Mongoose trekking

Queen Elizabeth national park is at times called the medley of wonders because it has incredible and quality attractions it gives to its tourists. Despite the fact that Queen Elizabeth national park is mainly known for offering exceptional chimp trekking safaris, boat cruises.

The park is also blessed with various animal species and bird species that can be encountered either during the game drive or during the boat cruise at Kazinga channels. On top of all that, you will also be able to trek the endangered Mongoose on your stay in the park. Queen Elizabeth national park is one of Uganda’s oldest and it is the second largest national park in Uganda. The park is the most visited tour destination in Uganda due to its unique activities that it has to offer

Mongooses are one of the wonderful and amazing creatures to look at in the world. They are short legged with pointed noses, small ears, and they have long fur. The mongooses also have five toes on each foot. They live in burrows and usually feed on small mammals, birds, and at some times they can try fruits. Adding to that, they are also live in groups. For example Banded mongoose, Marsh mongoose, Savannah mongoose and also the Egyptian mongoose.

Mongoose trekking experience

Mongoose trekking refers to the process where you visit their habitant with guide like how gorilla trekking is done in order to learn more about these creatures.  In queen Elizabeth national park mongoose trekking is done at the sides of the Mweya Peninsular. Trekking mongoose can be carried out twice a day that is early in the morning (7: 00am) and later in the afternoon and it usually lasts for 1 to 3 hours.

During the activity of mongoose trekking, only a maximum of 4 people is allowed to visit them. This is one of the breath-taking activities to carry with in Queen Elizabeth national park. During your mongoose trekking adventure, you will be able to learn the behaviors of the mongoose, strictly differentiate between the male and female, register their weight, and many more. The other unique thing to know is that all your observations at the end are always added on to the researcher’s data sheets.

Prices for mongoose trekking

The price for mongoose trekking in queen Elizabeth national park is $30 for foreigner and for the East African citizens it is shs 30,000.

A mongoose permit can either be obtained directly from Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) or you can arrange with tour operator and in this case Vacation-safaris are highly recommended to do the job for you (Using registered tour operator is highly recommended as they have got the local know how of tour business)

How to reach Queen Elizabeth National Park?

You can access queen Elizabeth national park either by road or by air

By road

The park is located 389 kilometres from Kampala, and it is a six-to-eight-hour drive from Kampala. You can also choose to visit the park from Kigali Rwanda. The drive from Kigali is a 4 to 5-hour drive and you will cover 277 kilometres. Therefore, driving from Kigali is shorter however I would advice you to apply for the East African visa at 100 dollars. The East African visa is available online

By air

For luxury travelers and people with limited time the local air safaris can be arranged by your tour operator. The flight can take off either from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airstrip to Kasese airstrip. The flight is a one hour to Kasese.

Why book your mongoose trekking permit with active Africa vacation

There are many reasons why you should book your permit with a trusted and reputable tour company such as Active African vacations. Active African vacations has well trained and knowledgeable guides that will spice up your safari and make it more colorful.

The other beauty of booking with a trusted tour company is that in terms of rescheduling, you will be able to do smoothly and with ease than to one who booked online.

Best time to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park

Mongoose trekking is an all-year-round activity. The activity can be conducted at any time of the year and the choice of when to trek is entirely dependent on your choice, budget ad desire.

The dry season between June and September and December to February is most preferred choice for the most mongoose trekker. However, that time intersect with the peak season of African safaris. Therefore, during this time the prices for accommodation tend to be very high and you will need to book your permit and accommodation in advance due to the increased demand.

For the budget traveler and last-minute travelers, the wet season of October to December and march to may would be ideal as the accommodation price tend to drop and discounts are usually offered during this time of the year. The trails during this time are not that bird as Uganda is characterized with equatorial climate with moderate rainfall and worm weather throughout the year.

What else can you do at queen Elizabeth national park

Other than mongoose trekking, there is a lot of other activities that you can do while at queen Elizabeth national park and the these include the following.

Game drive at kasenyi plain

Kasenyi plain described by the savanna grassland is the perfect place for the game drive found in queen Elizabeth national park. During the game drive you will be able to encounter four out of five ‘big five’ of Africa. These include lions, leopards, elephants and cape buffaloes. Beyond the big five, you will also encounter different antelopes, primates and for the bird enthusiasts the park is a home to various bird species that are endemic to the park

Boat cruise at kazinga channels

Another famous place at queen Elizabeth national park is kazinga channel. The channel joins lake George to lake Edward and is famous for thousands of hippos and several crocodiles that you will encounter during the two-hour boat cruise. Beside hippos and crocodiles, the channel is also a home to various aquatic birds, and you will also be able to spot various primates at the shores of the channel.

Chimpanzee trekking at kyambura gorge

Another must visit place while at QENP is kyambura gorge the home to the endangered great apes in form of chimpanzee. Chimpanzee trekking permit at the gorge is at 100 dollars excluding the park entry fees but it includes the natural walk fees

Uganda and Rwanda vacation safari package

Other activities

You can also engage in experiential game drive, lion track experiential drive, hippos census, guided hiking and natural walk, community visit sports fishing and many more activities that you might be interested in.

The 3 Days Gorilla Trekking Safari Tour Rwanda offers travelers an opportunity to adventure the rare species of Mountain Gorillas in their natural vegetation habitat at Volcanoes National park Ruhengeri. Book this trip to experience the best safari tours in Rwanda as you go on a Gorilla trekking adventure

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The 4 Days Primate Safari Tour in Rwanda gives you the opportunity to explore numerous places in Rwanda like Volcanoes National Park where you will watch the Mountain Gorillas enjoying their natural habitat to the fullest as well as Nyungwe Forest National Park

TRIP DETAILS

REQUEST INFO

The 4 Days Primate Safari Tour in Rwanda gives you the opportunity to explore numerous places in Rwanda like Volcanoes National Park where you will watch the Mountain Gorillas enjoying their natural habitat to the fullest as well as Nyungwe Forest National Park where you will track the rare species of Chimpanzees.

TRIP DETAILS

REQUEST INFO