The Kazinga Channel is a 40 km long water channel connecting lake Edward and Lake George both located in Queen Elizabeth national park. Lake George is found in the eastern part of the park and lake Edward is in the western side of the park shared between Uganda and DR Congo. If you are on a Uganda safari or on a gorilla trekking through Uganda, you want to include safari to Queen Elizabeth national park and consequently add Kazinga channel boat experience to the game drive experience.
There are scheduled boat rides on the Kazinga channel from both Uganda wildlife authority and Mweya safari lodge which leave 4 times a day. Most people prefer to take the afternoon boat trips because they use the morning to do game drives. Also the channel is generally more active in the afternoon because then more animals are streaming there for water compared to the morning time. However if you are interested in birding, then the morning boat is a better choices. If you are not to make it for the scheduled boat trips, you can choose to rent a smaller boat from Mweya safari lodge and go at your convenience choosing the time and especially if you are interested in birds and photography, this way you are able to spend time in areas of your interest.
The remarkable shores of the Kazinga channel attract a large number of wild animals such as crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, bushbucks, waterbucks which makes the channel very attractive for visitors. You will see different animals as they come to feed on the ever green grass and shrubs by the banks of the channel, others can be resting and still others quenching their thirst.
For those passionate about birds, remember Queen Elizabeth national park is home to over 600 bird species and a good number can be sighted while on a boat trip on the channel. Some of the birds to be sighted along this both water birds, savannah and forest birds include the ever splendid Pied Kingfisher fishing, malachite Kingfisher, African skimmer, the Great White and Pink-Backed Pelicans, Yellow Billed Stork, Great and Long Tailed Cormorants, Open-Billed Stork, Saddle Bill Stork, African Darters, Black Crake and Jacana etc.
Enjoy listening to the tour guides who are very knowledgeable with both facts and stories about different birds and animals that you will see while on this boat ride. Not to miss on the boat trip are the fisher men and different fishing communities as they cast their net in preparation for evening fishing.
All in all, we highly recommend a visit to this channel. Keep your camera ready at all times because there are lots of memories to capture in this 2 hours boat ride.
Uganda Safaris that include a visit to Kazinga Channel
3 Days Queen Elizabeth Park Wildlife safari
6 days Uganda Gorilla and Wildlife Safari
