Kazinga channel boat cruise is offered all year round. This makes any time you plan to visit Queen Elizabeth national park, the best time to do this memorable experience. The boat cruise is conducted from two points; one from Mweya peninsula and the other from Katunguru community.

The best time for the boat cruise

From Mweya peninsular in queen Elizabeth National park, a scheduled boat cruise is conducted two times a day, at 11:00am and 3:00pm. Each boat trip takes two hours on a return trip. It requires a minimum number of people to join the trip for the scheduled boat cruise to take off. Currently, the boat excursion from Mweya costs 30$ per person for the foreign none-residents.

For the foreign residents and east African resident, the price can get considerably cheaper. Privately organized boat cruises on kazinga channel can be organized at any time outside the timing for the scheduled cruises (subject to availability). The best price and time for private boat cruises from Mweya peninsular may vary basing on the terms agreed with Uganda wildlife authority, the provider.

For those who like to meet the community

The boat cruise from Katunguru is owned and operated by the local community living next to the national park. This is both a cheaper and flexible option. It can go any time between 7:00am and 7:00pm, with a minimum of two persons on a two hours return journey. As of now, the price for this boat is the same or a little lower than the one of Mweya per person. it is important to note that all prices can change without prior notice. It is necessary to book in advance so that you can confirm the availability. Private rides can be organized any time on prior booking

All boat cruises on Kazinga channel come with a ranger guide who is covered within the cost. Ranger guides have a lot of knowledge about wildlife and know the best times to find wildlife. They will tell you everything or answer close to all questions asked during the boat cruise regarding the entire ecosystem. The community boat comes with experienced local community guides that have lived in the area all their life. These local community guide are both skilled and motivated to do the job. They truly have much to share with the visitors about the local community and wildlife in queen Elizabeth national park.

Best chance of seeing wildlife

Kazinga channel gives an opportunity to view a very long list of wildlife while on boat. The 40km long, water way is a wildlife hub and a favorite of all visitors to queen Elizabeth national park. The channel is one of the areas with high densities of animals in the park since they are attracted to water and the evergreen habitat along the banks. It connects two of the major water bodies; Lake George on the east and Lake Edward on the west.

This boat trip will also be the best time to learn about these two lakes that form the life of Kazinga channel. Lake Gorge is supplied by rivers from Rwenzori Mountains and Kibale national park while Lake Edward is a cross border lake. It is shared by Uganda with her largest part is in Congo and is the source of river Semuliki that goes through Congo to join Lake Albert and river Nile.

This extended ecosystem is an evidence of how much natural richness one is connected to during the boat cruise on Kazinga channel. it justifies the connection between Rwenzori mountains, Kibale forest, queen Elizabeth national park, the great Virunga and the river Nile as the longest river in the world. It is the account of this long journey that explains how the crocodiles were able to find their best way from lake Albert to Queen Elizabeth to replenish the extinction from the queen Elizabeth waters due to volcanic activity hundreds of years back.

All scheduled boat trips in queen Elizabeth are shared tours. If the boat cruise doesn’t get enough booking to make the minimum required numbers, the available visitors may be required to meet the minimum cost of the boat trip. This is where the community boat comes in handy since its minimum number is just 2 or 3 people on board.

Privately arranged cruises can also be arranged with the community any time outside the scheduled times, on prior booking and payment. If interested to participate in the boat trip you’re expected to arrive at least 30 minutes before the best starting time agreed.

Accessing the boat cruise

To access the boat cruise starting point at Mweya, one needs to pay an additional cost of park entrance fees. Since it is inside the park, you will also need a private means of transport. in the past, the community boat cruise didn’t require park entrance fees. however, this has been recently added by the park that all visitors doing the community boat cruise must pay park entrance fees. the remaining advantage is that, the community boat cruise can be accessed by public transport on Kasese-Mbarara road at katunguru bridge, where the cruise starts.

Both boat cruises (community and Mweya) drive on the same waters; Kazinga channel and therefore have same chances to view wildlife. The ride is a two ours journey and come with an experience guide on board who interprets the background of the channel and her ecosystem to you at no extra cost. The boat offers great opportunities of viewing wildlife at all ranges.

At certain moments, the boat will be taken close to the shoreline mainly covered with green bushes, to enable you look at wildlife at close range with an opportunity to take close pictures. Common wildlife you may see on the cruise include; hippos, buffalos, elephants, multitudes of birds which may include European migrant species and other rare wildlife like the crocodiles and the cats that can be seen at a distance.

The boat passes some communities in specific areas where you have a chance to view the local fishing villages. Depending on the arrangement or best times, the boat may be stopped to allow guests have closer silent looks or interact with the local fishermen and or to take some of the memorable scenic pictures depicting the local life in Queen Elizabeth national park and ends.

From reading above, you should be able to know that the best two times for a boat cruise of kazinga channel are; 11:00am or 3:00 pm if you want to take the Mweya boat, and any time of the day if you want to take the community boat cruise.

We will take you there on request. Contact us now for both accommodation at the elephant home and the cruise, and all will be set in the shortest time you have, to arrange your safari on Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth national park.