A boat cruise on Kazinga channel is one of the most amazing experiences that you will ever have during your safari in Uganda. This boat cruise is roughly a two hours ride, bringing you closer and in contact with a lot of wildlife and bird species. The channel is famous for having the largest concentration of hippos, in any other place in the world, that is, over 8,000 hippos can be found along this channel.
A boat ride on Kazinga channel will expose you to greater chances of seeing some of the amazing wildlife species as you enjoy the good atmosphere of the sea.
More About Kazinga Channel
The Kazinga channel is a wide water body that stretches for over 32 km long (20 mi) connecting two lakes; Lake George, to the east and Lake Edward, to the west.
A boat ride on Kazinga channel is one of the most interesting activities to do while in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The channel has a wonderful view of the most important wildlife ventures within the park. You can be able to spot hippos both on water and on the channel banks sunbathing, elephants and buffaloes busy grazing or wallowing from the channel, and a lot of bird species breeding along the cliffs or feeding on the swampy areas of the channel.
On a typical hot day, the banks of the channel attract a profusion of big game that come to drink, cool off, shower & eat the fresh grass along the channel. Giant African elephants, buffaloes, monitor lizards, and antelopes are common, while predators like lions, leopards, and hyenas do appear but briefly – mainly for a drink.
For birding enthusiasts, Kazinga channel is a bird haven! Even none-birders will be amazed by the sheer abundance of birds of different sizes and colors thriving in harmony along the channel. It is in fact believed that Kazinga channel hosts more bird species than the entire North America! Some of the common birds include pied kingfishers, malachite kingfisher, cormorants, pelicans, fish eagles, skimmers, terns, gulls, ducks, etc.
In addition to the wonderful game and wildlife sightings, the boat ride on Kazinga channel offers wonderful views of amazing scenery of the park in all directions, including the distant views of the Virunga Mountains in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Even more intriguing is the fishing village situated on the southern bank of the channel which ironically is the more game populated area! The setting is really interesting – how the local populace fish and get water from the same channel, in the full glare of the big games such as elephants & buffaloes, sometimes even crisscrossing their paths.
Time Schedules for Boat Cruise on Kazinga Channel
The channel offers the best Uganda safari experience while on water and there are three types of boat ride time that you can opt to undertake. You can decide to undergo a morning boat cruise in the early morning or afternoon or do an evening boat ride – for a spectacular sunset view. This all gives you great chances to see the beauty of Queen Elizabeth National Park on a water ride.
The boat cruise is done from 10:00 am in the morning, 1:00 pm in the afternoon, and 3:00 pm in the evening, however, another boat cruise can be scheduled at 5 pm depending on the group number although not yet confirmed on the normal timetable of operations.
After or before a boat cruise, you can make good use of the channel track to do some game drive to spice up your day and make the entire stay at the park one of a kind.
A number of boats are now available in place which can handle a large number of visitors. Both government boats managed by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and some private boats operated by Marasa can be boarded.
You can also decide to do a boat cruise with the local guides at the Katunguru landing site at a negotiable price in case you would want to avoid paying the parking fee for a boat ride only.
Getting There
Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the most visited parks located in western Uganda, with more than 600 bird species and 95 mammal species that are found within this park.
The boat cruise begins at the Mweya Peninsula, found 20 km west of Kasese – Mbarara main road. All vehicles heading for a boat cruise on Kazinga channel move between Mbarara and Kasese go through Katunguru gate. Those sleeping at park headquarters can take a walk or their vehicles can drop them to the cruise landing site at the channel base. There are special hire taxis available at the Katunguru Trading Centre.
How Much Does A Boat Cruise on Kazinga Channel
The charge for the boat ride is US$ 30 for a foreign non-residents and 30,000 Uganda shillings for East African residents. Your identity card or passport may help to support your identity.
If you’re to board a local boat at the Katunguru landing site, you will negotiate with the locals on how much to pay.
Capacity that can be carried by boats
The boat managed by UWA has two deckers so it can carry over 40 people, with 20 people onboard upstairs and the other 20 downstairs. However, the uppper decker gives you the best view and time to walk around and do your own selfies and private photography. Different other boat managed by tour operators and lodges are also available, and they usually charge the same amount.
Besides Kazinga channel, you can also enjoy another boat cruise along Victoria nile in Murchison Falls National Park, northwards of Queen Elizabeth National Park or a boat cruise in Lake Mburo National Park. Don’t miss out on the amazing lifetime encounter on a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda.