The lion trekking experiential is a popular activity in Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of the oldest national parks in Uganda.
It is usually conducted in the Kasenyi vicinity, which is a common habitat for lions. This activity involves moving around the park with the assistance and protection of a knowledgeable tour guide and security personnel, enabling tourists to understand the behavior of lions, such as living in the same territory for generations, forming prides, and female lions hunting for the pride.
Tour guides provide detailed information about the lions, allowing tourists to observe them up close.
This compelling exercise is typically carried out in the early morning when lions are actively searching for prey or in the evenings when they are out hunting animals that are less vigilant in the dark.
Tourists tend to visit during the dry seasons, particularly in areas near waterholes, as this is when the national park has shorter vegetation due to the intense heat from the sun, which dries up the vegetation.
During these seasons, lions move in groups known as prides and coalitions, providing tourists with the opportunity to spot numerous lions. A lion trekking permit at Queen Elizabeth National Park costs 200 USD per person for non-residents and 140,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.
Other activities that can be enjoyed at Queen Elizabeth National Park include:
- Bird watching in sectors such as Ishasha sector, Kazinga Channel, Mweya Peninsula, and Maramagambo forest. The park is a birdwatcher’s paradise with over 600 recorded bird species.
- Chimpanzee trekking in the tropical rain-forest, where tourists can observe chimpanzees pant-grunting and swinging from tree to tree. The trekking is usually done in the early morning.
- Nature walk, during which tourists can explore the park in vehicles while observing different animal species, including carnivores, herbivores, reptiles, and primates.
- Boat trip at Kazinga Channel, a water body that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. Tourists can view crocodiles and hippos in the water, with trips typically conducted in the morning and afternoon.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is situated in Western Uganda, and the travel time to reach the park is 7-8 hours, depending on the chosen means of transport and routes.