Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park straddles the equator in western Uganda, encompassing a spectacular landscape of volcanic crater lakes, open savanna, dense forest, and the wildlife-rich Kazinga Channel connecting Lakes Edward and George.

The park's most famous attraction is the tree-climbing lions of the Ishasha sector in the southern reaches. These lions habitually rest in the branches of large fig trees — a behaviour shared with only one other population in Africa (Lake Manyara, Tanzania). The Kazinga Channel boat cruise is equally iconic, drifting past banks lined with hippos, elephants, buffalo, and an incredible density of waterbirds.

The Kyambura Gorge, a sunken forest carved by the Kyambura River, offers a unique chimpanzee tracking experience in a dramatic setting completely different from Kibale's canopy forest.