GAME DRIVE (MWEYA - KASENYI - ISHASHA)

Whether on the Mweya side of the Kasenyi plains near Lake George, or to the south in the Ishasha sector, Queen Elizabeth Park offers excellent opportunities to see the emblematic mammals of the savannah, with the exception of rhinos, which have disappeared, and giraffes, historically absent. The circuit along the Kazinga Channel offers a network of fairly tight tracks characterized by dense vegetation, where you're likely to look for leopards and certainly come across elephants. This area can be explored in around 2 hours from Mweya, but the classic circuit consists of crossing the main road and continuing towards Lake George to the bare, candelabra-covered plains of Kasenyi, where lions are plentiful; lion tracking is organized in this part of the park for US$ 200 to observe the king of animals for four to five hours (independent travellers must have their own vehicle in which UWA trackers will ride). You'll also see vast herds of Uganda cob, topi, buffalo and numerous birds. The trails in the Ishasha sector are much less frequented, but offer an extraordinary opportunity to encounter a population of tree lions numbering around 40 individuals. This feline peculiarity, found only in Tanzania's Lake Manyara Park, has not yet been the subject of any real scientific study, but the hypothesis put forward is that these lions, by climbing the sycamores, are trying to escape disease-carrying insects. Safari departures usually take place at dawn, but the lions stay in the trees when it's warmest. In addition to this leonine attraction, the Ishasha area, with its acacia trees and grassy savannah, will suit the more adventurous: in fact, it is possible to camp near Lake Edward (Edward Flat), in the middle of nowhere, in an area of great wildlife richness: the presence of a UWA ranger (US$ 50) is compulsory! Most travellers take their safaris as part of an organized tour with a driver. If you have your own vehicle, you can take along a park ranger to help you track animals. Ask at the park office in Mweya or at the entrance to Ishasha.