Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise Experience

Kazinga channel boat cruise is among the activities to do during a safari around Queen Elizabeth national park.

Queen Elizabeth national park is among the popular safari destinations of Uganda and it is located in the southwestern part of the country. Kazinga channel boat cruises take place where Lake Edward and Lake George meet.

Kazinga channel stretches 32 kilometers and it is among the attractions in Queen Elizabeth national park. It is found in the Mweya peninsular and the Kazinga channel is a natural channel.

On the western part of the channel is Lake Edward while the eastern side of the Kazinga channel is where Lake George is located. Lake Edward is referred to as Rwitanzige by the locals and the lake is also a rift valley lake and the smallest of the African great lakes.

Lake George which is another of the lakes where the Kazinga channel boat cruise is done is a shallow lake found on the western part of the rift valley. The lake drains into Lake Edward and together they form the Kazinga channel.

During the Kazinga channel boat cruise, a variety of wildlife species can be seen along the lake shores including many elephants, buffalos, schools of hippos, Nile crocodiles, and sitatungas among others. These wildlife species are also known to gather by the water shores to drink especially in the dry season making them easy to see during a boat cruise.

The boats go close to the wildlife species during the Kazinga experience and tourists can see and observe the wildlife closely making it an exciting activity to take part in when visiting Queen Elizabeth national park.

The Kazinga channel boat cruise is also an activity during which bird lovers can see a variety of bird species like fish eagles flying in the distances, cormorants, storks by the lakeside, bee-eaters, wood peckers, king fishers, grey crowned cranes among others.

Tourists during the Kazinga channel boat cruise can also enjoy an experience of seeing the way of life of the locals in the Katunguru fishing village as some of the fishermen also engage in fishing on the Kazinga channel.

The locals living near the Kazinga channel and the Katunguru area also operate boats for the Kazinga channel boat cruise. These boat rides can be done without following a specific timetable or schedule.

When booking a Kazinga channel boat cruise, tourists can also choose the Uganda Wildlife Authority boat or UWA boat which operates in the morning and in the afternoon hours. This boat is scheduled and costs 30 USD for foreign nonresidents, 25 USD for foreign residents, and 30,000 Uganda shillings for East Africans.

The capacity of the boats used during the Kazinga channel boat cruise also varies. Some of the boats carry over 40 people, others carry as few as 10 to 12 people. These boats on the Kazinga channel also offer both private and group experiences during safaris in Queen Elizabeth national park.

The price of the Kazinga channel boat cruise varies as some of the boats are operated by the locals, tour operators and lodges also own boats that offer the boat cruise activity in Queen Elizabeth national park.

Mweya safari lodge is among the lodges that offer the Kazinga channel boat cruise and the lodge is located not far from the starting point of the activity. On the way to the lodge, tourists can also enjoy an en-route wildlife experience as wildlife species are known to roam in the savannah plains.

Apart from being a safari activity, tourists also organize special occasions such as weddings and anniversaries during the Kazinga channel boat cruise which makes it a memorable experience.

The Kazinga channel boat cruise takes about 2 to 3 hours and is done in the morning or in the afternoon during safaris to Queen Elizabeth national park. The boat cruise can be combined with a game drive or another activity in the national park.

The activity starts with a briefing by the team offering the Kazinga channel boat cruise and the passengers are informed on the safety measures ad given life jackets before the activity begins.

The best time of the year to engage in the Kazinga channel boat cruise is the dry season from June to October and also around December, January, and February. This is because the weather is good and no rain is received. The dry season is also a high season therefore booking the activity in advance is recommended as big numbers of tourists on safari are expected during that time of the year.

Apart from the Kazinga channel boat cruise, there are other activities to do around Queen Elizabeth national park and they include game drives, bird watching, cultural tours, chimpanzee trekking, lion tracking, and visiting the Katwe explosion craters among others.

Book a Kazinga channel boat cruise with Jewel safaris today and enjoy an unforgettable safari as you visit Uganda.