At almost 2000 square kilometres,
Queen Elizabeth National Park is the largest and most accessible savanna reserve in Uganda.
This is classic Rift Valley scenery, with volcanic mountains, broad open plains pocked with craters, lakes, wetlands and forest.
Since being annihiliated during the Amin era, game here has made an incredible recovery, most notably the elephant and lion populations. There are even chimpanzees hidden away in the Kyambura Gorge.
But park management in Uganda is a little more approximate than most countries. Parts of the reserve suffer greatly from human encroachment and only certain core zones seem to be under full protection, which does mean that some areas can seem rather soiled.
We therefore tend to think of
QE as somewhere to enjoy driving through between
Bwindi Forest and
Kibale Forest, possibly but not necessarily with an overnight.
The location we most often recommend as a stopover is
Katara Lodge in the northeast.
If you want to search for the elusive tree-climbing lions in the southern sector, then you may also want to overnight at
Ishasha Wilderness Camp on the way through.