The Kazinga Channel is the park's centrepiece. A two-hour boat trip along the channel passes hippo pods in the hundreds, buffalo and elephant coming down to drink, and one of the densest concentrations of water birds in East Africa — pelicans, storks, skimmers and fish eagles all along the same bank. The afternoon departure has the better light.

The Mweya peninsula and the Kasenyi plains hold the general game: Uganda kob in leks, warthog, waterbuck and the lions that hunt them. Kasenyi at first light is the reliable lion area in the north.

The Ishasha sector in the south is where lions rest in the branches of fig trees — behaviour known from only a couple of places in Africa. It is not guaranteed on any given morning, but with a couple of drives the odds are decent, and the sector is quiet and pleasant regardless.

Kyambura Gorge, a forested gash in the savanna, holds a small chimpanzee community tracked on permits. Sightings are less reliable than at Kibale, but the gorge itself is a remarkable place to walk.

The dry seasons of December to February and June to August are best for game and roads, though the park is workable year-round.

Practicalities

Queen Elizabeth sits on the standard western Uganda circuit between Kibale's chimpanzees and Bwindi's gorillas, five to six hours' drive from either. The park's equator crossing and crater drives are worth the detour.

The park's lions have been under real pressure from poisoning in recent years; the research and conservation projects based here are worth supporting and can be visited.