Mweya Peninsular

Mweya Peninsular

Mweya Peninsular

Mweya peninsular is a chunky grass cover with dense vegetation dominated by candelabra and thorny bushes. It has a number of tracks for game drives, however, the sign posting can make you lose your track back home, so it is good to walk with a guide. Game viewing can be quite a challenging activity in this area because of the trees and the small bushes.

However you can enjoy the famous Kazinga channel launch cruise. It is a two hours rind on water along the famous Kazinga channel. You will enjoy a ride on the Kazinga vessel of 20- seat; it is also a motorized water vessel. It runs two rides a day, however due to the tourist demand in the pick seasons; the rides can increase to maximally three turns. The morning shift is from 11am -1pm and the evening rides operate from 3pm -5pm. The booking for the boat cruise can be done at Mweya Uganda wildlife authority offices. The cruise trips set off from the staging site beneath Mweya peninsular, it is a short distance from the lodge however you can use a car to go there.

Apart from the splendid views of mountain Rwenzori over the water, Mweya peninsular is among the very fine places to spot a leopard with in the shrubby thickets. According to visitors to this place, Mweya Peninsular is a focal point for the beauty in the northern part of the park.

What does history say about this spectacular tourism place today?

Evidence shows that it was formerly a human settlement area, about 5000 years ago. According to the explorer called Stanley, he reached Mweya Peninsular in 1889 and all he saw was smoke or formless void, as he reported back home. He continued to ascertain that most probably this smoke was caused by the bush clearing fires. He continued that at this time Mweya had like 81 huts and that it had a lot of sheep and goats.

However, when Fredrick Lugard came back in 1891, found out that the huts had been disserted, most probably this happen way before Lugard came to Mweya Peninsular. It is said that the area was closed from human settlement due to the outbreak of Rinder pest in the area. However later in 1952, it was declared/ gazette for wildlife and it was renamed from Kazinga National Park to Queen Elizabeth national park after the queen’s visit to Uganda.

Mweya village today has over 400 people/ population estimation, and is the main tourists’ area within Queen Elizabeth national park. It has communities of people that make up the population in the area. However, one can’t tell how they live along with the wild community of lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and hippos among others.

It is not just the animals that attract the tourists but also the luxurious accommodation of Mweya Safari lodge with in the Mweya Peninsular overlooking Kazinga Channel. The lodge is found on the extreme side of the northern part of Mweya Peninsular. It offers a very breath taking view of the adjacent Lake Edward.

To note; nature is always a main reason and the whole world can line up behind conservation. In 2006, there was a heating discussion that enacted an argument in the press debate of uganda that Madhvani Group Of Companies wanted to construct a golf course in Mweya with in the ecological community in queen Elizabeth National Park. Madhvani owns and manages Mweya Safari Lodge with in the national park even to date. However the environmentalist won over Madhivani Group Of Companies, as this action of golf could earn a lot of tourists but would break the balance with in the ecological community at mweya. Perhaps with time the animals would migrate to other places.  In the same year (2006) in july, a research was carried out on the tourist to help determine the power from the action from the first class stakeholders to this kind of change, however most of the tourists where opposing the golf course idea, and that is how the environmentalists won over Madhvani Group Of Company about this issue.

Other interesting activities you can get engaged in at Mweya peninsular include;

  • Mongoose tracking which is done on foot at Mweya peninsular. A guide leads the way through the trails and tracks the mongoose. This activity involves watching and learning the behaviors of these rodents in the wild Mweya peninsular. It is a three hours activity. During this activity you will also get a chance to study about some birds and a few wild animals like baboons, warthogs among others.
  • Community walks, you will get a chance to visit the community near Mweya safari lodge. You can also hold a small interaction with the local people in this community since they are well conversant with English speaking so communication will go on smoothly and you can learn a lot from them.

What you should know before going for any activity with in this part of queen Elizabeth national park

  • No eating during and activity with in the wild
  • Do not litter in the park
  • It is good not to make a lot of noise as this might alert the wild cats
  • Keep quiet and you will see more
  • Don’t chase after wild animals
  • And lastly, follow the instruction of the tour guide.

How to get there;

Mweya peninsular is located 20km west of the road that goes to Mbarara from Kasese town. All types of vehicles between Mbarara and Kasese can go through Katumguru town. And also someone can hire a special taxi to take him/ her to Mweya at just 30, 000, it is a one way fare to Mweya safari lodge.

Accommodation includes;

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