors of the mongoose, register their weight, and monitor the weather among others which gives you great moments on your safari.
Mongoose tracking in the Mweya Peninsular in Queen Elizabeth national park is either done in the morning at 7:00am or in the afternoon though it’s best done in morning hours and takes about 1 to 3 hours tracking. You will also be able to view other animals such as elephants, warthogs, buffaloes among others.
Game drives
The peninsular in Queen Elizabeth national park is an ideal destination to conduct guided game drives in the park. Visitors will follow different tracks in the park from Nyamunuka Crater Lake. During the game drive around Mweya peninsular you will be able to view animals like elephants, warthogs, giant forest hogs, leopards, buffaloes, hippos and bird species such as Verreaux’s eagle owl, black bee-eater, malachite kingfisher, slender billed weaver, swamp flycatcher, black headed Gonolek, yellow backed weaver among others.
It is also a great destination for night game drives because night game drives are prohibited in Kasenyi plain due to the fact that Kasenyi receives a lot of visitors during the day. During the nocturnal game drives you will use spotlight torches, park ranger and Uganda Wildlife Authority vehicles and you will be able to have a clear view of the nocturnal animals like Leopards, Hyenas, Genal, Serval cats, and Civet cats among others.
Nature walk
Mweya peninsular in Queen Elizabeth national park offers guided nature walks. Visitors can get to walk on foot to different areas such as along the Kazinga Channel and you will be able to view various wildlife species like waterbucks, elephants, warthogs, mongoose, monitor lizards, bird species, butterflies among others. During hiking you will have great views of Lake Edward, savannah landscapes as you hike along the trails.
Boat cruise
Visitors exploring the peninsular in Queen Elizabeth national park should not miss out on the boat cruise at Kazinga channel. The boat cruise operates two rides per day where one starts in the morning at 9am; another one in the afternoon at 2pm and the best boat cruise is done in the afternoon. Boat cruise on Kazinga Channel is done in a motorized and luxurious small boat which belongs to Mweya Safari lodge therefore visitors interested in a boat cruise first register at the park offices in Mweya safari lodge. There is also another double decker boat that belongs to Uganda Wildlife Authority which organizes boat trips on Kazinga Channel. During the boat cruise you will be able to view various animals like hippos, elephants, monitor lizards, Nile crocodiles, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks along the water banks, bird species and also the fishing villages along the shores of Kazinga channel where you will see fishermen preparing for night fishing. This gives you a great time with memorable experiences on your safari in Uganda.
Accommodation within the Mweya Peninsular in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Mweya peninsular offers a number of luxury, midrange, budget and camping site accommodation facilities where visitors can stay during their safari in Mweya peninsular which include, Mweya Safari lodge, Mweya Institute of Ecology Hostel, Mweya Campsite, Engiri Game lodge, Buffalo lodge, Tembo Safari lodge, Parkview Safari lodge, Queen Elizabeth Bush lodge, and Jacana Safari lodge among others. The lodges provide quality dishes, facilities, comfortable and spacious beds, free internet and great views of some animals, Kazinga Channel among others which makes you to feel at home on your safari in Uganda.
How to get to the Mweya Peninsular in Queen Elizabeth national park.
Mweya peninsular is located within Queen Elizabeth national park in the western part of Uganda. It can be accessed by road transport where you will drive from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, Kasese and the national park where you will drive to the peninsular area which takes about 7 to 8 hours’ drive.
Mweya peninsular can also be accessed by use of air transport means where you will fly from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi Airfield to Mweya Airstrip near Mweya safari lodge or Kasese Airstrip in Kasese and the flight takes about two hours.
