Queen Elizabeth National Park
For an incredible wildlife experience with second-to-none photo opportunities, head to Ishasha in Western Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you can see the area’s rare population of tree-climbing lions snoozing happily up above the ground in fig and acacia trees. One of the most popular parks in Uganda, the area possesses incredible biodiversity, with 96 species of mammals, including good numbers of elephants, leopards and hippos.
Kyambura Gorge, in the far eastern corner of Queen Elizabeth National Park is a gem known as the “Valley of Apes.” The gorge’s rich biodiversity comes from the draining of the Kyambura river which left a deep (100m) channel in the landscape. Home to a small family of 16 chimpanzees, this is a chimp trek for those already looking to visit one of Uganda’s most popular national parks.
A hike through the gorge gives you the opportunity to see habituated chimpanzees and other types of primates including red-tailed monkeys, black-and-white colobus, baboons and vervet monkeys.
This green-riverine forest also offers shelter to several forest birds. Although the chance of spotting chimpanzees is not as high as on an official trek in Kibale or Budongo, the gorge’s shimmering green landscape is among the most impressive in Uganda and absolutely worth visiting.