Kazinga channel boat cruise tour is an activity organized during Uganda safaris to Queen Elizabeth national park in the south western part of Uganda. The Kazinga channel is formed where Lake Edward and Lake George meet. This natural channel stretches to about 32 kilometers and is a major tourist attraction in the south western part of Uganda.
Lake Edward is on the western side of the Kazinga channel while Lake George is on the eastern part of the channel and drains into Lake Edward.
Schools of hippos, buffalos, elephants, Nile crocodiles among other wildlife species can be seen during the Kazinga channel boat cruise. These wildlife species can be spotted along the way to the Kazinga channel as well as along the water shores during the boat cruise.
During the boat cruise on Kazinga channel, tourists on the boat get close to the wildlife and also enjoy the beautiful views of Queen Elizabeth national park and also the fishing villages. the wildlife tend to gather close to the water to drink and hippos swim close to the boats.
A variety of bird species can also be seen during the Kazinga channel boat cruise. Some of these bird species include open billed storks, fish eagles, cormorants, raptors, African mourning dove, slender tailed nightjar, grey headed kingfisher, little bee eater, swallows, yellow backed weaver, black headed gonolek among others.
Price of Kazinga channel boat cruise
The Kazinga channel boat cruise price depends on the boat which is used for the boat cruise. This is because there are private boats as well as public boats operated on the Kazinga channel.
The boat operated by Uganda Wildlife Authority on the Kazinga channel costs 30 USD for foreign nonresidents, 25 USD for foreign residents and 30,000 Uganda shillings for East Africans. This boat carries over 40 people on board and it also has an upper deck where tourists can enjoy the view even better as they enjoy the Kazinga channel boat cruise.
The locals living around Katunguru also operate boats which can be used during the Kazinga channel boat cruise. While the UWA boat is operated at specific times of the day, the local boats can be booked for a Kazinga boat cruise during the day without following a scheduled time.
Other companies which offer the Kazinga channel boat cruise include local tour operators as well as lodges around Queen Elizabeth national park such as Mweya safari lodge. The Mweya boat costs about 30 to 50 USD and their boat carries about 10 passengers and another one carries about 12 passengers and they also organize private boat cruises on the Kazinga channel.
When boat cruise is done on Kazinga channel?
The Kazinga channel boat cruise is carried out in the morning as well as in the afternoon during tours.
The Kazinga channel boat cruise takes about 2 to 3 hours and is a relaxing experience after touring neighboring attractions and engaging in activities in the surrounding areas of the channel.
The best time of the year to engage in the Kazinga channel boat cruise is during the dry season around June to October and also from December to February when the weather is favorable and the skies are clear making the boat ride enjoyable.
Other activities to do around the Kazinga channel include safaris around Queen Elizabeth national park which involve game drives, lion tracking, bird watching, cultural tours, chimpanzee trekking, visiting the Katwe explosion craters and so much more.
- Game drives around Queen Elizabeth national park can be done in the morning as well as in the afternoon. Some of the wildlife species which can be seen around the national park include elephants, buffalos, warthogs, hippos, tree climbing lions, leopards, topi, waterbucks among others. Tree climbing lions are a unique attraction at the destination and can be spotted during safaris as they rest in the tree branches.
- Lion tracking is another exciting activity to do around Queen Elizabeth national park during safaris. This activity is carried out in the Kasenyi plains and is done in the morning as well as in the afternoon. Trackers are used to locate the lions as they move around the plains and it offers an experience similar to a regular game drive but with a focus on the lions and their behavior.
- Bird watching is also carried out around Queen Elizabeth national park which is home to over 500 bird species such as the grey crowned crane, hornbills, the handsome francolin, swamp flycatcher, pelicans, Egyptian goose, African fin foot, fish eagles, cormorants, storks and many others.
- Cultural tours are also carried out around Queen Elizabeth national park and they involve interactions with the locals and getting to know more about their culture, way of life, watching traditional dances, visiting homesteads, tasting and preparing local foods among other experiences.
- Chimpanzee trekking is also carried out in Kalinzu forest as well as Kyambura gorge during safaris in Queen Elizabeth national park. This activity costs 50 USD and involves moving into the natural habitat of the chimpanzees. Other primates such as olive baboons, colobus monkeys and also different bird species can be seen during the chimpanzee trekking activity.
How to get to Kazinga channel
The Kazinga channel is found in Katunguru and can be accessed by driving off the Kasese road and driving about 20 km to get to the Mweya peninsular.
Visit Queen Elizabeth national park and enjoy a memorable Kazinga channel boat cruise.