Mweya Peninsular in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Mweya Peninsular is one of the historical attractions of the Queen Elizabeth National Park and is among the most visited places. It is located in the northern part of the Kazinga Channel. Mweya Peninsular is a 10-kilometer square of land covered with chunky vegetation. The area is found between the Kazinga Channel and Lake George.
The peninsular dates over 5,000 years ago with the human settlement and in 1889 after the visit of the explorer Stanley. He made a report about the Smokey area due to human activities. In his report, he also noted that there were over 400 huts of the natives of the area who reared goats and sheep. In 1891 after the arrival of Frederick Lugard, the explorer also visited the area and found out it was abandoned due to a rinderpest outbreak. Queen Elizabeth National Park was gazette in 1952 and was also known as Kazinga National Park. After the visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 1954, the park was named after her.
In this peninsular, travelers encounter different wildlife living in a community of more than 400 settlements. There is also the oldest and classy lodge in the park which is the mweya safari lodge.
What to see in the Mweya peninsular?
While in the Mweya peninsular, there are several wildlife that travelers can see on their Uganda safaris and these include;
Wildlife
The Mweya peninsular is home to the vast wildlife that travelers on their Uganda safari can encounter. The wildlife can be seen during the game drive or viewing. The wildlife which are usually seen in this park include; elephants, leopards, hippos, buffaloes, warthogs, hyenas, kobs, lions and many others.
Birds
While in the peninsular, there are several bird species that travelers on their Uganda safaris can see. The Peninsular is a great birding destination for travelers interested in birding. Bird species around this area include; yellow-backed weaver, slender-billed weaver, lesser masked weaver, red-chested sunbird, scarlet chested sunbird, and many others.
Crater lakes
The crater lakes are in the north of the peninsular which are one of the great destinations to view the wildlife and some bird species. The circular landscapes are great destinations for site viewing. Some communities live around these lakes and they include Lake Katwe, Lake Kikorongo, Lake Munyanyange, Lake Bunyampaka, Nyamunuka Crater, and many others.
What to do in Mweya Peninsular of Queen Elizabeth National Park?
While in the Mweya peninsular, there are several tourist activities that travelers engage in and they include;
Boat cruise
This is one of the major activities which is done with the Mweya peninsular. Travelers on their Uganda safaris usually engage in this boat cruise on the waters of Lake George. There are several wildlife seen like crocodiles, hippos, elephants, and buffaloes, and travelers have the best view of the raised land of the Mweya peninsular and also the Kasenyi fishing community.
Game drive or game viewing
In the Mweya peninsular, there are two forms of game drive that travelers can engage in that is morning and night game drives in the different tracks of the park. The tracks of the peninsular include the channel circuit and the crater circuit. These morning or day games in the park will engage you in the viewing of wildlife like elephants, warthogs, leopards, and many others. The evening or night game drive will have a view of the nocturnal wildlife like hyenas, civet cats, serval cats, and many others. So travelers on their Uganda safari have to choose what kind of game drive they can afford to do.
Mongoose tracking
This is one of the experiential tourism activities that travelers on their Uganda safaris can engage for the safari. Travelers go with researchers to track the habituated mongoose and study about them. The activity is carried out in the different trails of the park and lasts about 1 to 3 hours of the day for the travelers to view the mongoose.
Birding tours
This is also another activity that travelers engage in in the search for the species. The Mweya area is a great destination for birding. The bird species can be found around Lake Edward, forested areas of the peninsular, Lake Munyanyange for the flamingos, and many other areas. Bird species that are usually seen include; a red carped lark, an African mourning dove, a little bee-eater, and many others.
How to access the Mweya peninsular?
The Mweya peninsular can be accessed by both road and air transport. While using air transport, travelers will use chartered flights from the Kajjansi Airstrip or the Entebbe International Park to the Mweya airstrip which is near the peninsular. Travelers can also use road transport; travelers can use the Kampala -Kasese highway via Fort Portal to Mweya which is about 8 hours of travel. The other route is Kampala – Mbarara highway to Mweya which is about 8 hours of the day.
What is the best time to visit the Mweya peninsular in Queen Elizabeth National Park?
The Mweya peninsular is open for travelers throughout the year. During the dry season June to September and December to February, this is the best time for travelers since the area is more clear for viewing of the wildlife. During this time the area is more dry and clear for the activities within the peninsular.
