Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise
Kazinga channel boat cruise is one of the activities that travelers in Uganda usually engage in while visiting Queen Elizabeth National Park. The Kazinga Channel is a 4okm water stretch that joins the 2 Lakes of Edward and George. This could be the highlight of your trip when you visit Queen Elizabeth National Park in southwestern Uganda.
While on this boat, some of the wildlife you will include hippos, elephants, buffalos, basking Crocodiles, monitor lizards, and many others. Besides the big mammals you encounter on this Boat Trip, the bird species spotted on this 2 hours trip will leave you in awe. These include pied kingfisher, African fish eagle, yellow-backed weaver, slender-billed weaver, little bee-eater, and many others.
Katunguru Community Boat Trips
The community boat cruise on the Kazinga channel is a 2 to 3-hour activity that starts at Katunguru fishing village. These help you interpret all the animal behaviors you encounter while on your 2-hour boat trip. To take part in this activity, a Tourist on a Safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park pays 30 USD for foreign nonresidents, 25 USD for foreign residents, and 30000 Ugandan shillings for residents.
Any traveler with this activity on their bucket list should note that the activity has got 3 schedules daily and this all depends on the tourist numbers and season then. The first session of this boat trip starts at 11 am and ends at around 1:30 pm. The second boat trip session starts at 2 pm and this is the most demanded session. Booking in advance for the 2 pm boat trip is highly recommended especially during the high tourist season in Uganda. The last boat schedule is at 4 pm and can also be booked as a sunset boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel.
Alternatively, Travelers can also drive to Mweya Peninsular for a boat cruise. Mweya Peninsular is about 30km from Katunguru Fishing Village and the drive there gives you a high chance of spotting more wildlife that you could have missed on your game drive in Kasenyi. The boat cruise in Mweya Peninsular is operated by Uganda Wildlife Authority and Marasa Africa.
Mweya Boat Cruise by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA)
The Cost for the Boat Trip operated by the Uganda Wildlife Team is 30 USD for foreign non-residents or international visitors on a Safari in Uganda, 25 USD for foreign residents, and 30,000 Ugandan shillings for residents. Boat trips operated by the Uganda Wildlife Authority have got 2 schedules daily with the first one starting at 1 pm and the second schedule starting at 3 pm. Both boat trip sessions are booked at the Visitors Information Centre in Mweya Peninsular. Kindly note that there is a minimum number of 4 international tourists and 10 resident tourists for the Boat to set off.
Mweya Boat Cruise by Marasa Africa
If you’re that one traveler who is looking for luxury, exclusivity, and class, the Mweya Boat cruise operated by Marasa Africa the owners of Mweya Safari Lodge, this is the right boat for you. You can book this Boat cruise at their lodge facility on Mweya Peninsular in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
This Boat trip costs 35 USD for Foreign Non-Residents as well as Foreign Residents and 25 USD for resident travelers. You can also book a private Boat Cruise at Mweya for 250 USD for a 6-seat Boat and 350 USD for 12-seat Boat. Marasa Africa safari boat in Mweya has got 4 daily schedules with the first one starting at 9 am, 11 am, 2 pm, and the last one at 4 pm with the sunset.
MV Kazinga Boat Cruise
MV Kazinga Boat trip is managed by Uganda Lodges owners of Elephant Plains Lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park. This Boat Trip has only one daily schedule at 2 pm and comes at a cost of 45 USD for international Tourists while the residents pay 100,000 Ugandan Shillings.
What to pack for a Boat Cruise at Kazinga channel?
Travelers are supposed to wear light clothing, insect repellants, sunroof glasses, sun protection Cream and a safari hat. The left hand side of the boat gives you the best experience on this Cruise.
Is the Boat Cruise at Kazinga Channel safe?
Safety and Security for Tourists is taken with extreme care and attention. All Boats are well-equipped with Life jackets, first-aid kit boxes, and are inspected by the Uganda Ministry of Transport. This is to make sure they are up to a world standards.
What is the maximum number of people on the boat during the boat cruise at the Kazinga channel?
The carrying capacity of the boat varies with the number of bookings available. However, there are several boats with different carrying capacities on Kazinga channel and these include;
- Small boats range from 4 to 7
- Large boats range from 12 to 30 people.
Where to stay during the boat cruise in the Queen Elizabeth National Park?
The park is dotted with several accommodation facilities that travelers on their safaris can choose from. A few lodges are located inside the park and the majority are outside the park.
Some of the accommodation facilities you can choose from are Mweya, Buffalo Lodge and Kasenyi Camp
