Kazinga Channel is a section of Queen Elizabeth Nation Park. It offers memorable experiences for anyone looking forward to making the most of their Ugandan experience. Kazinga Channel connects Lake Edward and Lake George. This 40km water stream lies beneath the Mweya Peninsular.

Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise

A Kazinga Channel boat cruise offers the ultimate African experience. In fact, a visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park is not complete without taking a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel. This is the highlight of a Uganda Safari experience. Therefore, when choosing an itinerary, it should not miss a visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park and the Kazinga Channel boat cruise.

What To Expect The Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise

Conducted by a team of professional and friendly tour guides, the Kazinga Channel boat cruise lasts for about 2 to 3 hours. The guides will give you all you would like to know about the environment and wildlife along the shores. 

During the boat cruise, you can ask the guides anything you would like to know. These might include animals, birds, water, and surrounding vegetation. The guides will even furnish you with information regarding the communities around the Kazinga Channel. With all this knowledge handy, you will definitely have a blast on the Kazinga Channel boat cruise.

When to go on a Kazinga Channel boat cruise

The boat cruise takes place twice a day including in the morning and evening hours. You can take a morning cruise at 11:00 am ending at 1:00 pm. The evening cruise departs at 3:00 pm until 5:00 pm. However, the cruise rounds might be increased to 3 times according to visitor traffic.

This is because the Kazinga Channel boat cruise is the highlight of the trip to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The experience offers a chance to explore the wildlife including animals, birds, and reptiles.

Wildlife To Look Out For During The Boat Cruise

Hippos

While in a 20-seater vessel sailing along the Kazinga Channel, you will get a chance to watch and learn about the behavior of the hippos in the channel. These stay in the channel water and move far distances at night to graze.

Afterward, they trek back into the water by morning before sunrise. The hippos don’t move in direct sunlight to avoid the heat from going directly into their skin. These animals have too much fat beneath their skin to compensate for the lack of fur on their bodies.

Nile crocodiles

Other animals to look out for during the Kazinga Channel boat cruise are crocodiles. These used to inhabit the Kazinga Channel many years ago. However, the crocodiles were forced to migrate because of volcanic activity before they came back along the River Semliki.

On a lucky day, you might catch rare glimpses of other wildlife including:

• Buffaloes
• Bushbucks
• Elephants
• Waterbucks
• Sitatunga antelopes

Lions

The eastern section of Kasenyi Plains and Kasese Road are wonderful spots to catch amazing glimpses of Kazinga Channel lions. These usually prey on the multitudes of Uganda kobs in the vicinity. You can catch rare glimpses of the lions during the morning and afternoon Kazinga Channel boat cruise.

Bird species

Recognized for being an important birding area by Birding International, Kazinga Channel is blessed with about 612 bird species. This location naturally attracts various bird species to watch out for during the Kazinga Channel boat cruise.

Some of the bird species to watch out for include:

• Pelicans
• Kingfishers
• Goliath heron
• African fish eagle
• African spoonbills
• Great cormorants
• African skimmers
• Endangered shoebill stork

Where to stay

To enjoy the most of your Queen Elizabeth National Park experience, it is important to book convenient accommodation. The ideal spot is the Elephant Home located next to the park. You can grab a hot cup of coffee before boarding the luxurious vessel to enjoy the Kazinga Channel boat cruise.

Bottom line

When planning to have a safari of your lifetime, a visit to Queen Elizabeth National park is the go-to destination. Here, you can’t miss taking the Kazinga Channel boat cruise to catch rare glimpses of amazing wildlife along this channel.

Ideal for adults and children, this boat cruise is a relaxing experience to rejuvenate your life. This experience is filled with various Instagram moments in the midst of this wonderful natural environment.