Game drives in Ishasha sector: The Ishasha Sector is located south of the well-known Queen Elizabeth National Park. Because it is home to tree-climbing lions, this portion of the park is the most well-known. These lions are frequently spotted lounging on the branches of the large acacia trees found in the Ishasha area.
Only Tanzania’s Lake Manyara National Park is home to the lions of the Ishasha sector, making these two locations the only sites to witness rare tree-climbing lions. In addition to the 95 mammals, 10 primate species, and 600 bird species found in Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Ishasha sector is home to tree-climbing lions.
The primary activity in the Ishasha sector is game viewing safaris, which provide visitors with the chance to see a variety of species, the most significant of which is the tree-climbing lion. The majority of visitors that go on game drives in the Ishasha area expressly want to see these lions that climb trees.
Because lions can climb large trees and remain on their branches, they were given the name “tree climbing lions.” Numerous scientists have proposed explanations for why these lions climb trees, including avoiding the intense heat from the ground, avoiding pest attacks like houseflies, and finding the ideal location for their food.
Game drive experience in Ishasha sector
The primary purpose of game drives in the Ishasha sector is to see tree-climbing lions, which are unique to this area. Only the Ishasha area of Queen Elizabeth National Park and a little population in Lake Manyara National Park are home to tree-climbing lions. Engaging in game driving activities will allow you to take pictures and record videos, as well as witness the tree-climbing lions idly perched on tree branches.
The game drives in Ishasha sector south of Queen Elizabeth national park are done in the morning and evening hours only for 2-3 hours. Leopards, hyenas, Uganda kobs, sitatungas, buffaloes, bushbucks, primates, and various bird species are among the wild animals they can encounter during safari drives and occasionally hired armed ranger guides that take them to the Ishasha area of the park.
What is the cost of game drives in Ishasha sector?
The Ishasha sector only offers free wildlife drives in the morning and evening. In order to enter the park and explore all of its features, including the Ishasha section, visitors must just pay the park entrance charge. The park entrance price is UGX 20,000 for East African member states, $30 for foreign residents, and $40 for non-residents.
Best time for game drives in the Ishasha sector
Game drives in the Ishasha sector can be done at any time of year, while some times of the year are better than others. In the Ishasha area, game drives are best conducted during the dry season, which runs from June to September and December to February. The roads going to the park are passable, the foliage is always short and dispersed with clear views of wildlife, and there is little to no rainfall during this time, keeping the game vehicles dry.
During the rainy season, which runs from March to May and October to November, visitors can still go on game drives in the Ishasha zone, which benefits low-cost travelers who receive discounts on lodging. The rainy season is not the ideal time of year since the roads getting to the park are difficult, the vegetation is thick and narrow with hazy views of wildlife, and there is a lot of rainfall that makes the game trucks muddy and slippery.
Other activities done in Ishasha sector
Birdwatching
One of Queen Elizabeth National Park‘s top locations for bird watching is Ishasha Sector. Birdwatchers can always participate in bird watching activities on a game drive safari in the Ishasha sector, where they can witness some of the 600 bird species that have been identified in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Armed ranger guides lead the participants to several birdwatching locations throughout Ishasha as part of nature walks.
The African fish eagle, grasshopper buzzard, bar-tailed trogon, crowned hornbill, common hoopoe, grey-checked hornbill, common barn owl, verreaux’s eagle owl, scary throated honeyguide, swallow bee-eater, cinnamon chested bee-eater, golden-tailed woodpecker, buff-spotted woodpecker, piping hornbill, little green bull, bearded woodpecker, European beat eater, olive woodpecker, and yellow-throated tinker bird can all be seen by tourists.
Hairy-breasted barbet, spot-flanked barbet, double-toothed barbet, red-shouldered cuckoo shrike, eastern black-headed oriole, black-throated watt led-eye, white shrike flycatcher, red-tailed ant thrush, fork-tailed drongo, red-billed paradise flycatcher, Angolan swallow, lesser striped swallow, little green sunbird, blue-headed sunbird, brown-capped weaver, barn swallow, and copper sunbird are some of the bird species that can be found in the Ishasha sector.
Lion tracking
The lion tracking operation in the Ishasha area is open to tourists who are interested in spotting lions. Similar to game drives, this activity allows drivers to exit the game trucks to locate potential lion locations. An armed ranger guide leads the exercise and utilizes GPS to find the lions, who are always carrying radio calls around their necks.
To observe the lions, travelers must participate in the morning and evening lion tracking activity in the Ishasha region. Additionally, the activity allows visitors to witness a variety of wildlife, including Uganda kobs, hippos, buffaloes, tree-climbing lions, elephants, spotted hyenas, sitatungas, and antelopes.
Getting to Ishasha sector
By plane and vehicle, visitors can reach the Ishasha region in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park in just one day. The fastest way to get to the Ishasha area is via air, which takes just one hour and fifteen minutes. Aerolink Uganda and Bar Aviation Uganda arrange flights for travelers that enjoy luxury travel. The flights begin at Entebbe International Airport and Kajjansi Airport and end at Mweya Airport.
Travelers can travel by road from Kampala/Entebbe to the Ishasha sector via Masaka, Mbarara, Bushenyi, and Rubirizi. Depending on the type of roads, the number of stops, and the driver’s speed, the road transport trip takes seven to eight hours. Along the way, travelers can visit several attractions and make a stop at the equator.